STarT MSK · STarT Musculoskeletal Tool

Free — register with the owner first

1 Before you use it

What it is

STarT Back's logic extended beyond the low back — the same stratification idea applied to neck, shoulder, knee and multisite musculoskeletal pain.

When to reach for it

When you want stratification on a non-lumbar presentation — neck, shoulder or knee — and STarT Back doesn't fit the region.

Patterns it serves · 3

Cervical Postural / Mechanical Neck Pain Knee Osteoarthritis Rotator Cuff-Related Shoulder Pain

2 Giving it

Scoring

Ten items producing a total and a psychosocial subscale, sorting patients into low, medium and high risk. Same structural logic as STarT Back — the subscale separates medium from high.

What it doesn’t measure

Diagnose, screen for red flags, or measure disability. Pair with the region-specific PROM.

3 Reading the score

Interpreting it

Three risk groups, three intended intensities of care. No verified outcome estimates are carried in our library and none are printed here.

Is the change real?

No verified MCID or MDC is carried in our library for this measure, so the number on its own cannot tell you a change is real. Compare it to this patient's own baseline and say what changed functionally.

Student trap. Using it on a low back patient because it's the newer tool. STarT Back is the one validated for that population.

Official source: startback.hfac.keele.ac.uk. We don't host the form.

This is a learning tool. It does not diagnose patients and does not replace your clinical educator.

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CliniStudy is in beta. One tap is enough — it decides what gets fixed first.