Looking differently at leisure places as spaces for chronic pain management
by Ben Wilkins, CEO, Good Boost
15.5 million people in England live with chronic pain. Approximately 5.5 million (12% of the population) have high-impact chronic pain, where pain makes it an on-going challenge to take part in daily activities (Versus Arthritis, 2021). The main contributing factor for 8-in-10 people living with chronic pain are musculoskeletal conditions, such as osteoarthritis, back and neck pain. For people living with this, it’s not just a ‘ache in your back’ or a ‘twinge in your knee’, it’s an unrelenting and all-consuming part of everyday life.…
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Registration is now open for the second sitting of FSEM’s Diploma in Musculoskeletal Medicine exam, aimed at doctors and allied health professionals looking to evidence their competency across the breadth of MSK care.
As Plan B ends in England and the other nations in the UK remove different aspects of COVID protections, the news is all of learning to live with the virus and getting back to normal. For very many people with MSK conditions this is not the experience. Whether it is people facing long waits for treatment or people taking medication that puts them at increased risk, living with the virus and its consequences is harder for some.
In her most recent blog about the changes in the healthcare landscape caused by the pandemic, our National Patient Champion, Ailsa Bosworth MBE reflects on how these changes will impact on the care of people with RA and Adult JIA. She considers how it has become even more important for those with these autoimmune conditions to be able to learn about their disease and acquire skills and coping strategies to enable better supported self-management, and Ailsa explains how NRAS can help with this.… 
The Royal Society of Medicine have a number of upcoming events. All events have an online option.
The British Society of Rheumatology recently published its 
The National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society (NRAS) is looking for new colleagues to join their team. There are some great opportunities to join the charity as they embark on their ambitious next three-year strategy.
Important news for South Asian people with RA/PsA! NRAS has launched two new videos in Punjabi on the early inflammatory arthritis pathway which feature GP patient consultation and members of the multi-disciplinary team describing their roles. Please share widely.
Enabling Self-management and Coping with Arthritic Pain using Exercise (ESCAPE-pain): facilitator training courses 
Last week saw ARMA welcome new member, Orthopaedic Research UK (ORUK), to the alliance.