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ARMA Newsletter June 2022
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Making support for people in pain a reality
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Media coverage of MSK conditions and pain is rare. Good coverage even more uncommon. So it was great to see the BBC focus on chronic pain on 11 May. A week earlier, coverage of the NICE draft guidelines on managing arthritis generated headlines such as “Exercise instead of taking painkillers, arthritis sufferers told.” Unsurprisingly, this resulted in outcry from those who rely on pain medication to manage their arthritis, especially those who really need surgery but are on unacceptably long waiting lists after the pandemic.
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Tiny Magic Moments: how treating my RMD has influenced my hopes for the future
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by Anna Wilson - EULAR Edgar Stene Prize essay competition, runner-up in the UK national competition
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After almost nine years of increasing intensity, the pain throughout my body was becoming unbearable. I vividly remember arriving at my doctor’s appointment that day to receive my blood test results, my fingers tightly clutching a list of symptoms.
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“I know it sounds like I’m a hypochondriac,” I began awkwardly, “but I get inflamed eyes, rib cage pain, lower back spasms and stabbing in my hips that is so bad I struggle to walk in the morning. I read online about ankyo…spindelly… something. Is there a chance it could be due to that?”
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“Your bloodwork has shown you don’t have the HLA-B27 gene, and you’re female,” the doctor responded. “It’s not ankylosing spondylitis. Lose some weight and see if it helps.”
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Bone and Joint Week - Health inequalities
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Send us your case studies for Bone and Joint Week 2022
Bone and Joint Week aims to help get people thinking about one of the most widespread and pressing health issues of our times - musculoskeletal health.
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This year the focus is on reducing health inequalities in musculoskeletal health. We are seeking case studies of good practice examples of reducing health inequalities in musculoskeletal health. Think you have something? Please get in touch with us at projects@arma.uk.net.
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We plan to feature the case studies in blogs, social media and write ups.
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Health Inequalities
For some people in the UK there are still unfair and avoidable inequalities in their musculoskeletal health and in their access to and experiences of health services.
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Poorer MSK health affects more women than men. It affects more people with lower income. It affects more people living in deprivation. It disproportionately affects some ethnic groups. It affects young people. It affects older people. And the challenges in the cost of living may deepen health inequalities.
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It’s our ambition to reduce health inequalities in musculoskeletal health. We know that this is an ambition shared by many. The NHS long term plan. The BestMSK Health Collaborative. The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities. Our members. Our followers.
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We can drive change by listening to and focussing on the most excluded communities so that there is equity in access, experiences and outcomes. We can drive change by working together.
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MSK health inequalities resources
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In common with other health conditions, there are significant health inequalities in MSK. Addressing this is one of ARMA’s priorities. There is a lot of information about health inequalities, but finding MSK specific information is harder.
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To help those with an interest in tackling MSK health inequalities, we have created a resource page to signpost to the most relevant and useful resources and information specifically about MSK health inequalities.
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The resource is not intended as an exhaustive list of research on MSK health inequalities. We have prioritised those which have a UK focus, which draw useful findings or are most likely to be of value to those trying to address health inequalities. We have included some resources related to pain since this is a very significant aspect of long term MSK conditions.
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ARMA social prescribing resource
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Recently, ARMA published a new resource for social prescribing for musculoskeletal conditions. The resource aims to help link workers make a difference to the lives of people with MSK conditions.
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The resource is split into four sections including mental health, work and education, self-managing musculoskeletal conditions and information about musculoskeletal health.
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The resource includes links to useful programmes and support.
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Key MSK COVID-19 resources
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ARMA continues to keep its COVID-19 resources page up to date.
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Members' news
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Freehab in the British Journal of Sports Medicine
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Freehab has recently been featured as a 'service spotlight' in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. The article explains the need for Freehab's inception and aims to inspire others to adopt social enterprise models as a means of creating equitable services.
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Freehab is a UK-based social enterprise that provides free access to advice, support and rehabilitation for MSK conditions. As a social enterprise, the business objective is not profit driven but, rather, focused on the achievement of its mission and vision; with any profits being reinvested towards the fulfilment of that goal.…
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Core Skills in Musculoskeletal Care course
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Develop your knowledge and confidence to effectively manage your MSK patients, from diagnosis to treatment and ongoing management of their condition(s).
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This online course is split into four two-hour sessions:
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- Introduction to musculoskeletal conditions, osteoarthritis, inflammatory arthritis and fibromyalgia
- Low back pain and sciatica
- Lower limb (with emphasis on the knee)
- Upper limb (with emphasis on the shoulder)
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Charity collaborative on mental health support in paediatric rheumatology
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A group of JIA charities (CCAA, Juvenile Arthritis Research, JIA@NRAS, SNAC and Versus Arthritis), working collaboratively with the British Society for Rheumatology, is investigating access to mental health provision and support within paediatric rheumatology. In February 2022, CCAA sent out a survey to families which ran for three weeks and received just over 300 responses.
