MSK & Arthritis News

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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COVID-19: Life on hold for NHS patients needing musculoskeletal care

In June 2021 the British Medical Journal online featured an article ‘COVID-19: “Life on hold” for NHS patients needing musculoskeletal care’.  The article reported on the effect on the pandemic on people needing musculoskeletal NHS services, tackling NHS backlogs resulting from cancelled primary and secondary care appointments, and the BestMSK Health NHSE programme.

Read the article in full.

Have your say on the Musculoskeletal Advanced Practice and Governance Framework

Advanced Musculoskeletal (MSK) practice has been developing for many years, playing an integral part within the delivery of health services nationally. MSK practitioners work in diverse settings including emergency, rheumatology, persistent pain, paediatric and therapies, as well as in primary and community care and in MSK secondary care interface services.

Skills for Health is inviting feedback on a new core capability framework for MSK Advanced Practice and Governance. They are keen to hear from Advanced Practitioners, Advanced Practitioners in training, the wider healthcare team, employers, training providers, patients and carers to ensure the framework reflects what is needed in the sector.…

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ROS, bone health parliamentary group & FLS

Royal Osteoporosis Society supports APPG on Osteoporosis and Bone Health inquiry into Fracture Liaison Service provision

The Royal Osteoporosis Society provides the secretariat to the recently established All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Osteoporosis and Bone Health. The APPG was launched in March 2021 and its first act was to open an inquiry into the postcode lottery for access to Fracture Liaison Services (FLS).

The inquiry is currently well underway. Written evidence submissions were invited throughout June, and two successful oral evidence sessions took place in July.…

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Home Games for people with MSK conditions

Home Games launched to promote physical activity for people with MSK conditions

The We Are Undefeatable campaign has launched the Home Games – a virtual event and training schedule modelled on a decathlon – for people living with long-term health conditions to take part in each week.

Led by Paralympians Dame Sarah Storey and Lauren Rowles MBE, two teams were taken through 10 weeks of training, culminating in a fun head-to-head competition where participants could see how far they had come.…

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iO – Choose Osteopathy

Do you know people who are interested in pursuing a career in osteopathy? The Institute of Osteopathy provides the opportunity to discuss available study options with leading osteopathic educational institutions.

Have you been thinking about pursuing a career in healthcare? 

Are you interested in people and how the body works? 

Are you passionate about improving people’s overall health and wellness? 

If so, then a career in osteopathy could be for you!

Find out all there is to know about becoming an osteopath on the iO’s Choose Osteopathy page.

HMSA support groups for August

As you know, the pandemic restrictions have been lifted, but as far as the HMSA group meetings are concerned, HMSA is not ready to risk physical groups as yet, so all local HMSA meetings will still be virtually for a while longer. Given the virtual meetings have given so many more people access to this type of support, even when physical meetings do re-start, they will be combined with virtual meetings, so everyone gets a chance to attend.

The dates for the support groups for August are listed below.…

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NASS launches campaign to achieve Gold Standard Time to Diagnosis for Axial SpA

On 22 June 2021, the National Axial Spondyloarthritis Society (NASS) launched the Act on Axial SpA campaign.

It currently takes an average of 8.5 years to diagnose axial SpA. This is too long, and NASS aims to drive this down this down by introducing the world’s first Gold Standard Time to Diagnosis of just one year.

Axial spondyloarthritis is an inflammatory disease of the spine and joints. Inflammation where muscles attach to the bones, causes extreme pain. If left untreated, it can permanently fuse bones together.…

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BOA Annual Congress 2021 general registration now open

The BOA Annual Congress will take place 21-24 September 2021. The Congress programme will be created around the theme of ‘Tackling Infection’, with four days of lectures including three days of exhibition being held for the first time at P&J Live, The Event Complex Aberdeen (TECA).

General registration closes on 5 September 2021 so make sure to book by then to get the best rates, after that a late registration fee will apply. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, there will no on-site registration this year.…

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Petition hand-in for joint replacement surgery across all UK governments

Over the last year Versus Arthritis has been running a petition to promote the campaign for urgent government action to bring down waiting times and ensure people waiting for joint replacement surgery get the support they need. 46,000 people have now signed the petition.

On Wednesday 21 July, the Impossible to Ignore petition was submitted to all UK Governments. Versus Arthritis went to the Department of Health and Social Care in Westminster, and delivered it virtually to governments in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.…

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