But girls can still get cellovary

Male cellists the world over can now breathe a sigh of relief: they no longer have to fear the dread malady of cello scrotum. It turns out the ailment was invented by a group of doctor friends in response to a letter published in the British Medical Journal on the subject of guitar nipple.

I stole this off MetaFilter, of course, and there are many entertaining comments over there.

Playing an instrument can hurt you, though. Obviously everyone's at risk from tendonitis and RSI; pianists are famously subject to carpal tunnel; violinists and violists can get fiddler's neck, and in my music college days I massaged enough kinked trapezius muscles to know about double bass shoulder. (Not from playing, but from carrying the beast around.) Growing a beard is suggested as a remedy for flutist's chin, but if you're a girl you're out of luck. Did you know that playing reeds or brass can blow out your larynx? Or your pharynx? Seriously:

Velopharyngeal insufficiency has also been reported in a concert bassoonist who failed orchestra auditions because of a clearly audible "noise coming from her head" while playing the bassoon.

Singers, of course, are blessedly safe from this sort of injury, although we do risk some bruises from the objects hurled at us by resentful orchestral musicians as we make our exit. But they've all got tendonitis, so they can't throw very hard.

But girls can still get cellovary

Male cellists the world over can now breathe a sigh of relief: they no longer have to fear the dread malady of cello scrotum. It turns out the ailment was invented by a group of doctor friends in response to a letter published in the British Medical Journal on the subject of guitar nipple.

I stole this off MetaFilter, of course, and there are many entertaining comments over there.

Playing an instrument can hurt you, though. Obviously everyone's at risk from tendonitis and RSI; pianists are famously subject to carpal tunnel; violinists and violists can get fiddler's neck, and in my music college days I massaged enough kinked trapezius muscles to know about double bass shoulder. (Not from playing, but from carrying the beast around.) Growing a beard is suggested as a remedy for flutist's chin, but if you're a girl you're out of luck. Did you know that playing reeds or brass can blow out your larynx? Or your pharynx? Seriously:

Velopharyngeal insufficiency has also been reported in a concert bassoonist who failed orchestra auditions because of a clearly audible "noise coming from her head" while playing the bassoon.

Singers, of course, are blessedly safe from this sort of injury, although we do risk some bruises from the objects hurled at us by resentful orchestral musicians as we make our exit. But they've all got tendonitis, so they can't throw very hard.