Musculoskeletal Examination Skills: Are We Still Interested?

Abstract

This article explores problems and solutions of Musculoskeletal (MSK) examinations skills and points out that it is very important to keep medical educators interested to improve the situation of MSK teaching. MSK conditions are usually overlooked though they represent 20% of both primary care and emergency-room visits of the most common health complications that require medical attention across the world. MSK disorders can lead to serious disabilities and significant burden and though its problems are expected to increase, there is a continuous neglect in musculoskeletal examination skills in clinical practice. To participate in solving this problem, the article accentuates the necessity of defining MSK competencies and of agreeing on standards of MSK exams and calls for an integrated teaching of MSK examination skills that uses interactive methodologies like patients’ educators and peer-assisted learning. This article comprises four parts, an introduction, a description of the deficiencies in musculoskeletal examination skills, the causes of these deficiencies and finally some solutions of musculoskeletal examination skills deficiencies. We venture to bring attention to an overlooked but major analyses constituent that impacts patients’ overall health.