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NOA Excellence in Orthopaedics Awards launches - nominations open
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The National Orthoapedic Alliance (NOA) recently launched the NOA Excellence in Orthopaedics Awards. The awards recognise NOA member organisations, projects and teams that have distinguished themselves through exemplary contributions, influence and commitment to transforming services across orthopaedics – both clinically and non-clinically.
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NOA Annual Members' Conference early bird registration open
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The second NOA Annual Members' Conference will take place in Birmingham on Wednesday 19 October 2022.
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Early registration is now open so book now! The following speakers are already lined up, with more being added regularly: Andrew Bennett, National Clinical Director, NHS England and Improvement; Jo Williams, Lead NOA Lead CEO, & Chief Executive, Royal Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust …
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BCA Conference 2022: The Homecoming
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The British Chiropractic Association opens booking for its annual conference – 5-6 November 2022
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It is with great pleasure that the British Chiropractic Association (BCA) announces to the MSK community that booking for their annual conference is now officially open. This year’s conference will be the first in-person event for the Association since 2019 and will take place on 5-6 November at The Vox Conference Centre, Birmingham.
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The 2022 conference theme, The Homecoming, is a very special one for the BCA …
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Psoriasis Association Conference 2022 – booking now
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Book now for the Psoriasis Association Conference & AGM 2022
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Booking is now open for the Psoriasis Association’s 2022 Annual Conference and AGM, taking place on Saturday 18 June 2022. This year’s conference will be the Association’s first ever hybrid event, so you will have the choice to either join in the room or on Zoom.
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As always, both Psoriasis Association members and non-members will be welcomed to the Conference, with tickets for members free of charge, and tickets for non-members only £5 …
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Primary and community MSK metrics
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The BestMSK Health programme has collaboratively codeveloped, with stakeholders and lived experience partners, draft high-level metrics to support the measurement of primary and community MSK service delivery.
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MSK professionals, analysts, leads/managers, commissioners or anyone working in the improvement of MSK services are encouraged to provide their feedback on these recommendations through a quick online survey, which is now open.
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ARMA chronic pain resources
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Recently, ARMA published a suite of chronic pain resources to address the 15.5 million people and 81% of people with a musculoskeletal condition reporting being in chronic pain. Chronic (persistent or long-lasting or recurrent) pain is life-changing and can affect all parts of life. Chronic pain is linked to deprivation and health inequalities. For these reasons, chronic pain is important to the ARMA alliance of members.
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ARMA members have collaborated to produce these resources:
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This sets out what ARMA believes should be available in every area for people living with long term pain. Most of this provision needs to be delivered locally, as close as possible to people. We believe that every local health body (ICS, Health Board or Health and Social Care Trust) should have a plan for how this will be delivered. Read the "Core Offer".
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ARMA Chronic Pain Policy Position Paper
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The policy position paper makes recommendations for chronic pain including that more community-based approaches to pain should be developed to meet the needs of people with chronic pain. Multidisciplinary, networked, personalised approaches to pain should be standard.
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ARMA Calendar
| 8 June 2022, 1pm |
NASS Live: Men and axial SpA with Matt Daly, physiotherapist |
| 13–17 June 2022 |
NRAS JIA Awareness Week |
| 15 June 2022 |
Versus Arthritis Core Skills in MSK Care course begins |
| 15 June 2022, 5pm |
NICE Consultation closes on osteoarthritis update |
| 15 June 2022, 6pm |
NASS Live: HIIT taster session (seated and standing) with physiotherapist |
| 17 June 2022 |
NRAS #WearPurpleforJIA Day |
| 18 June 2022 |
Psoriasis Association Conference & AGM 2022 |
| 22 June 2022, 1pm |
NASS Live: Non-biologic medication for axial SpA |
| 30 June 2022 |
NOA Excellence in Orthopaedics Awards nominations close |
| 1-3 July 2022 |
CCAA Family Residential Weekend, West Dorset |
| 6 July 2022, 1pm |
NASS Live: Therapeutic Tai Chi for axial SpA |
| 13 July 2022, 6pm |
NASS Live: Axial SpA in a nutshell |
| 1 August 2022, 7.30pm |
NASS Bristol branch stretch session with physiotherapist |
| 18 August 2022, 10am |
NASS Bristol branch stretch and cardio session with physiotherapist |
| 12–18 Sept 2022 |
NRAS RA Awareness Week |
| 23-25 Sept 2022 |
CCAA Family Residential Weekend, Peak District |
| 28 Sept 2022, 1pm |
NASS Live: Sports and axial SpA with physiotherapist |
| 19 Oct 2022 |
NOA Annual Members’ Conference, Birmingham |
| 5-6 Nov 2022 |
BCA Conference 2022 |
| 11-12 Nov 2022 |
PCRMM Annual Conference 2022 |
| 23–24 Nov 2022 |
Therapy Expo |
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We know that many people value our newsletter, webinars and the fact that we provide a voice for MSK health. We are increasingly asked: given that our membership is made up of organisations, how can an individual support ARMA? For this reason, we have set up a new supporter scheme.
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