Arthritis News & Musculoskeletal News from ARMA's Members

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COVID-19 vaccination and MSK

Principles for COVID-19 Vaccination in Musculoskeletal and Rheumatology for Clinicians

(Version 12, 12 September 2022)

Amendment 12th September 2022: Document updated to include latest JCVI and NHSE guidance regarding autumn boosters using second generation bivalent COVID-19 vaccines and results of VROOM study (see section 23 and section 24 respectively)

Amendment 3^rd April 2022: Document updated to include latest JCVI and NHSE guidance regarding spring 2022 boosters (see section 22)

Amendment 3^rd December 2021: Document updated to include latest JCVI guidance regarding boosters for patients who were eligible for a third primary dose (see end of section 21)

Amendment 13 October 2021: Document updated to include revised BSR wording about third primary dose (section 20).…

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Featured

COVID-19 / Coronavirus info

Last updated 8/11/22

This page lists the most relevant information we can find on COVID-19 relevant to people with MSK conditions. We update this page as new information becomes available. It includes information for professionals, patients, parents and guidance for Wales and Scotland.

Six key resources for MSK.

Key resources

Latest advice for England.

https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus

Good communication with patients whose planned care has been disrupted by COVID-19.

https://www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/publication/good-communication-with-patients/

Guidance on those eligible for free lateral flow testing in England after 1 April

Government announcement

Covid-19 community based treatments

Access community-based treatments for coronavirus (COVID-19) updated 6 September 2022

How to access treatments and prescription charges

COVID-19 Therapeutics Clinical Review Panel will determine which at-risk patient cohorts could be eligible for COVID-19 therapies.…

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Personalised Medicine and Empowered Pain Relief

Edition 143 of Airing Pain focuses on the treatment of pain, the importance of catering treatment to a person’s individual genetic makeup, and why addressing the psychological dimensions of pain is crucial in treating it effectively.

The process of finding a medication or treatment that works for a person often involves a lot of trial and error, which can be a frustrating process for someone to go through. This process can be side-stepped through the use of personalised medicine, where information about a person’s genetic makeup is used to tailor and optimise their treatment so it is as effective as possible. …

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Financial Boost for MSK Early Career Researchers

Orthopaedic Research UK (ORUK) has received an award of over £750,000 from the Government to support its research programme. This funding will enable the charity to increase support for early-career clinical researchers and academic scientists interested in building and expanding their MSK research portfolio.

ORUK supports early-career researchers working on a wide range of MSK-related research projects across the UK and has invested £13.59m in the past two decades on research projects that expand knowledge, improve patient outcomes and pioneer new forms of prevention, diagnosis, treatment and management.…

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Promoting MSK Literacy in Young People

This month sees the latest tour of a musculoskeletal themed educational show, co-funded by Orthopaedic Research UK (ORUK), that introduces young people to biomechanics and the importance of bone, joint and muscle health. The Research and Test Lab (RATLab) tour uses a combination of science, hi-tech projections and puppetry devised by theatre company Green Ginger. During a visit to RATLab, children interact with a team of engaging characters – mostly rats, dogs and pigs – who use engineering to solve everyday problems.…

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ORUK Announces New Research Fellowships

Applications are open for ORUK research fellowships in partnership with the BOA, Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, British Scoliosis Society (BSS) and The British Association of Spine Surgeons (BASS).

Two BOA/ORUK fellowships of up to £65k are available for a project in any area of orthopaedics including basic science, diagnosis, treatment, surgical technology, AI, logistics or audit. The research can be self-contained or part of a wider research programme and should be integral to the applicant pursuing a higher degree.…

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Versus Arthritis MSK Bitesize webinar

The training in this MSK Bitesize webinar focuses on the ten topics that predominantly feature within primary care settings.

The topics focused on are:

Osteoarthritis,
Inflammatory arthritis,
Fibromyalgia,
Polymyalgia Rheumatica,
Myeloma,
Gout,
Hypermobility,
Paediatric MSK,
Lupus,
and Physical Activity.

This session is aimed at GPs and other primary care professionals involved in diagnosing and supporting patients with MSK conditions.

Thursday 23rd May 6-9pm
Microsoft Teams
£35

Find more information from the Versus Arthritis webpage of Training courses for healthcare professionals.

AI powered pain expert – Teesside University

Talk to an artificial intelligence-powered expert about your pain.

A free interactive resource developed using cutting-edge technology to help millions living with persistent pain has been launched by Teesside University.

Academics from Teesside University’s Centre for Rehabilitation worked alongside artificial intelligence (AI) specialist StoryFile to develop a fully interactive digital version of internationally renowned pain management expert Pete Moore.

Described by StoryFile as a ‘conversational video’, AI Pete can interact with viewers, answer questions about persistent pain and how it can be managed, and share his first-hand experiences of living with it.…

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Psoriasis: What you need to know Conference 2024

Psoriasis: What you need to know Conference 2024 is taking place on 22^nd June 2024 in Manchester.

The conference serves as a platform for knowledge exchange, collaboration and discussion of the latest advancements in psoriasis research, treatment, and management.

Listen to insightful talks from researchers, healthcare professionals, and individuals affected by psoriasis. The AGM is an opportunity for members to come together, review the association’s activities, hold discussions and make decisions regarding the future direction of the organisation.

Booking will go live at the end of April, and you can secure your spot via The Psoriasis Association website, or getting in touch via email: mail@psoriasis-association.org.uk…

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Recent publications on health inequalities

There have been a number of publications and toolkits on health inequalities published in recent weeks. These are not MSK-specific but will include useful information, data and resources for those working in MSK.

Illustrating the relationship between poverty and NHS services is a long read from the Kings Fund.

Health inequalities in 2040
Current and projected patterns of illness by deprivation in England.
The Health Foundation lists chronic pain as one of the 4 conditions projected to increase at a faster rate in more deprived areas.…

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Act together. Act Now.

by Sue Brown, CEO ARMA

It is hard to overstate what a privilege it was to join so many of those who contributed to the Act Now report in Westminster last week. The report exemplifies the ARMA approach of doing things together which none of us could do alone. The energy in the room and the commitment to making a difference was amazing. I feel that MSK is demonstrating what NHS England’s Core20+5 approach looks like in practice.

Our recent FOI requests to ICBs have elicited some responses along the lines of MSK isn’t one of the Core20+5 conditions so we aren’t prioritising it.…

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NOA Physician Associates webinar – part 2

NOA Webinar: Physician Associates in Orthopaedic Services – Part 2

Date: 1 May 2024 at 1pm
Venue: Virtual Event (Zoom)

Join the NOA for Part 2 of their webinar, ‘Physician Associates (PAs) in Orthopaedic Services’.

Building on the success of the inaugural session, Part 2 will delve deeper into the future changes impacting the training, curriculum, and regulation of PAs in orthopaedics.

Speakers:

Jamie Saunders and Chandra Louis, President and Vice President respectively of the Faculty of Physician Associates (FPA) at the Royal College of Physicians.

…

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