MSK & Arthritis News

Happy Birthday NRAS!

21 years ago in October, the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society was born.

What an amazing first 21 years it’s been for the society. From that blank piece of paper in Ailsa’s front room to the nationally and internationally acclaimed patient organisation. What will the next 21 years hold for us I wonder? So pleased we were able to mark this significant milestone in the charity’s history last month and you can watch a short montage of the proceedings.
Happy Birthday NRAS, many happy returns!


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Another new Government

by Sue Brown, CEO ARMA

Local and national

Another new Government, another new(ish) Secretary of State for Health. From an MSK perspective, what should their priorities be? There are a few things that need to happen nationally, but my first thoughts are that we don’t now need a multitude of new government targets and promises. A lot of what is needed is local and local systems need to be given the space to deliver.

At a local level there are three things I think Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) need to do to deliver on MSK.…

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Orthopaedic Research UK and Daphne Jackson Trust Fellowship 2022

DJT and ORUK FellowshipOrthopaedic Research UK and Daphne Jackson Trust Fellowship 2022

Orthopaedic Research UK is delighted to be partnering with Daphne Jackson Trust to support returners to MSK research following a career break of two years or more taken for a family, caring or health reason.

Applications are invited for a three-year Daphne Jackson Fellowship co-sponsored by Orthopaedic Research UK to be held at any UK university or research establishment.

The Fellowship is intended for orthopaedic scientists and musculoskeletal allied health professionals who want to return to their research careers.…

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ESCAPE-pain facilitator training courses

Enabling Self-management and Coping with Arthritic Pain using Exercise (ESCAPE-pain): facilitator training courses

The ESCAPE-pain programme is an evidence based, group rehabilitation programme that aims to support people living with chronic knee or hip pain, or non-specific low back pain:

  • ESCAPE-pain for knees and hips
  • ESCAPE-pain for backs 

The flexibility of ESCAPE-pain means it can be delivered in a variety of locations and by a range of professionals. The programmes have been successfully delivered in outpatient physiotherapy departments, leisure centres and local community settings by physiotherapists, osteopaths, and exercise professionals.…

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Free ESCAPE-pain programme webinar

ESCAPE-PAIN eventThe full impact of the pandemic upon musculoskeletal health is clear, with an enormous increase in the number of people with knee, hip and back pain. This forthcoming free ESCAPE-pain together webinar is being held on Thursday 8 December 2022, 10:00 – 13:00 and brings together leisure, community and clinical commissioners and providers interested in forming collaborative partnerships to deliver ESCAPE-pain in their communities.

The webinar will also:

  • Present the results of a Sport England funded project delivering ESCAPE-pain in leisure and community centres.


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School Toolkit for EDS and JHS

The Hypermobility Syndromes Association gets a lot of questions about children struggling with the return to school, and enquiries from teachers looking to support hypermobile students as we approach half term.

HMSA has prepared the School Toolkit for EDS and JHS to address this need.

You can pick up the printed resource for educators in the HMSA shop, or for more information on how to help, browse the online toolkit that the HMSA launched with EDS UK last year:

https://theschooltoolkit.org/

A week to focus on health equalities

I was delighted last week to be able to join NHS England’s Health Inequalities Improvement Board to present on the importance of MSK health for equalities. I am also delighted that Bola Owolabi, Director of NHS England’s National Healthcare Inequalities Improvement Programme, has written the guest blog for the October issue of our newsletter.

We’ve chosen to highlight equalities during Bone and Joint Week this year because it is critically important. Poor MSK health contributes to and exacerbates health inequalities. MSK is fundamental to our ability to work, socialise, move, eat a good diet – in fact, all the things that enable us to stay healthy.…

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FOREUM calls for research proposals on e-Health

foreum squareE-Health concerns the use of information technology to deliver the efficacy and improvement of health care systems and services. FOREUM (Foundation for Research in Rheumatology) has launched a call for research proposals on e-Health that focus on stimulating application-driven research and innovations that can improve both individual and population health of people living with RMDs.

Studies should be the impactful integration of technology into care for people living with RMDs rather than new hard or software and will also be evaluated for sustainability in long-term patient care.…

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Speeding up MRI, CT and ultrasound scan timings

scan dot comSport Rehabilitators can now request scans directly from their clinic system. All BASRaT registered Sport Rehabilitators currently receive Rehab Guru software which is a home exercise prescribing and client management platform, the system has teamed up with scan.com
to schedule scans directly.

Patients can be referred for an MRI, ultrasound or CT scan, they then choose a scanning centre, price and appointment time that suits them. Scan.com’s clinical team reviews and verifies every referral for the clinician and patient’s peace of mind and clinicians can view the process from referral to results.…

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