About Us

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Musculoskeletal medicine practice deals with the treatment of pain and physical disorders of the spine, muscles and joints of the body. These are not usually life threatening conditions, but cause significant pain and loss of physical function. For a large number of people it also has a major socio-economic impact in our communities.

Musculoskeletal services have only been delivered by trained medical specialists in New Zealand since 2000. These services have not been delivered by any of the District Health Boards (DHBs) until very recently. Currently, there are only three DHBs offering musculoskeletal medicine outpatient services to patients. In general, these are staffed by specialists coming in from the private sector. 

The New Zealand College of Musculoskeletal Medicine (NZCMM) is responsible for training future musculoskeletal medicine specialists and providing post graduate training and peer support for them.  

Training to become a musculoskeletal specialist is self-funded by doctors wishing to work in this medical discipline. This is in contrast to nearly all other medical specialists who are hospital based and funded by the New Zealand District Health Boards. 

At present musculoskeletal trainees not only have to self-fund a university administered post-graduate musculoskeletal course but they also have to seek out a specialist colleague in the community who is willing to supervise and work alongside them. 

As there is no other funding available, the costs for the musculoskeletal medicine trainee can be significant and prohibitive. This tends to discourage newly qualified medical doctors from undertaking the musculoskeletal medicine training programme requirements.