Dr. Howard Smith Oncall

Vidcast: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cy_YUlFRm3W/ Toting, tooting, or banging a musical instrument while precision marching around the football field leads to a musculoskeletal injury in one of every four high school students who participate in marching bands.  In a study to be presented at the American Academy of Pediatrics annual fall meeting, 70% of the 20,335 marching band injuries treated at our nation’s emergency departments over a recent 9 year period occurred in young women.   Half of the injuries involved the lower body, mainly the ankles and knees, while 6% were traumatic brain injuries.   Perhaps not as physically demanding as the sports for which they provide musical accompaniment, playing in a marching band is an athletic activity.  The teens who participate spend long hours practicing not only the tunes but also the on-field choreography.  The players are called upon to perform in hot uniforms during sometimes adverse weather while carrying instruments that may be heavy such as tubas or bass