Get Nhs Help For Back Joint Problems

What you can get help for

You can get help from community MSK services for a variety of conditions and symptoms, including:

back, knee, shoulder or neck pain
arthritis
sciatica
carpal tunnel syndrome
plantar fasciitis
tennis elbow
recovery after an injury, such as a sport injury or strain
recovery after surgery, such as knee or hip replacement surgery
other problems affecting your back, joints, muscles or the ligaments that hold your joints together

You do not need to have a diagnosis to get help from community MSK services.

What help is available

Community MSK services offer different kinds of help.

The services you can get may depend on what's available in your area.

Do

assessment or diagnosis by a specialist
treatment or support - such as physiotherapy, pain management and occupational therapy
further referral to other specialists or for tests, such as MRI or CT scans, if needed

Don't

urgent or emergency help

Who can use this service

Most adults can refer themselves to community MSK services.

You can use this service to refer yourself if you:

live in England
are registered with a GP

In some parts of England, you may not currently be able to refer yourself to community MSK services and may need to contact your GP surgery.

How to refer yourself to community MSK services

When you use this service, you'll be asked to:

Enter the name of your GP surgery. This is to help find services available in your GP surgery's area.
Choose a service you want to refer yourself to.
Click 'Start referral with this service'. Most services have an online form, but if you cannot do it online the service website should tell you other ways to refer yourself.

What happens next

Once you visit the service website and refer yourself, your referral will be reviewed by a health professional.

The service will contact you and tell you what happens next, including how long the waiting times are.

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