Bone and Joint Week 2018
#BoneJointWeek
12-20 October 2018
Musculoskeletal conditions: the elephant in the room?
Conditions of the bones, joints and muscles are a big problem in the UK; with over 17 million people living with a musculoskeletal condition, more people suffer with disability from musculoskeletal conditions than anything else.
Good health of bones, joints and muscles underpins living life well. Musculoskeletal conditions affect nearly everyone at some point in their life. They can cause pain, fatigue, restricted mobility and activities of daily living. They impact people’s lives, their work and even people’s other health conditions. Conditions of the bones, joints and muscles represent a significant cost to the individual, the economy and health and social care.
Acknowledging the problem
Everyone knows conditions like arthritis and back pain are common. But they are often misunderstood and ignored, like the figurative elephant in the room. The solution begins in acknowledging the problem. That’s why we need to shift our mindset and start planning and acting nationally, locally and individually for healthy bones, joints and muscles throughout life.
Large rewards
If we’re brave enough to tackle this big and growing problem, to champion lifelong good musculoskeletal health, there are large rewards, helping people to live well, saving money in the NHS and UK economy.
That’s why charities, professional bodies and research organisations in the musculoskeletal community have joined forces over Bone and Joint Week 2018.
Find out more about this campaign on Twitter @WeareARMA #BoneJointWeek and take a look at the campaigns our members are undertaking.
Arthritis Action has launched a new report on 12 October 2018, in collaboration with YouGov, examining the life impacts of arthritis on people of working age in Great Britain. The report explores the effects the condition can have on personal well-being, life satisfaction and mental health. Read the full report here: www.arthritisaction.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Arthritis-Action-report-2018.pdf
Chartered Society of Physiotherapy: Evidence shows that being physically active has enormous benefits for your physical and mental health. But many people find it hard to do as much as they would like. This can be for any number of reasons, including pain, fear, fatigue, a lack of time or motivation. The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy have a campaign during Bone and Joint Week ‘Love activity, Hate exercise?’ The campaign helps people overcome these barriers through expert advice and guidance. It features practical tips for getting started, useful condition-specific insights and inspiring stories from other people in your boat. To find out more, follow this link: www.csp.org.uk/love-activity-hate-exercise-campaign
Lupus UK: during Bone and Joint Week and throughout October, Lupus UK is running Lupus Awareness Month. It is an important opportunity to raise awareness of the disease amongst the public and medical profession as well as improving the understanding of the impact that lupus can have. Find out more at www.lupusuk.org.uk/lupus-awareness-month
NASS: during Bone and Joint Week NASS is running “Back Pain Plus” – an awareness campaign aimed at ophthalmologists, dermatologists and gastroenterologists, aiming to help reduce the current 8.5 year delay in diagnosis for people with axial spondyloarthritis including ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Learn more at nass.co.uk/nass/en/get-involved/campaigning/back-pain-plus
Versus Arthritis: During Bone and Joint Week Versus Arthritis are urging people to share their Room to Manoeuvre report with their MP. Aids and adaptations in the home can help people with arthritis maintain their independence, but Versus Arthritis research has uncovered that people with arthritis often don’t receive the support they are entitled to. They found out that many people don’t know that aids and adaptations exist, let alone that they could be funded by their local authority. More information is available on their website.
Bone and Joint Week
12-20 October 2018
During this annually occurring event there are dedicated days to highlight major rheumatic and musculoskeletal conditions.
12 October: World Arthritis Day
16 October: World Spine Day
19 October: World Paediatric
Bone & Joint Day
20 October: World Osteoporosis Day
Bone and Joint Week 2018 is part of an international campaign to improve musculoskeletal health. Learn more about ARMA’s international network.
