Musculoskeletal Outpatient Clinics

Patient and nurse use a physiotherapy machine

Musculoskeletal Outpatient Clinics are located throughout north and west Belfast.

You will need a referral from your doctor or other healthcare professional to use the clinics.

Once the referral has been received, we can arrange an appointment for you.

All referrals should be made to the Central Referral Service, which is operated by the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust.

You can contact the Central Referral Service by calling 084 5606 6596.

It is open at the following times:

Monday to Thursday - 8.30am to 5pm
Friday - 8.30am to 4.30pm.

Available treatments

The Musculoskeletal Outpatient Clinics offer a range of treatments, including:

Acupuncture

Acupuncture may be offered as part of a treatment programme following a thorough assessment.

The benefits include pain relief and a general feeling of wellbeing.

Injection Therapy

Our injection physiotherapists are trained to inject a wide variety of joints and soft tissue conditions.

Weekly clinics are available at Lancaster Street Clinic and the Maureen Sheehan Centre (Albert Street).

Patients are referred for injection therapy by their doctor or approved for treatment following a request by their physiotherapist or other healthcare professional.

Continence

This specialist service provides treatment for female and male incontinence and musculoskeletal problems specific to women.

Conditions treated include:

urinary and faecal incontinence
minor prolapse
muscle weakness.

Clinics are held at Lancaster Street Clinic and the Maureen Sheehan Centre (Albert Street).

Patients are referred by their doctor or other healthcare professional through the Central Referral Service (084 5606 6596).

Back Assessment Service

This service is based on the latest research and professional guidelines for managing back pain.

Clients receive a thorough assessment of their back problem, including a physical examination.

Treatment may include advice, individual therapy or participation in a small group programme.

Pain Management Service

Our physiotherapists work together with other healthcare professionals to provide a pain management service for patients with chronic pain.

The service offers physical, psychological and practical techniques to reduce the disability and distress of chronic pain and to improve patients’ quality of life.

The criteria for referral to the Pain Management Service includes:

chronic pain of more than six months
no major underlying psychiatric illness
patients have been fully investigated and treated
patients are motivated to attend treatment sessions and try new ways of coping with their pain.

Following a thorough assessment, patients are offered:

individual sessions with a physiotherapist and/or occupational therapist
a place on the Pain Management Programme.

The Pain Management Programme is best suited to patients who need intensive treatment.

It consists of seven group sessions, held over four months, with input from physiotherapists, occupational therapists and a consultant anaesthetist from Mater Hospital.

The programme covers a range of topics, including:

understanding the physical and emotional effects of long-term pain
the benefits of light exercise and relaxation
techniques to improve sleep and leisure time
pacing activities
help and advice on how to set goals for the future.

The programme helps patients gain more control over their pain levels and ‘get on’ with their lives.