Dystonia of the guitarist: Gloves as a sensory trick

Abstract

Musicians’ hand dystonia has been reported mainly for those who play instru-ments requiring maximal fine-motor skills, including the guitar. We report a case of a healthy guitar player that presented with discoordination while playing the guitar, initially more evident in the third finger of the right hand, and, later, in the fourth finger of the left hand, with abnormal postures in flexion, causing impairment and playing errors. No other features were present. Investigation was unremarkable. Trihexyphenidyl was initiated with poor response. The use of gloves as a sensory trick was suggested and, after cutting the fingers of the gloves, he noticed a marked improvement which allowed him to maintain his professional activity. This condition can impact one’s livelihood, being our aim to emphasize the gloves as a symptomatic relief therapeutic option in guitarists. Cutting the gloves fingers tip may be a piece of good advice when more precision is needed.