Musculo-skeletal services

	Working from selected BUPA centres, our team includes: sports and orthopaedic physicians - specialise in the diagnosis and treatment of muscle, bone and joint problems. If required, they will refer patients on to the right surgeon, and ensure they receive the most appropriate rehabilitation. physiotherapists - treat a wide range of musculo-skeletal conditions, using a mix of exercise and manual therapy. The emphasis of their assessment and treatment is hands-on to optimise recovery. osteopaths - encourage the body's own self-healing mechanism by massaging and manipulating the skeleton and muscles, as well as improving the mobility and flexibility of joints. psychologists - provide advice and therapy, including cognitive therapy, for psychological problems associated with physical injuries. rheumatologists - specialise in inflammatory conditions, primarily affecting the musculo-skeletal system, such as rheumatoid arthritis, spondylitis and connective tissue disorders. podiatrists/chiropodists - assess gait, posture and biomechanics during walking and running to identify the cause of painful symptoms. Treatment may include the use of specialised orthotic devices to improve function.

Musculo-skeletal medicine can help you stop counting the cost of back pain

Back pain and musculo-skeletal injuries have been identified as the biggest health concerns, and a major cause of absence, for employers in the UK.

Not only are muscular, bone and joint problems some of the most common ailments among employees, they can also prove to be some of the most debilitating, resulting in extensive periods off work. Worse still, they can lead to the risk of employee litigation and significant insurance costs.

Some simple case studies illustrate the problem.

Case study 1: without on-site physiotherapy
Case study 2: with on-site physiotherapy
Advantages of our service

Case study 1: without on-site physiotherapy

A valuable team member suffers increasing back pain and cannot work effectively. His GP prescribes a course of painkillers which fails to treat the cause of the problem - and the condition worsens. The team member is forced to take an indefinite period away from the office and undergo a lengthy - and expensive - course of physiotherapy. All this can be avoided.

A simple, effective preventive solution

Our on-site physiotherapy service will help you and your staff avoid such problems and actually boost productivity and performance.

Our practitioners provide speedy diagnosis and treatment - at the same time setting in place preventive practices and positive habits for the individual. They will also give advice at corporate level on the practices required to minimise and avoid absences caused by musculo-skeletal illness.

Advanced, rapid, cost-effective treatment

The services of an on-site physiotherapist can provide your employees with much faster access to treatment - and rapid referral to more specialist treatment - leading to quicker rehabilitation, less time off work, and fewer ill-health retirements.

The more quickly your employees are treated - and the causes of their condition understood and rectified - the more likely they are to recover over a shorter period and not suffer recurrences.

An on-site physiotherapist can work with your occupational health team by identifying workplace problems and reducing your company’s exposure to the effects of musculo-skeletal issues. This could involve giving display screen workstation advice, fast-tracking problem cases, advising on changes of duties or the purchase of ergonomically correct furniture.

Working together in this way, the team can record and track individual treatments and interventions. The benefits are two-fold. The resulting management information can be used to monitor workplace exposure to musculo-skeletal risk and its relationship with medical insurance underwriting costs. Plus, the aim is to give the individual the most appropriate treatment as early as possible which normally leads to faster recovery and earlier return to work or, in extreme cases, increases the likelihood of returning to work.

This approach can be illustrated in another case study.

Case study 2: with on-site physiotherapy

A national newspaper group has an on-site physiotherapy service and an occupational health team. All employees are covered by private medical insurance. A feature writer complains of shoulder pain and is referred to the physiotherapist. She benefits by having rapid access to treatment without leaving the workplace and the cost is covered by the insurer. The company benefits because fewer treatments are required, downtime is minimised and she returns to work earlier, thus reducing the cost of her absence.

An effective way to reduce company health costs

The service can be wholly or partly funded by your company and is also available on a self-pay basis. If your company offers private medical insurance, staff are likely to seek treatment earlier. The service could then have the additional effect of reducing claims, as less treatment may be needed, which may reduce the cost of your insurance.

The backing of a specialist team

Our on-site service is usually supported by a full musculo-skeletal team based at our BUPA Wellness Centres. Working to identify the root cause of any bone, joint or muscle problem, the team looks at the whole picture so that the right diagnosis is made from the start and no time is wasted on inappropriate or excessive treatment.

Advantages of our service

An investment that pays

It can have significant cost advantages, not least a positive impact on reducing sickness absence and employee litigation. In addition, our on-site physiotherapy service can help greatly to reduce time away from the workplace.

Wide choice of treatments

Physiotherapists, osteopaths, orthopaedic physicians, orthopaedic surgeons, rheumatology, podiatry and sports medicine can all be accessed. This multi-disciplinary approach from some of the UK's leading practitioners can result in particularly effective and speedy diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation.

Availability of services

We can provide on-site support at your premises, or via our national network of centres.

Boosting performance, boosting morale

Our service not only has the welcome benefit of improving physical health, it is also appreciated as a major employee benefit.

How on-site services save our clients money

Case study: Reducing the cost of lost time away from work to see the doctor, dentist or physiotherapist