Volume 30, Issue 173, July 2026

Prevalence and associated risk factors of neck pain among musicians: a systematic review

Ewelina Maria Lachowska^1♦, Patrycja Anna Bartkiewicz¹, Wojciech Przemysław Baran¹, Cyprian Mariusz Janiszewski^2,3, Tomasz Wiktor Jędrasek¹, Adrian Korman¹, Wafa Al-Batool¹

¹Provincial Specialist Hospital, Wrocław, Poland
²Zielona Góra Philharmonic, Zielona Góra, Poland
³Karol Szymanowski Primary and Secondary Music School, Wrocław, Poland

^♦Corresponding author
Ewelina Maria Lachowska Provincial Specialist Hospital, Wrocław, Poland

ABSTRACT

Background: Playing-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders (PRMDs) are very common among musicians due to the repetitive nature of their movements and positions. Despite syntheses of evidence showing that neck pain is the most affected area of the musculoskeletal system among musicians, neck pain itself has not been separately addressed in reviews of evidence. Aim: This systematic review aimed to synthesize the available evidence regarding the prevalence of neck pain and its associated risk factors among musicians. Methods: PubMed and Scopus databases were searched for studies on neck pain among musicians, published between January 2016 and January 2026. After article evaluation, we included 14 crosssectional studies, extracted data, and summarized the findings. Results: The prevalence of neck pain among the general population of musicians ranged from 14.3% to 77.2%. However, the included cross-sectional studies differed in terms of musical experience, pain duration, and definitions of neck pain. Female sex was the most consistently reported risk factor associated with neck pain. Other factors that seemed to increase the risk were: playing frequently during the week, being overweight, and being a student. Conclusions: Existing literature indicates that neck pain is a common musculoskeletal complaint among musicians. Interpretation is limited by the small number of studies, heterogeneous definitions of neck pain, varying timeframes, populations, and assessment tools. There is a need for further well-designed studies.

Keywords: neck pain; cervical pain; musicians; prevalence; risk factors; musculoskeletal disorders

Medical Science, 2026, 30, e118ms3882

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Published: 07 July 2026