MSK & Arthritis News

Tiny Magic Moments: how treating my RMD has influenced my hopes for the future

By Anna Wilson – EULAR Edgar Stene Prize essay competition, runner-up in the UK national competition

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.

“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.…

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Making support for people in pain a reality

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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Primary and community MSK metrics

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.

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.

Feedback is welcomed from MSK professionals, analysts, MSK leads and managers, commissioners, MSK lived experience partners and anyone who is involved in system-wide transformation and improvement of MSK services.…

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Core Skills in Musculoskeletal Care course

Develop your knowledge and confidence to effectively manage your MSK patients, from diagnosis to treatment and ongoing management of their condition(s).

This online course is split into four two-hour sessions:

  1. Introduction to musculoskeletal conditions, osteoarthritis, inflammatory arthritis and fibromyalgia
  2. Low back pain and sciatica
  3. Lower limb (with emphasis on the knee)
  4. Upper limb (with emphasis on the shoulder)

Wednesday 15, 22, 29 June and 6 July, 6-8:30pm on all four dates (Delegates must be available to attend all four sessions)

Cost: £135

For more information about the course please visit the Versus Arthritis website or email professionalengagement@versusarthritis.org…

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Freehab in the British Journal of Sports Medicine

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. You are welcome to email info@freehab.co.uk if you have difficulties accessing the article. 

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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Psoriasis Association Conference 2022 – booking now

Book now for the Psoriasis Association Conference & AGM 2022

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.

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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BCA Conference 2022: The Homecoming

The British Chiropractic Association opens booking for its annual conference – 5-6 November 2022

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.  The 2022 conference theme, The Homecoming, is a very special one for the BCA, as it celebrates their new Mission: to be the home of chiropractors who put patients first, following the completion of their strategic repositioning in 2021.…

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Charity collaborative on mental health support in paediatric rheumatology

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. The plan is to use the information gathered to help campaign for better services for children, young people and their families. CCAA is incredibly grateful to all those families who took time to respond and to share their experiences.…

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Not just another NHSE initiative

I have just returned from the BSR conference where it was good to catch up with ARMA members, key stakeholders and make new connections. Watching the contributions of patient organisations to the conference I was struck again by the huge role that the voluntary sector can play in good MSK health.

So, it is good to see this feature increasingly in the BestMSK Health messaging. Phrases such as “consider referral to third sector/voluntary sector for ongoing management rehabilitation and support” appear in many of the programme’s resources.…

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ARMA Trustee elections

Ever thought of becoming a trustee of ARMA?

The ARMA Board consists of nine trustees elected by the membership and up to four co-opted trustees, who are appointed by the Board. Nominations for election to the Board are open until 20 May 2022. You will need a connection with one of our member organisations and to be nominated by a member organisation.

Trustees are responsible for the governance, strategy and management of the charity. They contribute to the strategic development of the organisation and the delivery of its services, taking part in Board meetings and in other activities between meetings as required.…

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