Author: Garreth

ARMA welcomes the Psoriasis Association

ARMA is happy to extend a warm welcome to the Psoriasis Association, our newest member.

The Psoriasis Association offers information and support in a variety of ways to people whose lives are affected by psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis; patients, relatives, friends, healthcare professionals and the general public.

Founded in 1968, the Psoriasis Association has always recognised and promoted the value of multi-disciplinary teams when treating both psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. They regularly contribute to appraisals and guidelines for NICE and the SMC.…

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Osteopaths now open for general practice in UK

The Institute of Osteopathy can confirm that osteopaths operating in all areas of the UK can now open to general practice following the implementation of the relevant adaptations required to manage the risk of infection of COVID-19.

We know that following an extended period of lockdown by the general public, many people are experiencing issues with their MSK health, which can also have consequences for other areas of their health and well-being. The iO has issued an information video for the public so that they can be confident of the steps that will have been taken to put their safety first while accessing osteopathic care.…

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NRAS elects new Chair

Simon Collins

NRAS is delighted to announce Simon Collins as the newly elected Chair of the Board of Trustees and would like to thank Gordon Taylor for four years as chair. The Society is pleased that Gordon will continue to serve as an NRAS Trustee.

Four newly elected Trustees have also joined the established board and they are Ellie Potter, Rich Flowerdew, Simone Webb and Lindsey Cook.…

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Good Boost and NRAS

NRAS has been working with the social enterprise Good Boost, who champion the phrase “Move More, Have Fun, Feel Better.” Their mission is to create more affordable and accessible options for MSK community health services, and they use technology at the forefront for change.

With growing numbers of physiotherapy and joint surgery appointments postponed due to Covid-19, their team of physiotherapists, osteopaths, MSK researchers, software engineers and AI specialists recognised the need for solutions providing personalised support at home.…

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What questions would you like to see answered by psoriatic arthritis research?

The British Psoriatic Arthritis Consortium is working with the James Lind Alliance to run a priority setting partnership (PSP). The aim is to create a national top-10 list of research priorities for psoriatic arthritis. They want ideas and thoughts from people with different experiences and backgrounds: those with psoriatic arthritis, their families, carers and clinicians.

The survey has now been open for two months and 228 surveys have been completed. You can read information on who has completed the survey so far in the survey’s update document.…

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Changes to shielding guidance

The shielding guidance has changed so that from 1 June 2020 people who are shielding are advised that they may go outside once per day following strict social distancing. No other aspect of the guidance has changed, so people are still advised that they should remain 2 metres away from other members of their household, minimise the time spent in shared spaces, etc. Some people with MSK conditions are shielding, either because of the combination of medication they are taking or because they have other conditions that make them extremely vulnerable.…

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Stay alert to stay safe

PHE has updated their public messaging to convey the latest advice from the Government regarding coronavirus. The new posters display the key messages for the ‘Stay Alert’ phase, containing official guidance relating to social distancing in specific settings:

  • At home
  • Travelling to work
  • At work
  • Whilst exercising
  • Whilst shopping
  • In transport hubs (in train stations, underground stations etc.)

Other messaging includes:

  • Detailed handwashing guidance
  • Hand hygiene
  • ‘R’ rate

Here are the latest posters and imagery designed for dissemination on Social media.…

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Every Mind Matters: sleep struggles during lockdown

New campaign to help those with sleep struggles during lockdown

Mental Health Awareness Week took place from 18-24 May 2020. To mark the event, Public Health England launched new advice on its ‘Every Mind Matters’ platform to help people improve their sleep. It comes as new data from Public Health England shows that more than four in 10 (41%) 1 Brits are experiencing more sleep problems than usual, with over half of 16-29-year olds (52%) 2 the most likely to be affected.…

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Challenges and collaboration – progress for MSK in 2020

Alongside the pain and misery of the Covid-19 pandemic there have also been some beneficial side effects – quiet streets and skies, birdsong, less pollution. This is also true in the world of MSK. ARMA has been a champion for the NHS Change Challenge, a project to identify the new and innovative ways of working that have been rapidly developed across the NHS and to ensure beneficial changes are captured and locked in. I think it is no accident that NHS Improvement chose to pilot this in MSK.…

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