RSI & Carpal Tunnel Prevention
for Pianists and Electronic Musicians

Repetitive Strain Injuries in Pianists, Females and Computer Users (NYU, 2002)
by Laura Kessler

Musicians and computer users are especially high-risk communities for Repetitive Strain Injuries, of which 70% of sufferers are female. Unfortunately, it is only recently that music pedagogy methods have begun to stress the importance of fitness and injury prevention for performing artists.

This book originally began as a Graduate Masters Thesis at NYU from my own experience, and has endured due to its relevance to students and professional musicians alike.

I hope to revise a 2nd edition with the help of the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago and other medical professionals later this year.

Please also see my Musical Rehabilitation Course Offerings.

For more beneficial RSI and Carpal Tunnel links for musicians please visit:

Musicians and Injury

Alexander Technique

RSI Checklist for Instrumentalists

---Call for Injured Artists and Musicians to Share their Experiences to Help Artists With Health Issues

I am conducting a new study in preparation for a future publication about the physical hazards artists face on the job and want to hear from you. Sadly, it is a grim reality that musicians and artists can face an uphill battle in preventing career disabling injuries from the artistic environments in which they work. Injuries among performing artists has become less of a career-threatening taboo subject in recent years, however most artists still do not learn the facts of prevention until after they have been injured.

If you have experienced any of the following, I would like to hear your background story and any strategies that worked for you in the hopes of benefiting others. Injuries can include, but are not limited to:

• Hearing loss
• Tinnitus (ringing in the ears)
• Carpal Tunnel
• Tendonitis
• Other Repetitive Strain Injuries
• Vocal Nodules & Vocal Health Issues
• Respiratory Problems
• and others…

Injured artists from all artistic disciplines are encouraged to participate. Your name will not be published without your consent and you will have the option to submit your story anonymously. Please contact me if you would like to share your story and knowledge.