Elderly lady walking in a park with a walking stick

Investigating musculoskeletal health & wellbeing protocol

This March's BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders journal features the protocol for our latest research from the musculoskeletal (MSK) theme of the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre (BRC).

The MSK theme undertakes research into health promotion and exercise in older people, prevention of falls, pain and rheumatism, molecular mechanism in osteoarthritis, muscle metabolism, and lower back pain.

Using a multidisciplinary approach the MSK theme's research aims are achieved by focusing on 5 key areas Phenotyping; Joint; Brain Nerve and Psychological Function; Metabolism; and Complex Interventions.

The MSK theme’s Investigating Musculoskeletal Health and Wellbeing (IMH&W) survey provides a means for us to recruit participants for qualitative, observational and intervention studies. The IMH&W study will comprise a prospective cohort of 10,000 adults recruited through primary and secondary care and through non clinical settings. Using yearly follow-up questionnaires over the next 5 years this survey will identify and engage people who can help with us to explore the overlap between pain, arthritis and frailty over time.

The paper 'Investigating musculoskeletal health and wellbeing; a cohort study protocol' by first author Dr Bonnie Millar is Open Access and free to read now.

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