If you have sudden, severe back pain with any change in bladder or bowel function — go to the nearest emergency department immediately or call 112. This may indicate cauda equina syndrome, a surgical emergency.
Medical emergency? Call 155 or 112 immediately.
Back pain, joint pain, sciatica, muscle injuries, and chronic musculoskeletal conditions are among the most common reasons people see a doctor — and among the least adequately treated, because access to timely clinical assessment is difficult.
For expats and international residents in Czech Republic, the challenge is compounded by language. Navigating the Czech orthopaedic and physiotherapy referral system, explaining your symptoms accurately to a Czech-speaking doctor, and understanding the clinical plan you receive — all of these require a level of Czech that most expats do not have.
Our doctors, registered with the Czech Medical Chamber (ČLK), conduct comprehensive musculoskeletal assessments by secure video call in English — identifying the underlying cause, assessing functional impact, and providing a clear, evidence-based management plan with referral and investigation coordination on the same day.
Who This Service Is For
This consultation is appropriate for adults with:
- An acute musculoskeletal injury or sudden-onset pain requiring clinical assessment
- Chronic or ongoing pain that has not been adequately assessed or managed
- A known musculoskeletal condition that is flaring and requires timely review
- Pain following an injury, procedure, or period of immobilisation
- Musculoskeletal symptoms associated with a chronic condition — diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or inflammatory conditions — that complicate management
- A need for physiotherapy referral, imaging requests, or specialist referral coordinated through a clinical assessment
If you are experiencing sudden, intense pain, chest pain, pain following significant trauma, or any symptom that seriously concerns you — go to the nearest emergency department or call 112 immediately.
Conditions Commonly Assessed
Spine and Neurological Conditions
- Acute and chronic low back pain
- Neck pain and cervical spine disorders
- Sciatica and lumbar radiculopathy
- Disc herniation and associated nerve compression symptoms
- Thoracic spine pain
Joint Conditions
- Knee pain — including osteoarthritis, ligament injuries, and patellofemoral syndrome
- Hip pain — including osteoarthritis, bursitis, and referred pain
- Shoulder pain — including rotator cuff injury, subacromial impingement, and adhesive capsulitis
- Wrist and hand pain — including carpal tunnel syndrome and tendinopathy
- Ankle and foot pain — including plantar fasciitis and Achilles tendinopathy
- Elbow pain — including lateral and medial epicondylitis
Muscle and Soft Tissue
- Muscle strains and tears
- Soft tissue injuries
- Tendinitis and tendinopathy
- Bursitis
- Sports injuries and activity-related musculoskeletal conditions
Chronic and Systemic Conditions
- Osteoarthritis — assessment, management, and referral coordination
- Inflammatory arthritis — assessment and rheumatology referral where indicated
- Fibromyalgia — assessment and integrated management
- Neuropathic pain — assessment and management pathway
- Chronic pain syndromes — structured assessment and care coordination
- Post-injury or post-surgical pain — review and management plan
Work and Lifestyle Related
- Work-related musculoskeletal conditions — repetitive strain injuries, postural pain
- Ergonomic assessment and advice
- Sports and exercise-related injury assessment
What Your Consultation Includes
Full clinical assessment
Your doctor takes a detailed history of your pain — onset, location, character, intensity, radiation, aggravating and relieving factors, functional impact, and systematic screening for red flags. Any existing imaging results, investigation reports, or clinical letters are reviewed in full.
Red flag screening
Musculoskeletal assessment always includes systematic screening for red flags — indicators that pain may have a serious underlying cause requiring urgent investigation or referral. Your doctor assesses these as a standard part of every consultation.
Personalised management plan
Based on the assessment, your doctor advises on the most appropriate approach — which may include structured physiotherapy and rehabilitation referral, imaging requests (X-ray, MRI, or ultrasound) where clinically indicated, specialist referral (rheumatology, orthopaedics, or neurology) where specialist input is needed, ergonomic and lifestyle advice, and clinical recommendations at the doctor's professional discretion.
eRecept — where clinically appropriate
When clinically indicated, your doctor issues eRecept electronically. You receive the code and present it at any pharmacy of your choice in Czech Republic.
Referral and investigation coordination
When physiotherapy referral, imaging, or specialist input is clinically indicated, your doctor issues the relevant documentation on the same day — so you leave the consultation with a clear clinical pathway, not just a recommendation to sort it out yourself.
Red Flags — When to Seek Emergency Care
Musculoskeletal pain is almost always benign — but some presentations require urgent assessment that cannot wait for a video consultation.
Seek emergency care immediately if your pain is accompanied by:
- Any change in bladder or bowel function associated with back pain — incontinence or retention — this may indicate cauda equina syndrome, a surgical emergency
- Significant trauma — fall from height, road traffic accident, or significant impact
- Sudden severe chest pain — which may indicate a cardiac or aortic cause rather than musculoskeletal
- Unexplained weight loss associated with new or worsening pain
- Fever associated with swelling and joint pain — may indicate septic arthritis
- Rapidly progressive neurological symptoms — weakness, numbness, or loss of coordination
- Constant, severe pain that does not respond to any position or movement
If in doubt, always err on the side of caution and seek emergency care.
Why Early Clinical Assessment Makes a Difference
Most musculoskeletal conditions are self-limiting — they resolve with adequate rest, activity modification, and structured rehabilitation. But without clinical assessment, patients frequently either under-treat — returning to activity too early and causing further injury — or over-treat — restricting activity unnecessarily and prolonging recovery.
Early clinical assessment identifies what is actually happening, excludes serious underlying pathology, and provides a structured, evidence-based management plan that allows full functional recovery more quickly and safely than waiting for the situation to resolve itself.
For chronic conditions — osteoarthritis, inflammatory arthritis, fibromyalgia, chronic pain syndromes — early clinical involvement with a structured management plan significantly improves long-term functional outcomes and quality of life.
Physiotherapy and Specialist Referral in Czech Republic
For expats, navigating the Czech physiotherapy and specialist referral system is a significant practical barrier. Most private physiotherapists in Czech Republic require a referral letter from a doctor — and while private orthopaedic and rheumatology consultations are accessible without referral, a clinical letter significantly improves the quality of that first specialist appointment.
Our doctors issue physiotherapy referral letters and specialist referral letters on the same day as the consultation — in Czech and English where needed — so you can contact the physiotherapist or specialist of your choice immediately rather than navigating the system without documentation.
Musculoskeletal and pain assessments are conducted at GP level by doctors registered with the Czech Medical Chamber (ČLK), in accordance with Czech telemedicine regulations under Act No. 372/2011 Coll. and Decree No. 30/2025 Coll. Clinical recommendations, referrals, and investigation requests are issued solely at the doctor's professional discretion following full assessment. This service does not manage chronic pain through controlled substance prescribing. Cauda equina syndrome, significant trauma, and other red flag presentations require immediate emergency assessment — call 112 or go to the nearest emergency department immediately. This service is not suitable for medical emergencies — call 155 or 112 immediately.
