Fibromyalgia and coronavirus information page

People with fibromyalgia are finding themselves wondering whether they are more at risk of getting Coronavirus, as are other chronically ill and healthy people. The lack of clarity over the origin of our condition does not help in these circumstances. The government uses broad categories to inform people and control risk to vulnerable people. But these broad categories are collecting people and inflaming their anxiety, which does not help their chronic condition.

FMA UK has created a webpage that will be regularly updated to point to latest government guidelines and specific information for people with fibromyalgia.…

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COVID-19 / Coronavirus updates for Axial SpA patients

NASS is regularly updating their website with relevant COVID-19 information including how patients can assess their risk, medicines and biologic therapy, mental health and the effect of the virus on work and benefits.
www.nass.co.uk/covid19

Aspiring to Excellence programme 2020 open for applications

Following a successful start for the first cohort, applications are now open for the Aspiring to Excellence  programme in 2020. The programme is designed to encourage and recognise service improvement in axial SpA (AS) care and is a strategic partnership between NASS, BRITSpA and sponsoring companies AbbVie, Biogen, Novartis and UCB.…

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NRAS: Coronavirus and RA

Many people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and their families will be concerned about how the Coronavirus (COVID-19) affects them. NRAS has provided a summary of all the important information that you need to know about Coronavirus and rheumatoid arthritis, including:

    • What is Coronavirus (COVID-19)?
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Links to official information

NRAS Live: Ask your questions

Starting from 19th March 2020, NRAS will be hosting regular Q&A webinar sessions to address as many of your concerns and questions around Rheumatoid Arthritis and COVID-19 as possible.…

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CEO update – Working together

When people are scared they do one of two things – reach out for support and support others, or look after number one. We’ve seen lots of examples of both recently. ARMA members have chosen the first approach. They’ve been sharing information, working together to solve some common problems such as how to advise healthcare professionals working in private practice.

I take my hat off to our patient members organisations who have faced a huge increase in calls to helplines. As NHS services feel the pressure it is getting hard for them to provide their usual advice and people are turning to patient organisations for support.…

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Chronic (persistent) pain resources

Chronic (persistent or long-lasting or recurrent) pain significantly impacts individuals, their families and carers. For people with pain, the day-to-day concerns of living with and managing pain are of the highest importance, more so than the underlying condition. Here are some resources on pain available to people at home.

Pain toolkit There are some free video resources; there are also workshops now being delivered online. There may be a fee. http://www.paintoolkit.org/

Pain Physio Association See https://ppa.csp.org.uk/news/2020-03-24-pain-management-resources-during-covid-19-response

Exercise and self-management resources

With everyone now spending a lot more time at home, it could have a significantly negative impact on people’s physical activity levels. For people with musculoskeletal conditions, there are things that can be done to protect health and manage illness, to maintain good physical and mental health.

Provided people are well enough and following the latest government guidelines, exercise matters during this period and it’s more important than ever right now. It can help manage stress and anxiety too. Here are some specific resources, tailored for musculoskeletal health.…

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Covid-19 Health Profession organisations’ resources

We’ve received some specific online resources from our alliance members from health profession organisations, listed below.

British Orthopaedic Association: https://www.boa.ac.uk/ (select from the carousel)

Chartered society of Physiotherapy: https://www.csp.org.uk/news/coronavirus

CSP remote working resource: https://www.csp.org.uk/publications/covid-19-guide-rapid-implementation-remote-consultations

Institute of Osteopathy: https://www.iosteopathy.org/covid-19/

 

You can also check the websites of all our healthcare profession members here.

Covid-19 Information for children and young people

Children with a musculoskeletal condition and their parents are understandably concerned about coronavirus (covid-19) and their wellbeing. The following websites may be useful.

Scottish Paediatric and Adolescent Rheumatology Network (SPARN)
Information for parents and patients on children and young people and Coronavirus (Covid-19):
https://www.sparn.scot.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/20-03-24-COVID-patient-information-SPARN.pdf

Children’s Chronic Arthritis Association (Kids with Arthritis incorporating JIA Matters)
Facebook group:
https://www.facebook.com/CCAAorguk/

COVID-19 Information for people with MSK

[Editor’s note: this post was published in March 2020 and has not been updated since. For more up-to-date reading, please refer to this COVID-19 Information page, which has been updated as new data and resources have come to light.]

Many NHS staff who would normally answer calls from patients are redeployed to the fight against coronavirus (covid-19). Patient charities continue to experience high volumes of calls from concerned people with musculoskeletal conditions. Patient charities are responding with specific information and guidance, including virtual Q&A and risk calculators.…

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