Assessment of risk for upper limb musculoskeletal injuries in amateur Tabla players: A Cross sectional study

Abstract

The force and effort required to play a percussion instrument can cause musculoskeletal issues in percussionists (PRMDs). India's most popular percussion instrument is the tabla. The aim of the study was to assess the risk of upper limb musculoskeletal disorders among table players. Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted on seventy-six amateur table players, who were between the age group of 18 to 25 years. The posture of amateur table players and the risk of musculoskeletal injury among them was assessed by using Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA) scale. Result: Assessment of posture while playing tabla by using RULA scale shows that 25.39 % players were at a low risk of musculoskeletal injury, 71.42% players were at a medium risk of musculoskeletal injury and 3.17% were at high risk of musculoskeletal injury. The majority of musculoskeletal pains were in the shoulder and wrist joint. Conclusion: The study shows that the tabla players are at a risk of musculoskeletal injuries and early preventive measures should be implemented to prevent long term complications of wrong posture while playing tabla.