MSK & Arthritis News

NASS Patients’ Choice for good health and care practice

NASS-2015-logo-squareThe AS-it-is Patient Voice & Patient Choice campaign launches on 2 November 2016 in the Houses of Parliament.

It aims to:

  • Promote the upcoming National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Clinical Guidelines for Spondyloarthritis
  • Celebrate existing good practice by health care professionals
  • Promote written care plans

NASS believes proper implementation of the Guidelines will help to improve the current 8.5 year average delay to diagnosis for people with axial spondyloarthritis, including ankylosing spondylitis (AS).

NASS are celebrating good practice by healthcare professionals through our Patients’ Choice Awards.…

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Announcing Experts in Arthritis videos

usbji-control-arthritisTo coincide with October’s World Arthritis Day, the U.S. Bone and Joint Initiative (USBJI) has released three new animated videos. These form part of their public education Experts in Arthritis programme, an exciting element to aid in their efforts to educate the public about taking control of Arthritis.

The videos can be seen at www.ControlArthritis.org.    

The goal of USBJI is to significantly increase the number of Americans who will become better educated about how to alter their lifestyle and take control of their Arthritis. …

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Wellcome Trust support PMRGCAuk’s Research Roadshows

PMRGCAUK-logo300PMRGCAuk is delighted to announce that it has been successful in a bid to the Wellcome Trust for funding to support a series of Research Roadshows. Over the next 18 months a team of members of the charity will be touring the country to bring researchers, clinicians and patients together to learn about research into PMR and GCA.

The Research Roadshows are at the planning stages at the moment but more information will be published soon.
Project Lead is Kate Gilbert.…

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RCN Rheumatology Forum Study Day 2017

The RCN Rheumatology Forum is thinking about running a study day in 2017. We’d love to know what you think of the idea, so we’ve created a short survey in order to gather your thoughts.

The link to the survey is https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/8DK23LJ and it should take no more than three minutes to complete.

If you have any questions about using the survey, you can contact RCN Rheumatology Committee Member Polly Livermore at polly.livermore@gosh.nhs.uk

In the meantime, why not follow us on twitter at @RCNrheumforum.…

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Mediterranean diet can reduce inflammation and cartilage degradation in people with osteoarthritis

A Mediterranean diet can reduce markers of inflammation and improve knee flexion and hip rotation in people with osteoarthritis, according to a study led by researchers at the University of Kent and published in the Journal of Nutrition Health and Aging this week.
 
arthritis-action-2015-member-logoThe study, commissioned by UK charity Arthritis Action, examined the effects of a Mediterranean type diet on 99 patients with osteoarthritis. Half of the participants followed a Mediterranean type diet for 16 weeks, whereas the other half continued their usual dietary behaviour.…

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We need to rethink “best treatment”

Paul-Hitchcockby Paul Hitchcock, Chief Executive Officer of the British Acupuncture Council

We have an ageing population. Many of that population have multiple conditions. We have already reached a situation where the provision of health and care is problematic under the current system; too many people with too many conditions with insufficient cash or workforce capacity to enable their support.

Yet the system continues to take a reductive approach to treatments and support services. Commissioners or policy makers stop services or treatments when a new innovation is proposed so that, although they can claim to be cutting edge, in reality the system provides less support to fewer people and reduces patient choice at the same time.…

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Westminster Hall Debate and DCLG consultation

Westminster Hall Debate

We have, through our ‘Arthritis Champions’ in the House of Commons, moved a backbench debate in Westminster Hall, to be held on Thursday 20 October.  This debate will be discussing, primarily the themes of Arthritis Research UK’s Share Your Everyday campaign and we will be briefing MPs as such.

In support of our campaign, we aim for this debate to be an opportunity for MPs to share their own experiences of arthritis in order to encourage more people with arthritis to tell with their own stories about living with the condition and how it affects their day-to-day lives.…

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BackCare’s calendar of events for 2016/2017

National BackCare Awareness Week
3rd – 7th October 2016
‘Caring for Carers’
 
BackCare is working to help the UK’s carers with this year’s BackCare Awareness week.
For information about the event and how to order your BackCare Awareness Week pack,
please visit: http://www.backcare.org.uk/news/caring-carers-backcare-awareness-week/

The BackCare Christmas Carol Concert
12th December 2016
The Queen’s Chapel, 6:30pm

Queen’s chapel of the Savoy, Savoy Hill, Strand, London, WC2A 0DA
Tickets £18; donations for refreshments welcome.

To pre-order tickets please call 020 8977 5474
or visit http://www.backcaretrading.org.uk/…

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World Health Organisation landmark action plan will tackle tidal wave of musculoskeletal conditions

who-world-health-org-squareThe Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Alliance, an alliance of prominent health charities, professional and research bodies, today [Thursday 15th September 2016] welcomed a ground-breaking World Health Organisation action plan to tackle a tidal wave of musculoskeletal conditions in Europe [1]. The Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases in the WHO European Region, which was approved by WHO Europe’s Regional Committee today, includes specific priority actions by all European countries to stem the rise in musculoskeletal conditions and to improve overall health.…

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Guest Blog: How can we support people working and managing MSDs?

RobYeldham-nlby Rob Yeldham, Director of Strategy, Policy & Engagement for the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy.

Musculoskeletal disorders are the largest cause of disability in the UK. Some conditions may be caused by, or exasperated by, work. Others are not work related but impact on the ability of people to work. Only around six in ten working age people with an MSK are in work. Many people with arthritis are hiding their condition at work for fear of their employer’s reaction. So how can we support people working and managing MSDs?…

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