Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy Services
What is MSK Physiotherapy?
Musculoskeletal (MSK) physiotherapy helps people with problems affecting their muscles, joints, bones and related tissues, such as tendons, ligaments and nerves. This can include issues such as back and neck pain, joint problems, sports injuries, arthritis, or symptoms that develop after an injury, operation or over time. MSK physiotherapists assess your symptoms and work with you to reduce pain, improve movement and strength, and support you to return to everyday activities, work, or exercise through advice, education, rehabilitation and tailored treatment.
Areas covered
Patients registered with a GP in Ipswich and East Suffolk, West Suffolk, and 4 Cambridgeshire GP practices (Bottisham, Burwell, Soham (Staploe), Haddenham)
Referral Process
You can complete a self-referral yourself or someone else using the URefer platform. URefer will accept referrals in over 200 languages. Alternatively, you can also complete a self-referral over the phone 03330 433 966.
For primary care and other healthcare professionals who would like to send a professional to professional referral, referral forms for the Suffolk MSK Single Point of Access can be found on DXS or can refer using a referral letter.
What the service offers
The service covers most MSK conditions and symptoms including:
- Upper Limb (Hand & Wrist, Elbow, Shoulder)
- Lower Limb (Foot and Ankle, Knee, Hip)
- Back and Neck symptoms
- Rheumatology
- Osteoarthritis (OA)
Clinicians have access to a range of exercise classes, one-to-one rehabilitation sessions, shockwave and a range of other treatment options.
Clinicians are able to make onward referrals to other relevant services and should only ask you to return to your GP if they are unable to make an effective referral.
What to expect at your appointment
At your appointment your physiotherapist will want to ask you about your symptoms, past medical history and other details about you. They will usually want to examine the joint or area affected; please come appropriately dressed to help see your affected joint or area. In many cases you may be asked to partially undress to help the clinician’s assessment; please wear suitable clothing.
Chaperones: You can bring or will be able to ask for a chaperone during your appointment. If we supply a chaperone this could be a male or a female, although will always do our best to meet your preference. Please let us know at the earliest convenience if a chaperone may be required.
Observations: We will, at times, observe all our clinicians to aid their learning and development; this would mean an additional clinician attending an appointment to perform the observation. You will be asked for your permission for this to happen and you can decline.
Students: This service supports local universities by providing student placements where students learn through practise. All students are supervised by qualified physiotherapists, although they may not be in the room with the student depending on the stage of training the student is at. All student consultations are reviewed by the supervising clinician. You may be offered a student appointment and are welcome to decline this if you prefer.
Shared spaces: The service uses a number of shared spaces where multiple consultations are happening behind curtained cubicles. These spaces are useful for clinicians to have supervision and support in their practice and are very space efficient. We understand that not everyone is comfortable having their appointments in a shared space. Please let your clinician know if you would prefer to have a single consultation room.
Looking for private physiotherapy services?
wellbeing that works (wtw) is the private physiotherapy subsidiary of AHP Suffolk, providing rapid access to expert physiotherapy and pelvic health physiotherapy across Suffolk and Essex. To find out more about the services available, please click here
