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.
You may be offered
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assessment or diagnosis by a specialist
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treatment or support – such as physiotherapy, pain management and occupational therapy
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further referral to other specialists or for tests, such as MRI or CT scans, if needed
You will not be offered
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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.
If you're not registered with a GP
If you want to refer yourself to community MSK services but you're not registered with a GP you can:
- search online for "community MSK service self referral" and include the county or town where you live to see if you can refer yourself without being registered with a GP
- find out how to register with a 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 'Visit website to start referral'. 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.