| Fiddler's neck | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Violin hickey, viola love bite |
| Specialty | Occupational health |
Fiddler's neck is an occupational disease that affects violin and viola players.[1]
It is a cutaneous condition usually characterized by redness, thickening, and inflammation on the left side of the neck below the angle of the jaw where the instrument is held.[1] Acne-like lesions and cysts may form at the site due to foreign body reactions, and infections may also occur due to poor hygiene.[1] The primary causes of fiddler's neck are constant friction and local pressure.[2] It is well known among professional orchestra musicians but is "not well recognized by dermatologists",[2] and a red mark on the left side of the neck under the jaw "functions as an identifying sign" of a violinist or violist "in public without seeing the instrument".[3]
Although the presence of fiddler's neck is sometimes used as an indicator of a violinist's skill, or 'battle scars' from constant practice, many violinists never develop fiddler's neck, due to differences in skin sensitivity, playing habits, and the materials used in the construction of the instrument. An accomplished professional player could practice hard their whole life and never develop fiddler's neck.
- ^ a b c Gambichler, T.; Boms, S.; Freitag, M. (2004). "Contact dermatitis and other skin conditions in instrumental musicians". BMC Dermatology. 4: 3. doi:10.1186/1471-5945-4-3. PMC 416484. PMID 15090069.
- ^ a b Peachey, R. D.; Matthews, C. N. (1978). "'Fiddler's neck'". The British Journal of Dermatology. 98 (6): 669–674. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2133.1978.tb03586.x. PMID 150281. S2CID 32261268.
- ^ Blum, Jochen; Ritter, G. (December 1990). "Violinists and violists with masses under the left side angle of the jaw known as "fiddler's neck"". Medical Problems of Performing Artists. 5 (4): 155–160. ISSN 0885-1158. Archived from the original on 2013-12-02. Retrieved 2013-11-26.
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