[The artist as patient. A study of diseases of the locomotor system in orchestra musicians].

Professional orchestral musicians, who are subjected to considerable long-term static and dynamic stresses in the course of their work, frequently suffer from disorders of the locomotor apparatus. The complaints are typically localized in the region of the shoulder and neck. There are indications that specific disorders are typically related to particular instruments. The data of this study suggest that there is an urgent need for physicians specializing in diseases commonly found in musicians and experienced in appropriate strategies of therapy.