Musculoskeletal Examination

Musculoskeletal (MSK) pain remains one of the commonest reasons for a general practitioner appointment, affecting around 29% of adults in the UK with joint pain or arthritis and represents around 10 million consultations per year. However, newly qualified professionals may feel less prepared, so lack the confidence to treat as undergraduate medical and healthcare curricula have relatively little formal education and training in MSK examination and management. It is also quite possible that conditions might go unrecognised and patients managed inappropriately as a consequence. The apparent discrepancy between the magnitude of the MSK conditions and the attention given in curricula is well documented and is an enduring problem, given the progressive increase in the aging population.

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Last date updated on July, 2025