Tameside and Glossop Musculoskeletal (MSK) Physiotherapy services consists of a wide range of specialist services to deliver a high standard of care in and around Tameside and Glossop.
Over the past number of years, a large number of our patient cohort were referred from through General Practice and self-referral services. Our department is now providing integrated First Contact Practitioner (FCP) services within the community. This exciting nationwide project allows for a more streamlined and effective patient care pathway to ensure MSK conditions are seen by our specialist trained MSK practitioners to provide an accurate clinical impression and bespoke treatment pathway.
We work with orthopaedics, where we regularly manage post-fracture and post-operative rehabilitative journeys.
A number of clinical specialist physiotherapists also manage caseloads specific to rheumatology, hand and wrist, amputee and persistent pain-specific areas with the MSK domain. We operate consultant lead procedural clinics in rheumatology.
The bespoke structural organisation of our MSK service caters well for the over 200 disorders affecting joints, bones, muscles and soft tissues. This includes autoimmune disorders, soft tissue conditions and spinal pain. The various conditions are triaged into each service accordingly.
Upon the initial consultation the presentation and symptoms are discussed in detail. The relevant findings allow for access to various treatment pathways. Patients who appear appropriate for conservative management, meaning surgery does not seem to be the most appropriate action, are assessed and a collaborative evidence-based management plan is discussed and implemented.
If further investigations or therapeutic adjuncts such as corticosteroid injections are suitable, this can be arranged by the MSK practitioners for delivering in FCP-led clinics. The FCP-led clinics, also known as MSK clinics, are booked via GP surgery Reception Team
We commonly help in management of various conditions:
- Spinal (neck and back): whiplash associated disorders, stiffness and restricted movement of neck and back , postural related neck and back pain, rib pain
- Shoulder: frozen shoulder, impingements, instability, muscle imbalance, AC joint pain
- Knee: patello-femoral pain, patella tendinopathy, meniscal tears, cruciate and collateral ligament strains, osteoarthritis, ITB
- Hip and groin: sacro-iliac disorders, muscle tears, osteoarthritis, soft tissue inflammation around joint
- Ankle: Achilles pain, other tendon pain, joint stiffness
- Muscle tears and strains
- Joint, tendon and ligament sprains (all joints)
- Osteoarthritis, Inflammatory Arthritis
- Peripheral nerve pain
Patients that can be seen in the pain clinic that have non-complex chronic pain of more than three months duration and has been investigated and sinister pathology ruled out. A patient centred expert pain program is run at Ashton Primary Care Centre to cater for specialist needs within persistent pain management.
Specialised hand therapy is available for more complex hand injuries. A comprehensive assessment and personalised exercise/advice programme is provided alongside splints if appropriate.
We also have a neuro-clinical specialist physiotherapist working alongside with the neuro rehabilitation team to provide a comprehensive rehabilitation for certain neurological conditions.
We accept referrals primarily from consultants, GPs, first contact practitioners, MSK podiatrists, the community neuro team and the community physiotherapy team.