Discomfort after Playing Drumming Games

The aim of this study is to investigate the prevalence of discomfort after playing drumming games and to find more comfortable playing positions in order to reduce musculoskeletal disorder syndromes. A questionnaire was used to perform a survey of musculoskeletal symptoms in players of drumming games. The data were compared using the Chi-square test, and the factors of postures and positions in which stress was generated through wrist activity and their relationship with musculoskeletal disorder syndromes were investigated. This study consisted of two experimental study sessions; 37 subjects participated in the experiment session in 2007, 96 subjects in the 2008 session. For the 2007 study, the results show that posture is related to musculoskeletal disorders after playing drumming games and stress generated to beat the drums with or without wrist activity affects musculoskeletal disorders on the second day (p＜0.05). In the 2008 study, the results show that posture is related to the subjects’ feelings of discomfort. In these two studies, the results showed that the adoption of a standing posture while beating the drums causes the most serious musculoskeletal disorders of the four common postures, while a sitting posture using the wrist to beat the drums causes the least serious musculoskeletal disorders of the four common postures. Musculoskeletal symptoms differ according to the player’s posture, and if the position is natural and relaxed, the incidence of musculoskeletal disorders is reduced.