Abstract

I am a physiotherapist working within a specialist music school for pre-conservatoire level young musicians aged 9 – 18. Initially employed there to treat playing-related musculoskeletal disorders, I soon realised that the injuries I was treating were largely preventable, and I wanted to work towards preventing them. Much research has been carried out within Music Conservatoires, looking at health promotion strategies and strategies to reduce the incidence of playing related injuries in undergraduate and post graduate performers. The general conclusion is that although these strategies are helpful, they have no impact on injuries acquired prior to commencing conservatoire level study. The recommendation is that injury prevention work needs to start in a pre-conservatoire setting. In 2011 I joined the first cohort of Doctorate of Education students at the University of Cambridge, with the intention of developing an injury prevention programme at the school. Based on an audit of physiotherapy records which revealed five main risk factors for injuries at the school, this innovative Action Research project is a qualitative design which has utilised the cyclical, reflective and reflexive nature of Action Research to introduce innovative changes to policy and practice within the school, and to generate interest at national level.