Background: Performance-related musculoskeletal disorders (PRMD) are highly prevalent among flutists, largely due to the instrument’s markedly asymmetrical posture and sustained upper-extremity loading. Prior research consistently shows localized pain in the neck, thoracic paraspinal, shoulders, wrists, and hands, underscoring the need for flute specific epidemiologic data to better characterize this elevated musculoskeletal risk. Objects: This study examined their associations with performance-related parameters and PRMD to inform evidence-based preventive and rehabilitative strategies in elite female flutists. Methods: This cross-sectional study investigated 35 professional female flutists using a structured questionnaire that assessed performance characteristics, upper extremity function, and regional musculoskeletal symptoms. Group comparisons of pain intensity were examined by t-tests and one-way ANOVA. Results: Flutists showed the greatest pain intensity in both side of upper trapezius, whereas most other regions demonstrated minimal pain. Late starters exhibited significantly higher pain in major upper-body regions, including the upper trapezius, rhomboids. Longer professional career duration was associated with higher pain intensity in the left upper trapezius, left lateral elbow, and mid-lumbar region (all p < 0.05), but not in other body sites (all p > 0.05). Conclusion: This study demonstrated that elite female flutists exhibit a pronounced concentration of PRMD in shoulder regions especially, the upper trapezius of elite female flutists and stated that later initiation of flute training and longer professional career duration significantly increased pain intensity across multiple upper-body sites. These findings indicate that PRMD risk is primarily driven by the interaction between asymmetric postural demands and cumulative occupational load, emphasizing the importance of early posture focused training and targeted preventive strategies.

Background: Visual–gait coupling, in which saccadic eye movements regulate the body’s center of mass (CoM), is fundamental for maintaining dynamic stability. However, previous research has primarily focused on optic flow or dual-task paradigms, leaving the specific influence of parameterizing saccadic visual demands during self-paced locomotion insufficiently explored. Objects: This study investigated how saccadic visual stimulation, varying in direction (horizontal vs. vertical [VT]) and frequency (0.5 vs. 1.1 Hz), modulates spatiotemporal gait characteristics and CoM-based dynamic stability during self-paced walking on a curved non-motorized treadmill. Methods: Twenty-five healthy young adults walked for 30 seconds at a comfortable selfselected pace on a curved non-motorized treadmill under four visual conditions: forward gaze, horizontal saccades at 0.5 Hz, VT saccades at 1.1 Hz, and horizontal saccades at 1.1 Hz. Gait parameters were recorded with inertial sensors and synchronized insoles, and CoM parameters were derived from inertial measurement unit-based segment kinematics. Results: Gait speed, cadence, and stride length were greatest during horizontal saccades at 1.1 Hz, whereas stride time was longest under forward gaze (p < 0.05). Mediolateral (ML) and VT CoM displacements, as well as CoM path length, were significantly larger under horizontal 1.1 Hz compared with forward gaze and VT saccades, indicating amplified postural demands (p < 0.05). Stance duration decreased and swing duration increased during horizontal 1.1 Hz saccades (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Saccadic visual stimulation reorganized propulsion–stability balance during selfpaced walking in a direction- and frequency-specific manner, indicating the need to consider both factors when developing visuomotor gait training strategies to enhance ML control without compromising progression.