Musculoskeletal (MSK)

Musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions are the leading cause of pain and disability in England and account for one of the highest causes of sickness absence and productivity loss.

Over 20 million people in the UK – which is nearly one third of the population have an MSK condition such as arthritis or back pain.

Poor MSK health not only has a huge impact on people, but also on their employers and the NHS. Over 30 million working days are lost, every year due to MSK conditions and account for nearly 1 in 4 GP consultations, in England.

Approximately 1 in 6 males and 1 in 5 females report an MSK condition while nearly 1 in 7 have at least two long term conditions. At least one of these is MSK related and prevalence is age-related.

Did you know?

Are you living in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent with MSK poor health and need more information? Follow the link to the MPFT website for further help: Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust.

Transformation Board

The Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care System (ICS) has established a board to lead the transformation of musculoskeletal services across the county.

The board is made up of clinicians, patient representatives, voluntary sector organisations, researchers from Keele University, GPs, hospital managers and commissioning managers from the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care Board (ICB), and other partners within the ICS.

The group meets on a monthly basis to provide strategic leadership for the delivery of services, share learnings, and review the care offered to people with muscle and joint pain in our area (known as musculoskeletal pain). They ensure clinical care is based on the best evidence and aim to ensure we offer the best value for our population.

The board is responsible for delivering the NHS triple aim for adults with musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions living in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent. This means reducing inequalities in care, delivering high quality care based on research and ensuring resources are used wisely.

Providing support for people with back pain through an app: SelfBack

NHS England and Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care System (ICS) have provided a funding opportunity for us to share an app to support people with low back pain.

Over the past two years, a group of clinicians, researchers, patients and industry partners have worked together to make the SelfBack app available to people with back pain. The app has been developed by a Danish company and has been tested in a rigorous research trial. The research found the app was safe and effective in reducing pain and supported people to help manage their symptoms. Local patients said it was ‘like having a friend in your pocket’.

We have offered this to people following a consultation with either a First Contact Practitioner in primary care or through community physiotherapy and pain services. We currently have over 200 people registered and actively using the app to help them manage their back pain.

We now have plans to offer this to people who present to our emergency departments and to staff working within a large local acute trust.

We will be sharing our experiences and collecting the data open till March 2025 when as a group we will consider seeking further funding to offer the app in the future. We look forward to sharing the results with you.

NHS England’s Further Faster Handbook

MSK are happy to highlight and express our congratulations to Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent ICS, Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (MPFT) and Keele MSK teams for getting two case studies into NHS England’s Further Faster Handbook.

You can read the draft handbook now on futures.

This handbook will be used to help systems across the country reduce their community wait times. The two case studies highlighted are:

• Telephone assessment and self-referral – Nicky Birch and Sarah Ormond
• Use of Self back app to support patients self-manage back pain – Kay Stevenson and Steph Gommersall.

Keele Univsersity

Keele University’s world-leading research into musculoskeletal (MSK) health includes major areas such as osteoarthritis, musculoskeletal pain, inflammatory arthritis and osteoporosis. Research teams are multidisciplinary, incorporating methods from qualitative research to laboratory science and randomised controlled trials. Learn more on the Keele University website at Musculoskeletal health – Keele University.

Winter advice

As the winter approaches we want to offer accessible online access for all your muscle and joint needs. The resources below provide practical guidance and support:

BeeFree | The Hive Five

Find tips and advice on:

• Staying active
• Eating well
• Being creative and many more
• Returning to work after a muscle or joint problem
• Remaining at work with a muscle or joint problem

Home – Keele Health

Find tips and advice on:

• Leaflets and guides
• Info on Knee pain
• Info on Back pain: YouTube video
• Info on Osteoarthritis and many more

Get help | Helpline, online community, arthritis virtual assistant

• Arthritis advice and help
• Online community
• Helplines and many more

Celebrating the Film: Your Voice Matters 

We are delighted to invite you to Celebrating the Film: Your Voice Matters — an online event showcasing a short film created by people living with pain for people with chronic pain.

The film features powerful real stories about living with pain and demonstrates the enormous potential of lived experience to shape research, influence policy, and improve care.

Event details:

📅 Date & Time: Tuesday 18 November 2025, 12:00 – 13:30 
💻 Location: Online (link provided upon registration)

🎟️ Register here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1779775940749?aff=oddtdtcreator

Further help

Case studies

Using Advice and Guidance to reduce the burden on patients and secondary care specialisms