Musician's cramp cure

Musicians risk hand injuries

Concert pianists and guitarists whose careers have been ruined by an incurable form of "musician's cramp" may soon be cured.

Doctors have developed a treatment for the condition, known as focal hand dystonia, which appears to be effective.

Two musicians have already been able to resume concert performances after undergoing the therapy.

Dystonia is the name given to a type of involuntary movement caused by muscle rigidity.

It can cause painful spasms, twisting and repetitive movements or abnormal postures.

A common type of temporary dystonia is writer's cramp while another more severe form accompanies Parkinson's Disease.

Focal hand dystonia is related to overuse of the fingers, and in musicians it can be serious enough to prevent them playing.

Breakthrough shows results

Pianists are particularly at risk

Until now there has been no cure for musicians afflicted by the condition. But The Lancet medical journal reports that German doctors have successfully tested a new treatment on three pianists and two guitarists.

All had long-standing symptoms and had previously tried several treatments without success.

The new therapy involved immobilising one or more fingers of the afflicted hand with splints, while leaving the finger affected by dystonia free.

The dystonic digit then underwent intensive exercising for eight days under supervision followed by more exercising at home.

During the treatment patients rated how well they were able to perform, without splints, passages from their repertoire that had tended to generate involuntary dystonic movements in the past.

The researchers led by Dr Thomas Elbert, from the University of Konstanz, wrote: "After treatment the one patient who was non-compliant regressed after nine months.

"Three patients showed additional improvement into the normal or almost normal range, and one showed no reduction in a substantial therapeutic effect. Two of the musicians have resumed concert performances."