Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Alliance
Influencing policy and care together for best lifelong musculoskeletal health
NRAS local groups are a wonderful place to share knowledge, enjoy engaging events and find friendship with others who know what living with rheumatoid arthritis is like. By joining an NRAS local group, people can find support, enjoy activities and learn from expert speakers.
For more information on upcoming local events, visit the event page on nras.org.uk.
For more information on NRAS Local Groups and NRAS JoinTogether online groups, please visit the NRAS Connect with others page.
Guest blog by Dr Michelle Farr, Research Fellow at University of Bristol and the National Institute for Health Research Applied Research Collaboration West (NIHR ARC West)
People who experience long-term pain have important insights and strategies that help them manage pain in everyday life. However, they are often not invited to share their knowledge and skills to inform the services that are meant to support them. ARMA has been highlighting the importance of working in partnership with patients and how co-production, where patients and professionals work together, can improve pain services.…
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As you know, the pandemic restrictions have been lifted, but as far as the HMSA group meetings are concerned, HMSA is not ready to risk physical groups as yet, so all local HMSA meetings will still be virtually for a while longer. Given the virtual meetings have given so many more people access to this type of support, even when physical meetings do re-start, they will be combined with virtual meetings, so everyone gets a chance to attend.
The dates for the support groups for August are listed below.…
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HMSA local groups are still meeting virtually and this month’s theme is “Hobbies and Achievements”. It’s where the group get to share what they do for hobbies and explain how they overcome any obstacles with physical restrictions. It’s a bit of a ‘show and tell’ meeting and it’s always great to see how talented and inventive the participants are!
Here are the meeting dates for April:
|
Group |
Date |
Time |
Group email address |
|
Nottingham |
11/4 & 24/4 |
2:00 PM |
|
|
Gateshead |
17/4 |
10:30 AM |
The next NASS Facebook Live sessions:
To watch live, visit the NASS Facebook page at the time of the live session. (If you can’t see the video, refresh your page.)
The NASS Facebook Live sessions have been running for about three years now, helping people to manage their axial SpA (AS) in unprecedented times and beyond.…
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During these unusual times, NASS has been sharing tops tips through live videos. Topics we’re covering include rib pain, working from home, night-time pain, gardening with AS, mindfulness and looking after yourself emotionally.
You can find all the recordings on the NASS Facebook page.
Mr Jones is 72 today. A few years ago, he would have celebrated with friends in the pub, but now the pain in his back makes is hard to go out and he gets tired quickly. So, he’s at home watching TV while his wife cooks a meal. He spends a lot of time watching TV and his back seems to be getting worse, but his GP says there is nothing she can do for him but being more active will help.…
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A fun-packed day for 
all
On Sunday 22nd October 2017, the Department of Rheumatology staff hosted more than fifteen tables for children’s games and crafts – f rom Dominos, colouring to ghostly table lights, and homemade first aid kits – whilst Dads and Mums living with arthritis and connective tissues attended a number of short presentations aimed at providing help and advice:
The DaM-it Arthritis project is funded through the Department of Rheumatology’s charitable funds and non-conditional educational grants, offering free events to support the community of Dads and Mums affected by Arthritis and Connective Tissue Diseases and their families.…
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LUPUS UK has recently launched its campaign in build up to Lupus Awareness Month 2017 in October. The #THISISLUPUS campaign is encouraging people affected by lupus to share their experiences of the disease and the impact it has on their lives. By opening up about lupus more, we hope to show people something that they may not usually see – we aim to make the invisible visible.
We have decided to re-use a design for our campaign poster because it ties very well with our aims and generated a lot of conversation when we first used it five years ago.…
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Upcoming North Wales support group meetings for people with arthritis and chronic pain.
Dates:
7th August 2017
4th September 2017
2nd October 2017
6th November 2017
4th December 2017
Venue:
Holywell Community Hospital, North Wales.
The meeting room is behind the cafe and opposite the reception area.
Open full-size and save the flyer for more details, or see the North Wales Arthritis & Chronic Pain Support Group Facebook page.
