We’ve all had minor injuries or aches before but sometimes these can be prolonged or impact on our day to day activities. Joint or muscle problems (sometimes called ‘musculoskeletal’ or ‘MSK’) are one of the commonest reasons patients contact GP surgeries. We have a number of different services to help improve your symptoms.
Minor injuries
If you have recently sustained a minor injury then book a Minor Injuries Unit appointment (Shotley Bridge Hospital is the closest unit). You can book this using NHS 111 online or calling 111. Examples of minor injuries include injuries from falls (not at high speed or from heights), or road traffic accidents (not at high speed).
Self-help
We have created a list of useful resources that we have found are helpful for our patients to help improve or maintain good mental health.
Short-term joint or muscle problems
Our First Contact Practitioners are a new service launched in summer 2021 to provide rapid (often same day) expert physiotherapist assessment for joint and muscle problems that have been present for under 3 months. The service has been designed to get early help to you quickly without having to wait to speak to a GP first.
Long-term, complex, or conditions requiring medication
Some people may need longer-term or more specialist support for their problem. Patients over 16 years old can self-refer to the Musculoskeletal (MSK) Service. This is a service run by experienced physiotherapists who can refer you for further investigation or specialist assessment if needed.
If you have tried over the counter medications already and need more analgesia, have complex or ongoing problems, or is regarding a child it may be best to speak to a GP to see how we can help.
Page last reviewed: 15 July 2022