Category: Resources

MSK Pearls and Red Whale events

Versus Arthritis and Red Whale (the GP-Update course providers) are working together to bring healthcare professionals a fantastic new range of free musculoskeletal education, specifically designed to help improve your confidence and skills in supporting people with MSK conditions and to gain valuable CPD points.

Coming soon:

  • Specially curated MSK Pearls that cut through the clutter and focus on the important issues you shouldn’t miss, as well as the small things that might make your lives easier and your patients’ lives better.
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Have you visited Moving Medicine yet?

Last October, Moving Medicine was launched by the Honourable Matt Hancock, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. The free, evidence-based resources, available at movingmedicine.ac.uk support high quality conversations on physical activity across a broad range of chronic diseases including musculoskeletal pain, inflammatory rheumatic conditions and primary prevention, to mention a few.

The resources are all developed with experts, healthcare professionals and patients, and are endorsed by professional bodies and charities, including ARMA. Whether you have 1 minute, 5 minutes, or more minutes to speak with patients about physical activity, Moving Medicine will help support this. …

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Conversation starters for MSD workplace discussions

A new resource on MSDs for workplaces – ‘Conversation Starters for workplace discussions on musculoskeletal disorders’ – is now available online from the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA).

This is an Occupational safety and health (OSH) resource for running workplace group discussions on MSDs and their prevention. Each activity includes an MSD scenario and a series of questions to facilitate discussion.

The discussion activities also cover raising MSD issues promptly with your employer, and how to speak with your employer/employee about an individual MSD problem, including an RMD – see conversation starters 9 to 12.…

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EULAR Physical Activity recommendations

EULAR has published a new lay summary: EULAR recommendations for physical activity in people with inflammatory arthritis and osteoarthritis

EULAR is disseminating the lay versions of the recommendations to patient organisations and healthcare professionals to support patients and carers in managing their condition.

For more lay summaries of EULAR recommendations, go to the EULAR website.

Health and Wellbeing Resources Pack for local health and care systems

by Michael Ly, Health Intelligence Manager, Versus Arthritis

In January 2019, NHS England published the NHS Long Term Plan, outlining its vision to improve the health and wellbeing of people over the next 10 years. Central to this vision is a commitment to designing and delivering services that are more joined-up, tailored and community-based to meet the needs of local people, including those who face health inequalities.

To do this effectively, the Long Term Plan recognises that local health and care systems will need to work in partnership with communities and charities to understand the health and care needs of their local population.…

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State of Musculoskeletal Health 2019

by Sophia Steinberger, Health Intelligence Analyst and Jonathan Canty, Policy Officer, Versus Arthritis

How many people have musculoskeletal conditions in the UK? How are these conditions affecting their lives? What is the breakdown by age, gender, and condition? What is the impact of MSK conditions on work, health services, and the wider economy?

This month Versus Arthritis published the annual State of Musculoskeletal Health 2019 to help answer these questions and many more. The report presents a collection of the best available data on the prevalence, risk factors, comorbidities, and impact of MSK conditions in the UK, to help further the understanding about the people living with and affected by these conditions.…

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PHE framework for MSK prevention published

Public Health England has published two documents related to MSK prevention. The first is a whole-system strategic framework for prevention of musculoskeletal conditions across the life-course. The purpose is to provide stakeholders and system collaborators with a clear statement of PHE, NHS England and Versus Arthritis’ commitments to promote MSK health and to prevent MSK conditions. Each collaborating organisation, including ARMA, has identified what they will be contributing, and in some cases, leading on.

The document contains information about a range of MSK prevention activities and links to resources and tools to help prevention activity.…

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The ESCAPE-pain programme in practice

Case study of improved mobility and independence

Listen to Regina’s story of how she overcame osteoarthritis and difficulties with mobility with the help of the ESCAPE-pain group at her local leisure centre.

The ESCAPE-pain Programme: Helping people with chronic joint paint to self-manage their condition and become more physically active

At 76 years old, Regina had been suffering with osteoarthritis for over ten years and it was having a big impact on her life physically and emotionally. “I was in a bad place; I was in a wheelchair to start with.”…

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Arthur’s Place: introducing “Project Mum”

Arthur’s Place has created and launched “Project Mum” a support kit for young women with arthritis and related conditions, those who are considering becoming mothers in future, women who are currently pregnant and new mums. There will be advice for Dads-to-be and partners too, with or without arthritis.

Project Mum includes invaluable advice from health professionals, including consultant rheumatologists, nurse specialists, midwives, a physiotherapist, occupational therapist and three clinical psychologists. Arthur’s Place is also tremendously proud to include personal shared tips and advice from more experienced mums at Arthur’s Social: the Facebook community.…

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Axial SpA Referral Template launch

NASS was delighted to launch the NASS Allies referral template, in conjunction with the Institute of Osteopathy and Royal College of Chiropractors, at the Primary Care and Public Health Conference on 15 and 16 May. The template was developed to help chiropractors and osteopaths in recommending referral for patients with suspected inflammatory back pain to rheumatology.

The template has been endorsed by the Royal College of GPs and Chartered Society for Physiotherapy. NASS is grateful to both the Institute of Osteopathy and Royal College of Chiropractors for their continued collaboration and wonderfully patient-centred approach.…

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