Patients | ARMA

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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Love Activity, Hate Exercise? from the CSP

The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy launches a summer campaign which aims to tackle the growing issue of physical inactivity across the UK.

‘Love Activity, Hate Exercise?’ addresses the emotional as well as physical barriers millions of people with long-term conditions face in being more physically active.

The campaign is aimed at people aged 40-70 years old that are living with conditions such as arthritis, diabetes and heart disease, after research from the CSP found that more than 30% are completely inactive each week.…

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Petition for access to specialist lupus care

The Pembrokeshire Lupus Support Group and LUPUS UK are petitioning the Secretary of State for Health at the Welsh Assembly Government to remove the ‘gate keeper principle’ from their healthcare provision.

Patients with lupus and other rare autoimmune illnesses in Wales are being denied the right to access expertise that could really benefit them in the long term.

You can see more about the problem, read the petition and sign it here.