MSK & Arthritis News

Osteopathic Awareness Week 2021

Osteopathic Awareness Week to tackle habits leading to ‘Lockdown back’ and ‘Tech neck’.

The Institute of Osteopathy will be running an awareness campaign, 2 – 9 May 2021, to promote good habits to tackle the issues that have led to what is now commonly called ‘Lockdown back’ and ‘Tech neck’.

The Move Better campaign will provide a range of advice for people to move better and so improve both their physical and mental health. To follow ‘Osteopathy for Health’ on Facebook or Instagram, visit iOsteopathy.org/movebetter…

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New AHP student placement project

An innovation in Allied Health Professions (AHP) student placements has begun in which osteopathic clinics at the undergraduate institutions provide observation opportunities for other AHP students.

This Health Education England initiative, facilitated by the Institute of Osteopathy, provides a unique opportunity for interdisciplinary working amongst the next generation of AHPs for the further benefit of patient care.

Find out more.

NRAS #WearPurpleForJIA – Wellbeing week

The last year has been a difficult one for most children so NRAS will be having a #WearPurpleForJIA Wellbeing Week on 14th-18th June. Each day during the week children and young people with JIA will be offered wellbeing classes including art, yoga, photography, dance and a relaxation/mental health class. In the evenings NRAS is hosting Facebook Live sessions discussing all things JIA and one where the children can ask the healthcare professionals questions.

It would be lovely to have you all involved to help raise awareness that children and young people can get arthritis too.…

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BOA Annual Congress 2021 – abstracts close 7th May

Under the theme of tackling infection, the BOA Annual Congress will take place 21st-24th September 2021 at P&J Live, The Event Complex Aberdeen (TECA). The programme will include the BOA keynote lectures, plenary speakers and an update from the BOA President Bob Handley on his Presidential year. The BOA have been working closely once again with the specialist societies to deliver revalidation and hot topic sessions. Sessions also include Hunterian lectures, practicalities of coding, BOA ortho committee – patient access to elective care, BOA research committee – changing clinical Practice, curriculum update and diversity to name a few.…

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New CCAA Award Badges

The CCAA launched their new award badge scheme in April, which is designed to support families coping with a child/young person with a paediatric rheumatic condition and/or uveitis. Siblings in the family are also eligible and CCAA has even designed a badge with them in mind.

Anyone (family, friends, teachers, healthcare professionals, sports coaches, neighbours etc.) can nominate a child or young person for one of the CCAA’s six collectible award badges via an online form on their website. The recipient will also get a lanyard with their first badge and a certificate.…

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Second Survey: PSP Psoriatic Arthritis

The British Psoriatic Arthritis Consortium is working with the James Lind Alliance to run a priority setting partnership (PSP),
looking to create a national ‘top 10’ list of research priorities for psoriatic arthritis.

Survey 2 – What questions would you like to see answered by #PsoriaticArthritis research?

Following the first PSP survey in June 2020, the process moves to identifying the questions that are the most important to people who live and work with psoriatic arthritis.

This is a unique opportunity for you to have your say in psoriatic arthritis research.…

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LJMU chronic pain experiences survey

Researchers at Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) are aiming to understand chronic pain experiences in and out of the UK’s current lockdown. Individuals are invited to participate in the survey.

Title of Project: Locked-down: Differences in Chronic Pain Experience
Researcher: Dr David Moore and Bethany Donaghy, School of Psychology

The study will take 20 minutes to complete and will involve completing a set of questionnaires online via outlets such as computers or mobile phones. There will also be the option to participate in a second phase of the study.…

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Tackling Inequalities fund update

Versus Arthritis has been successful in accessing £250,000 top-up funding from Sport England’s Tackling Inequalities Fund. This fund will be made available to organisations in England to help support people with long-term health conditions to get active.

Versus Arthritis has teamed up with Sport England to help distribute £250,000 grants from their ‘Tackling Inequalities’ fund on behalf of the Richmond Group of Charities. The purpose of the fund is to reduce the negative impact of coronavirus and the widening of the inequalities in sport and physical activity through increasing availability of exercise opportunities in local communities.…

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Delivering the Best MSK Health

by Sue Brown, CEO ARMA

I write this one year after the first lockdown was announced. It’s been a year of extremes, from the devastating number of deaths to the incredible success of the vaccination programme. For me personally it has been a year of being proud of the community that ARMA exists to represent and support. It has been a year of incredible collaboration and connection.

Our patient member organisations in particular faced a deluge of enquiries, innovated to provide online support and somehow managed to keep vital helplines open.…

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State of health and care: The NHS Long Term Plan after COVID-19

State of Health reportState of health and care: The NHS Long Term Plan after COVID-19

A new report from IPPR shows the extent to which the coronavirus pandemic has disrupted progress on the NHS Long Term Plan. The report looks at cancer, mental illness, cardiovascular disease and multiple long term conditions, but the findings are equally relevant to MSK services.

The report argues that COVID-19 should not become an excuse for low ambition, and that world-class healthcare must remain the overall goal. To achieve this, the report recommends a package of six ambitious changes designed to do three things:

  • Ensure the pandemic does not cause lasting damage to healthcare services for future generations.
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