Harriet Robinson, MSK Wellbeing Service Lead & Occupational Health Case Manager (MSK)
Over 20 million people in the UK have a Musculoskeletal (MSK) condition such as arthritis or back pain – that’s almost one third of the population. Symptoms can include pain, stiffness, limited movement, and disability which can all affect quality of life and independence.
There’s also the impact on ability to work. We know that work is generally good for health and well-being, including people with MSK conditions. Work should accommodate people with MSK health problems. Individualised workplace adjustments focusing on what the employee can do, such as phased return to work, modified duties to temporarily reduce strain on the MSK system or ergonomic adjustments can support staff to remain in work or successfully and sustainably return to work.
Keeping moving is key
When people are experiencing MSK pain, it is not uncommon to become fearful of movement. It’s important to remember that hurt doesn’t always mean harm and that exercise can support recovery and reduce risk of symptom recurrence. This might include strength, aerobic, balance or mobility- based exercises. The most important thing is finding something you enjoy and can stick with. Regular exercise can improve how you function at work, support mental wellbeing and help with weight management.
When starting something new, it’s important to start gently and build up gradually. This helps reduce the risk of flare ups and can build confidence in your body’s ability to move. You may notice some stiffness or soreness when trying a new activity — this is a normal response and should settle with rest. You may wish to seek support if you are having trouble getting started or your symptoms are severe or worsening.
Nutrition and lifestyle
As well as exercising and generally moving more, nutrition and lifestyle play an important role in supporting MSK health. Eating a balanced diet and avoiding highly processed foods, sugary snacks and drinks, smoking and excessive alcohol consumption is key to good bone and joint health, aiding muscle recovery and reducing low grade inflammation that can worsen MSK pain.
Relative rest and good quality sleep are also essential. Sleep helps reduce pain sensitivity, supports tissue repair and healing and improves your mental health and ability to cope with pain.
What are we doing at ROH?
We’ve launched a new pathway called WorkFit to support ROH staff with musculoskeletal health concerns. It’s an Occupational Health service to help staff stay in work, return to work effectively following absence, improve staff experience and provide practical guidance for line managers.
The service is supported by a dedicated MSK Occupational Health Case Manager alongside other support like the getUBetter app, a self-management support platform for MSK health conditions and self-referral into Physiotherapy. Additional support includes ROH’s Reasonable Adjustments Health Passport for management of long-term health conditions and alignment with organisational well-being strategies like accessing to counselling.
For programmes like WorkFit to be effective, early intervention, open conversations about MSK health, and timely access to appropriate support are essential. At ROH, we are working to normalise MSK health conversations, promote early support and embed MSK expertise within workforce management processes, supporting both staff wellbeing and long‑term workforce sustainability.
For more information on support with MSK health in Birmingham, visit Musculoskeletal (MSK) health :: Birmingham and Solihull ICS
