Liverpool Philharmonic and Help Musicians launch physio toolkit

The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic (RLPO) has partnered with UK charity Help Musicians to launch a ‘physio toolkit’ to help physiotherapists and healthcare professionals tailor health and wellbeing provision to musicians’ needs. A Symphony of Good Sense has been created by musicians’ physiotherapist, Dr Sarah Upjohn to kerb high rates of injury among musicians.

The new toolkit is available through the British Association for Performing Arts Medicine and identifies common playing-related injuries and outlines practical risk-reduction strategies, with the aim of helping with early identification of work-related musculoskeletal issues and supporting recovery. A Symphony of Good Sense also includes guidance for professional orchestras to musicians improve their physical health.

RLPO executive director of performance and learning Peter Garden said: ‘Our world class musicians are central to providing exceptional performances and activities week in week out that entertain, inspire, move and engage thousands of audiences and participants. It is vital that we do all we can to create the environment and conditions in which they can thrive as artists and enjoy long, healthy and sustainable careers. We are incredibly grateful to Sarah Upjohn, our friends at Help Musicians, BAPAM, and everyone who has enabled the creation of A Symphony of Good Sense. We hope it will both inspire and provide practical help for orchestras and physios to improve the support for musicians’ health and wellbeing in the UK and beyond.’

Dr Upjohn is the physiotherapist at The Purcell School for Young Musicians and well-being lead for the National Children’s Orchestra of Great Britain as well as being an assessing clinician and educator for BAPAM and a member of the Steering Group of the Healthy Conservatoires Network. The new project builds on the RLPO’s existing support for its musicians. Launched in 2015, the Musicians’ Performance and Wellbeing programme provides players with a ‘comprehensive range’ of physical and mental health support, as well as more specific training and performance psychology.

Dr Sarah Upjohn said: ‘When Liverpool Philharmonic and Help Musicians approached me to write something that would help physiotherapists who are not used to working with musicians, we decided it had to include some musical terminology to make physiotherapists aware of the sort of language used in the classical music industry. As a result, I might be the first physiotherapist ever to have written a Symphony.’