NHS 24 MSK help

- In this app you will find: -

• Advice on common muscle, back and joint problems
• Exercises and video clips to help you get moving safely
• Self help quizzes to help tailor information for your MSK problem
• Information to help with Work - Working lives information
• Reminders to do your exercises and/or attend any appointments

- What are musculoskeletal problems? -

MSK is shorthand for Musculoskeletal. Any injury, disease or problem with our muscles, bones or joints is known as a Musculoskeletal disorder (MSD). A broad term covering common injuries such as a sprained ankle and stiff neck through to conditions such as arthritis.

MSK problems are very common. Symptoms can include pain, stiffness, swelling, muscle weakness, numbness or pins and needles. They can bother you at home, at work, or through activities and sport. There are over 400 medical conditions that can affect bones, muscles and joints.

Muscle and joint problems are the single biggest cause of work absence and physical disability in the UK. Over one million people in Scotland consulted their GP for these reasons last year.

Getting quick access to good information helps people with muscle, back and joint problems get back to normal quicker. It also helps them to stay at or return to work and their normal life sooner. We have included within the app, a specific section about work which contains some useful advice and information to help both those in work but also managers and employers.

- Where did the information in this app come from? -

Scottish patients, doctors, MSK therapists, pharmacists and employment services have helped develop this information.

The content in this app is linked directly to the self-management information that can be found at NHS inform.