Musculoskeletal - UHCW

 

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Do you live with or care for someone with a musculoskeletal (MSK) condition?

We'd like to hear from you to improve our services for people in Coventry.

A person with neck pain

Aches and Pains are comment, they affect over 20 million people in the UK. We are changing the way we deliver care for people with MSK conditions in Coventry with the help of University Hospital Coventry & Warwickshire.

We want to involve patient in our work so that our services meet your needs. We have 3 First Contact Physiotherapists (FCP) who work at Woodside Medical Centre.

They are Specialist Physiotherapists by background with considerable experience and expertise in identifying and managing musculoskeletal conditions.

The First Contact Physiotherapist role will allow you to be seen by the right person at the right time, so that you can achieve your desired outcome in less time. Our Care Navigators will be able to arrange an appointment with one of our First Contact Physiotherapists for you.

If you'd like to get involved please speak to someone in your clinic today or visit the UHCW website

 

Do I need an x-ray or scan?

When it comes to joint and muscle aches and pains, what we know is that:

Image of a doctor holding an x-ray

X-rays or scans are not usually needed:

  • to help diagnose the cause of your pain, or
  • to help you manage your pain.

How your joint, muscles, tendons, ligaments, and nerves look on x-rays or scans won’t help us to understand how much pain you feel, or how much you are able to do now or in the future.

In fact, x-rays and scans can be confusing as they often show things that are common in people who do not have pain, especially as we get older. This includes some things that can sound scary such as joint narrowing, tendon and cartilage tears, disc degeneration and disc bulges.

An X-Ray or Scan may be helpful in these less common situations:

  1. If a serious injury such as a broken bone (fracture), ligament or tendon tear is suspected.
  2. If a serious condition such as cancer or an infection is suspected.
  3. If you experience weakness, pins and needles, numbness and pain in your leg(s) and/or arm(s) that is worsening and is significantly affecting your daily function.
  4. If your symptoms or condition mean you might benefit from treatments such as an operation.

In each of these cases, a health professional e.g. a GP or Physiotherapist can assess you fully to see if you are likely to benefit form and X-Ray or a scan.

 

Self-Care Guides

Visit the UHCW website for self-care guides on managing your symptoms.

View the self-care guides