MSK & Arthritis News

Health Foundation report: Waiting for care

Waiting for care: Understanding the pandemic’s effects on people’s health and quality of life looks at how the suspension of routine NHS care has affected people’s health and wellbeing via two case studies – hip replacements and diabetes.

In 2020, as a result of the pandemic, 58,000 fewer people than usual had a hip replacement and are therefore waiting. Those waiting are particularly likely to be in certain regions of England, are slightly more likely to be older and slightly more likely to be living in deprived areas.…

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Social prescribing – a vital role in MSK health

This month I have been working on a resource for social prescribing link workers which ARMA plans to publish in the autumn. It’s made me reflect on what a valuable role link workers can play in MSK health. We know that many people with MSK conditions need support with their mental health or have become lonely or isolated as result of their condition. Added to this they may have other conditions which are harder to manage as a result of their MSK health.…

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ARMA CEO to speak at Health and Inactivity webinar

9 September 2021
09.30am

ARMA’s CEO, Sue Brown, along with speakers from Public Health England, Moving Medicine and others, will be speaking at a Health and Inactivity webinar, organised by Why Sports.

This webinar will discuss and build on new and existing agendas. How do the leading organisations plan to provide better access to support and joined-up services, whilst working with people who live the experience, after all, they are the experts and should be central to how services are designed and delivered. …

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September is Pain Awareness Month

September is Pain Awareness Month from The Societal Impact of Pain. Pain Awareness Europe (PAE), in collaboration with other organisations in Europe, is holding an online event on 7 September, 14:00-15:00 CEST (15:00-16:00 British Summer Time). The webinar (in English) will focus on the topic of employment and pain and is open to all interested parties. Join the virtual event with via link.

There are also some infographics from PAE on ICD-11 and ICF available here.

ARMA free webinar – Services to support people to live well with pain

17 September 2021, 12.30 – 1.30pm

ARMA’s free webinar during Pain Awareness Month features James Watson, Physiotherapy Pain Lead, Integrated MSK and Community Pain Management, North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust and Mohammad Shoiab, Pain Specialist Physiotherapist/Clinical Lead, Connect Health Pain Services.…

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New app for virtual group exercise classes to support people living with arthritis

The pandemic has led to a backlog of people, primarily over 50s, who are in need of support to manage their condition due to a combination of physical inactivity and limited access to non-emergency appointments.

Those living with MSK conditions can find it challenging to exercise due to pain, fear of injury and low motivation. However physical activity can help to alleviate symptoms and improve mental health.

A new app designed to bring people together

The VCR project, running for twelve months, will be offering support to people in the form of peer-led, virtual group exercise classes delivered via a mobile app.…

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Long COVID and Post-COVID-19 Syndrome training

e-Learning for Healthcare has published a national training session providing an introduction to long COVID, looking at its definition, common symptoms, investigations as well as the impact it has on adults and children.

The session is aimed at all clinical staff in the NHS in England, particularly those in primary and community care. Dr Ian Bernstein, Director of Medical Education led the team of authors from Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust.

The programme can be accessed from the e-lfh.org.uk website; scroll down to the ‘View’ button.

Tackling health inequalities: a framework for AHPs

The King’s Fund has worked with AHPs from across the UK to consider their contribution to tackling health inequalities. A framework based on the findings, to which the The Institute of Osteopathy has contributed, has now been published. It includes examples of work in health inequalities, including a service provided by osteopaths in South London.

Read the article My role in tackling health inequalities: a framework for allied health professionals on the King’s Fund website.

Get involved in Bone and Joint Week

12-20 October 2021

What is Bone and Joint Week?

Next month, Bone and Joint Week aims to help get people thinking about one of the most widespread and pressing health issues of our times – musculoskeletal health. Now more than ever, good musculoskeletal health helps our wellbeing get back on track. As we rebuild our activity and how we work, eat and feel, having the best musculoskeletal health helps us live better.

After more than a year of uncertainly, stress, inactivity, gym and swimming pool closures, weight gain and changed routines, many struggle with their physical and mental health.…

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CEO update: Change is possible

The NHS England BestMSK Health Collaborative has been making great progress during July. It’s fantastic to see the amount of focus that MSK is getting and the fact that the work is about systems, not individual services. If you haven’t already, I would urge you to sign up to the NHS Futures site so that you can access the resources and see progress. The latest publication is a High Impact Strategy with a series of recommendations spanning primary, secondary and community, and every MSK speciality.…

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Pain forecast: building a predictive model of pain

Guest blog by Claire Little, PhD researcher at Centre for Epidemiology Versus Arthritis, University of Manchester

People living with arthritis and chronic pain conditions know that pain is a fluctuating and unpredictable symptom 1. This can cause uncertainty and fear about the future severity of pain 2. I am working on a project to build a ‘pain forecast’ that would provide predictions of future pain. Like the weather forecast, or economic forecasts, this aims to produce predictions about pain in the near future.…

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