Navigating the pandemic’s painful legacy
Musculoskeletal problems were an enormous, but often overlooked, burden on the nation’s health and economy before COVID-19. An estimated 18.8 million people suffered from conditions such as arthritis and back pain — around one in three people1 — and every year 27.8 million working days were lost to MSK issues2.
As a result of the pandemic, we now face a tsunami of additional MSK problems associated with treatment delays, changes in general health and activity levels, symptoms linked to Long-COVID and working from home.
Home is where the hurt is
Before COVID-19, only 5% of the of the UK’s workforce were based at home3, but within weeks of the first lockdown this leapt to 49.2%.4
"With many people working long hours hunched over a laptop, often at kitchen tables or on sofas, we have seen a significant increase in neck and back issues."
Emily Partridge, Clinical Lead for MSK at Bupa Health Clinics
Research carried out by Bupa found that nearly two thirds (63%), equating to 11 million Brits, have injured their back, neck, hips, knees or wrists as a result of their home working environment.5
Hybrid challenges
The move to hybrid working brings ongoing challenges. A significant number of employees will return with MSK issues, and those with conditions diagnosed pre-COVID may have struggled to access therapies to maintain mobility, and could face on-going delays accessing their GP or physiotherapy. Unless staff are well supported, and aware of best practice, new working patterns and increased hot-desking could also exacerbate MSK issues.
Cherry White, Workplace Wellbeing Manager from Versus Arthritis says,
“There will also be people with inflammatory conditions, many of them young, who have shielded because they take immunosuppressant medicines. They may be anxious about returning and need additional support.”
Hot-desking will be a feature of hybrid working, and how this is managed will have a huge impact on MSK health. There are benefits around increased activity and commuting. But new systems will be needed to maintain COVID-safety and ensure workstations are set up correctly.
Employers will also need to review how they assess and address MSK risks, and give staff the training and support they need to take a more proactive role in ensuring their own health and safety.
Mary Lawrence, who leads health and safety practice at the law firm Osborne Clarke, warns:
“Work practices have changed, but an employer’s responsibilities for workstation set ups have not. Employers have a duty to identify any risks and put controls and practices in place to minimise them, including for employees working from home. We’ve put together a helpful guide to help businesses understand their legal duties and requirements when it comes to keeping home and hybrid workers comfortable, safe and well.” Take a look here (PDF 0.5MB).
These include mandated safeguards around working with computers which include workstation assessments, ensuring staff take screen breaks and providing training and information, regardless of whether staff are office based or working from home.
Worryingly, pre-pandemic research for Versus Arthritis found that a quarter of staff with MSK conditions reported their employer had not made reasonable adjustments to support them6 — exposing their businesses to significant legal and reputational risks.
And these risks have been compounded by COVID-19. A recent study found that 52% of patients said their symptoms had deteriorated as a result of social restrictions, and this was significantly worse for those aged 18 to 60, particularly patients in employment.7
A broad spectrum
"There are huge challenges navigating the shifting MSK landscape. Some people have suddenly exercised significantly more and developed overuse injuries. Others have done less, and this reduced mobility has increased the risk of MSK problems. Some people will not want to bother their GP, while others will want to take charge of their own health."
Emily Partridge
The scale of this challenge will continue to grow, with Versus Arthritis predicting that by 2030, 40% of the working age population will have a long-term MSK condition.8
A GP appointment is often the first stop for an MSK injury, but it is not always the most efficient or effective. Before the pandemic, the average wait to see a GP for a routine NHS appointment was 15 days9 and some GPs referred directly to a surgeon, when in the vast majority of cases surgery is not required for MSK issues.10
Direct Access
With Direct Access, employees can get support for muscle, joint or bone problems within 24 hours. They can arrange a telephone consultation with a senior physiotherapist and be advised about the most appropriate next steps, for example self-management though a home exercise programme or referral to virtual or face to face physiotherapy*.
Our network of specialist MSK clinicians provide a combination of hands-on treatment, rehabilitation programmes and diagnostics where required. Treatment is tailored to meet individual needs and patients are referred for a surgical opinion only when necessary.
This benefits business. Based on average treatment pathways, there are 87% fewer referrals to surgeons from Direct Access compared to through a GP10. More importantly, early intervention with physiotherapy can reduce the amount of time people are off sick, and prevent an acute problem becoming chronic.11
1 https://www.versusarthritis.org/media/14594/state-of-musculoskeletal-health-2019.pdf (PDF, 1.5MB)
2 Corporate MSK Client brochure (Sickness absence in the UK labour market 2018) (PDF, 0.756MB)
5 https://www.bupa.com/newsroom/news/hurting-from-home
6 https://www.versusarthritis.org/media/14594/state-of-musculoskeletal-health-2019.pdf (PDF, 1.5MB)
7 https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/11/6/e048772
10 Internal Bupa Analysis 2020
11 https://www.csp.org.uk/system/files/documents/2018-11/stretched-to-the-limit-2012.pdf (PDF, 6.7MB)
*Direct Access telephone services are available as long as the symptoms are covered under the policy or health trust. If your cover excludes conditions you had before your cover started, we’ll ask you to provide evidence from your GP that your symptoms are not pre-existing for a period of up to two years after your cover started. For rolling moratorium underwritten policies or health trusts we will ask for evidence each time you claim for a condition not claimed for before. Always call us first to check your eligibility.
Bupa health insurance is provided by Bupa Insurance Limited. Registered in England and Wales No. 3956433. Bupa Insurance Limited is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. Arranged and administered by Bupa Insurance Services Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered in England and Wales No. 3829851. Registered office: 1 Angel Court, London EC2R 7HJ
Bupa Health Trusts are administered by Bupa Insurance Services Limited. Registered in England and Wales No. 3829851. Registered office: 1 Angel Court, London EC2R 7HJ © Bupa 2024
