A Primary Care Musculoskeletal Clinic: Clinical and Financial Audit of Twelve Months Activity

Abstract

A primary care based musculoskeletal clinic is described for primary care patients with sub-acute spinal pain, treated mainly with osteopathic spinal manipulation. Patients were treated from the Llanfairfechan practice, and from neighbouring practices as part of a randomised controlled trial. Three hundred and fourteen patients were treated over twelve months with 337 courses of treatment and 810 treatment sessions. 60% of patients had symptoms lasting between two to twelve weeks when referred. The mean waiting time for treatment was fifteen days. All regions of the spine were treated, but mainly the low back and then the neck. The clinic’s costs were low and its cost-effectiveness is currently being assessed by means of a pragmatic randomised controlled trial.

Key Words::

• musculoskeletal medicine
• clinic
• manipulation
• cost-effectiveness