Author: Garreth

MSK Services Survey

ARMA wants to find out what is happening across England’s MSK services so we can learn how best target to our support for improvements.

This MSK Services survey gathers information on the quality of local services, programmes and improvements related to primary care, orthopaedics, rheumatology, pain management, community MSK, and public health. This is part of our Clinical Networks Project, a partnership between ARMA and NHS England.

Our report will be anonymised; no names of individuals, CCGs or STPs will be released.…

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A new chiropractic course based in Teesside University

Teesside University and the Society for Promoting Chiropractic Education (SPCE) are delighted to announce the start of a new chiropractic course. Subject to regulatory clearances, the course will begin in Autumn 2019.

This is a major development as it is the first chiropractic course in the North East of the country and will continue to enhance and increase the opportunities for the profession, not just locally but also nationally.

Teesside University has world-class training and research facilities for musculoskeletal (MSK) healthcare, especially in physiotherapy and sports science.…

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Deadline fast approaching for EULAR Edgar Stene Prize Competition 2019

There are only a few days left to apply for the prestigious EULAR Edgar Stene Prize Competition 2019. People with rheumatic and musculoskeletal disorders are invited to write about their personal experiences submitting essays on the topic of:

“My ideal employer – Work without barriers for people with RMDs”

Please find more information in these documents:

Please take a careful look at the deadlines and entry rules mentioned in the respective documents.…

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MSK Champions Versus Arthritis

Versus Arthritis is delighted to announce that they will shortly be open for applications for the second round of the MSK Champions programme; a prestigious leadership development opportunity. 

Together with international business school Ashridge Executive Education, Versus Arthritis has created a bespoke leadership initiative, which will support you to become a Champion of musculoskeletal care. You’ll join a galvanized community of role models and ambassadors who advocate change and work together to improve musculoskeletal care.

Are you passionate about leading change in MSK care?…

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Annual Lecture 2018

More people, more active, more often: three perspectives on physical activity and musculoskeletal health

21 November 2018

Introduced by Sue Brown ARMA CEO and Liam O’Toole, CEO, Versus Arthritis, who partnered with ARMA for the flagship lecture, the three presenters delivered speeches that did not disappoint the rapt audience of health professionals, commissioners, patients, public and NHS health officials and, of course, parkrunners. The discussion about how to overcome the barriers to activity faced by people with musculoskeletal conditions ranged from big-picture societal issues to practical hows-to.…

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CSP: It’s never too late to get stronger

The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy has released a short Christmas film called Never Too Late as part of their “Love Activity” campaign.

The film is a heart-warmer about a physio who helps a lonely widower regain his strength and sense of purpose so that he can return to his role playing Father Christmas at the local children’s ward. Alongside the video, a webpage includes six exercises that can help people stay strong and independent this winter.

The short film is available via the CSP webpage or on social media.

Alliance releases Musculoskeletal Conditions and Mental Health Policy Position Paper

In England alone, approximately 4.6 million people have had both a long-term physical health condition and mental health problems. People with long-term physical health conditions are two to three times more likely to experience mental health problems. For the working age population in the UK, musculoskeletal and mental health conditions are the most common health conditions. 35.2% of all working aged disabled people in the UK experience musculoskeletal conditions only; 20.2% experience mental health conditions only; and 17.2% experience both.

In policy directives and in practice, these conditions are often dealt with separately, although we are beginning to see some change now.…

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Guest blog: What is Moving Medicine?

by Dr Hamish Reid, Consultant in Sport and Exercise Medicine, Moving Medicine design and development lead

Moving Medicine is an exciting new initiative by the Faculty of Sport and Exercise Medicine in partnership with Public Health England and Sport England. It is dedicated to spreading best practice, research and advice to clinicians and patients to create a healthier, happier and more active nation. On the 16th October 2018 the initiative was formally launched by the Honourable Matt Hancock, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, headlining the flagship set of resources to support high quality conversations on physical activity across a broad range of chronic diseases including musculoskeletal pain.…

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No health without MSK health

Prevention is in the news this week as Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock announced that prevention must be at the heart of the NHS long-term plan, with more spending on community services.

This is welcome news and something ARMA and our members have long called for.

The new prevention vision aims to ensure that people can enjoy at least five extra healthy, independent years of life by 2035, while narrowing the gap between the experience of the richest and poorest.…

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HMSA at COP2018

HMSA Trustee and HSD Ambassador, Hannah Ensor will be a speaker at the COP2018 conference on the 24 November, raising awareness and understanding of hypermobility syndromes, focusing mainly on hEDS and HSD, but also touching on complications associated with other HDCTs too.

Hypermobility (having joints that are more flexible than average) is often thought to be a childhood problem that people grow out of. In reality the evidence shows that while approximately 30% of children with EDS/HMS reported pain, over 80% of patients over 40 with EDS/HMS report pain – indicating that it is an issue which often causes more problems over time rather than less.…

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