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The iO welcomes the recent report by the MSK hub consortium
The report focuses on mobilising the UK leisure sector to deliver inclusive, accessible, personalised, gamified services and resources to support people with MSK conditions.
The MSK hubs model behind the pilot was a collaborative initiative designed by UK Active, Good Boost, Arthritis Action, Escape Pain and Orthopaedic Research and has been funded by UKRI. Developed in response to record MSK waiting lists, the consortiums mission was to create innovative solutions and pathways for individuals with joint pain, arthritis and mobility issues to enable better self-management of their condition within a leisure centre setting.
David Vaux, osteopath and Exercise and Therapy Lead at Arthritis Action said of the report: “This project report represents the culmination of over 3 years of successful collaboration, co-development and innovation. All consortium members are rightly proud of the subsequent – MSK Hub blueprint – which represents a clear and actionable plan for creating ‘exercise and activity community’ around not only those with MSK conditions but also promises to benefit those of us experiencing other long-term health conditions. We have created and successfully tested a solution to one of the greatest healthcare challenges currently facing the UK’s health care system and stand ready to make it available across the UK.”
Key statistics from the report:
- Across the pilot, 11,785 physical activity sessions were delivered successfully to 1,631 participants across 94 sites from April 2022 to March 2024.
- Researchers found that 44% of participants reported a noticeable improvement in the pain management of their condition after attending the sessions for 12 weeks.
- The pilot formed part of an industrial research project to investigate the feasibility of using gyms and leisure centres to support people to manage their MSK conditions with exercise in a community-based setting.
- ukactive and its partners are calling on the Government to invest in scaling the MSK Hubs model to reach more communities and help bring down NHS waiting lists faster.
“This project report represents the culmination of over 3 years of successful collaboration, co-development and innovation. All consortium members are rightly proud of the subsequent – MSK Hub blueprint – which represents a clear and actionable plan for creating ‘exercise and activity community’ around not only those with MSK conditions but also promises to benefit those of us experiencing other long-term health conditions. We have created and successfully tested a solution to one of the greatest healthcare challenges currently facing the UK’s health care system and stand ready to make it available across the UK.”
David Vaux
Osteopath and Strategic Lead for Exercise and Therapy at Arthritis Action
The Osteopathic skill set – with its well-deserved evidence-based reputation for expertise in supporting people in the management of MSK conditions within the local community- has directly informed the development of MSK hub resources. Please get behind this project to help amplify its success and effectiveness in helping those with long term MSK conditions improve their quality of life.
The full report is available to read now.
iO Members are welcome to read our exclusive article of the month, with osteopath and Strategic lead for exercise and therapies at Arthritis Action, David Vaux, as he tells us more about his take on the MSK Hub consortium initiative and how it has influenced his own work, “Namely: Behaviour Change”.