MSK & Arthritis News

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.…

Read more of this article

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.…

Read more of this article

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.…

Read more of this article

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.…

Read more of this article

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.…

Read more of this article

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.…

Read more of this article

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.…

Read more of this article