When the pieces don’t seem to fit
What Can — and Can’t — an Online MSK Assessment Tell You?
Learn what an online MSK assessment can evaluate, what requires hands-on or medical assessment and how a responsible remote opinion handles uncertainty.
An online MSK assessment can often provide a useful clinical opinion, but it cannot reproduce every part of an in-person examination.
A detailed history, review of existing information, observation of movement and selected guided self-tests can help identify the most likely explanation and the most sensible next step.
Some questions still require hands-on, neurological, vascular or medical examination, imaging, blood tests or urgent care.
What can be assessed online?
A clinician can explore the symptom timeline, review relevant reports and treatment history, observe selected movement and function, compare previous explanations and decide whether another service is needed.
What cannot be fully reproduced?
Direct palpation, joint feel, manual strength and stability testing, reflexes, detailed sensation, pulses and medical investigations cannot be fully reproduced through video.
Can remote care be effective?
Research suggests telerehabilitation can be effective for suitable MSK problems, with outcomes in some studies comparable to face-to-face care. That does not mean every diagnosis can be confirmed remotely.
What makes it responsible?
A responsible service screens suitability, obtains consent, uses secure systems, explains limitations, avoids overclaiming and recommends in-person or medical assessment when that would improve safety or accuracy.
The bottom line
The right outcome is not always an online diagnosis. Sometimes it is a supported clinical opinion; sometimes it is identifying the precise in-person assessment required next.
When should you seek urgent help?
Seek urgent medical assessment for rapidly worsening or potentially serious symptoms, significant trauma, new progressive weakness, new bladder or bowel disturbance, saddle-area numbness, a hot swollen joint with fever, or if you are acutely unwell.
Project Sherlock is not an emergency or urgent-care service. If you think you may have an urgent medical problem, contact NHS 111, an appropriate urgent-care service or 999 in an emergency.