Low back and neck pain are the greatest cause of years lost to disability in the UK, with chronic joint pain or osteoarthritis affecting more than 8.75 million people. In addition, musculoskeletal conditions also account for 30% of all GP appointments.
The Musculoskeletal Practitioner Team (also known as First Contact Practitioners), help patients with musculoskeletal issues such as back, neck and joint pain.
They do this by:
- Assessing and diagnosing issues
- Giving expert advice on how to best manage their conditions
- Referring patients on to specialist services if necessary
The team can provide advice such as:
- Soft tissue management
- Home exercise plans
- Mobility aids
- Self-management of long term conditions
- Helping in the decision making process for patients regarding surgery or injections based on sharing unbiased information
The team can refer for:
- Scans
- X-rays
- Blood tests
- Further treatment from specialists such as rheumatology, neurology or orthopaedic consultants
- Patients with pain or limitations in their joints/muscles/bones/tendons and nerves
- Simple conditions such as arthritis
- Complex conditions that require lengthy assessment and understanding of many bodily systems
- Clinicians can refer patients if they want a more thorough assessment or are unable to see the patient for their MSK condition due to time constraints
- Patients can state a preference for an appointment with an MSK Practitioner, dependent on the practice’s triage process
- External services such as the Living Well Team are also able to direct patients to our service for advice or assessment