Category: Patients

Making Connections with NASS Voices

In 2018 NASS held two community engagement conferences called NASS Voices, in Scotland and Northern Ireland, aiming to bring together people with axial SpA (AS), their families and friends, local rheumatologists, nurses, physiotherapists and others interested in the condition. The team wanted people to come with questions and leave with answers.

Feedback indicated that these events truly delivered on their promise, so NASS is excited to be running four more events in 2019.

Cardiff: Saturday 13 April 2019
Southampton: Saturday 11 May 2019
Leeds: Saturday 7 September 2019
London: Saturday 16 November 2019

These events will feature practical talks and activities delivered by rheumatologists, physiotherapists, branch representatives and members of the NASS team.…

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How to integrate mental and physical healthcare for long term musculoskeletal conditions

Friday 29 March 2019, 3:00pm

The importance of integrating psychosocial care into the treatment of long term musculoskeletal conditions is well established. What would this look like in practice? Using the example of the 3 Dimensions for Long Term Conditions service at King’s Health Partners this webinar will cover why and how to provide and effective integrated service which benefits patients and works for clinicians. The 3 dimensions service is not an MSK service, but the approach would work equally well in supporting people with MSK conditions.…

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Guest blog: How your local pharmacy can help

by Leyla Hannbeck, Director of Pharmacy at NPA

People living with musculoskeletal conditions are often taking several prescribed and over-the-counter medicines, so come into frequent contact with their local pharmacist. For example, someone with arthritis may be taking Co-Codamol for pain relief, patches for heat therapy and amitriptyline for depression. (ARMA’s policy paper on mental health is a cogent reminder about the complex interplay of mental and physical conditions).

But even frequent visitors to pharmacies may not be aware of the full range of NHS services available there.…

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Stigma and pain – new survey

Pain Alliance Europe launched a new survey on stigma and chronic pain. One of the main “fights” PAE is leading is for the pain patient to be heard, believed and understood. The most recent survey developed deals with stigma related to chronic pain and will be open until the 1st of March, 2019.

Besides the many physical challenges that chronic pain inflicts, patients deal with the psychological burden of having a condition they do not deliberately choose to have.

To understand better to which extent stigma is a part of the illness pack in the life of a chronic pain patient, Pain Alliance Europe has directed its questions for 2019’s survey about chronic pain to the way patients perceive and are affected by the subjectivity of other categories from society that they come in contact with during their pain journey.…

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Good design for arthritis – Room to Manoeuvre

Good design touches our lives every day. From the cars we drive to the beds we sleep in, the equipment and products that we use have been constructed to make our lives easier. But often the design decisions fail to take into account those with physical limitations.

Versus Arthritis is concerned that people with arthritis are missing out because designers have not thought about the challenges they face.

As part of the Room to Manoeuvre campaign, VA want more people to understand the impact of arthritis, and to work together to create solutions so that the equipment and spaces people with arthritis use are more effective.…

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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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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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New arthritis survey: the Impact on Daily Life

Arthritis Action has released the findings from a nation-wide questionnaire-based study looking into the life impacts of arthritis on people of working age in Great Britain. The research, carried out by YouGov, surveyed 2074 people to reveal the effects that the condition can have on personal well-being, life satisfaction, and mental health.

It highlights the true impact of arthritis on the millions of people living with it every day, affecting all aspects of their lives, from their mental health to their family life, work, social activities, and physical health.…

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Back to school – Educators Guide to the Hypermobile Student

September always kicks off with a huge surge in requests to the Hypermobility Syndromes Association for assistance with children struggling with school. The HMSA produces a booklet called ‘The Educators Guide to the Hypermobile Student‘. This booklet, beneficial for parents and those in education, can help explain the impact of these conditions on the individual in an educational setting. The guide is available from the website shop, hypermobilityshop.org, and is currently at a reduced price.

Students going into secondary school often start having problems because of the environmental change.…

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BASK Revision Knee Replacement Priority Setting Partnership

Help us guide future research about problematic knee replacements

The British Association for Surgery of the Knee (BASK) is running a Priority Setting Partnership (PSP) in partnership with the James Lind Alliance (JLA). The aim of this process is to bring patients and carers together with a range of healthcare professionals. We want all groups to highlight uncertainties relating to the assessment, management and rehabilitation of ‘patients with a problematic knee replacement’. We will thereby identify future research questions and ultimately publish a list of ‘top 10 research priorities’.…

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