Category: Treatments & Therapies

Musculoskeletal, falls, fractures & frailty: showcasing projects from the AHSN Network

A new guide has been published to showcase the extensive range of programmes being delivered by the AHSN Network to improve clinical services in the areas of musculoskeletal (MSK), falls, fractures and frailty, all key priorities for the NHS.

Collectively, MSK, falls, fractures and frailty have a major detrimental impact on patients, families and carers, and are a major cost to the NHS.

With a growing and ageing population, health and social care services need to be proactive in their response to this challenge.…

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Yoga for Healthy Lower Backs – A back-care toolkit

Guest blog by Alison Trewhela, Director of the Yoga for Healthy Lower Backs Institute

Evidence-based exercise for people restricted by back pain, fearful of movement, in considerable pain, or with other illnesses and injuries, ‘Yoga for Healthy Lower Backs’ (YHLB) is a gentle 12-week mind-body exercise programme offering a potentially life-long solution.

Public Health England has recently included YHLB as one of seven evidence-based MSK options in their PHE MSK ROI Return on Investment Interventions report and online tool.…

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Portsmouth Flare Rollercoaster workshop

Flare Roller Coaster for People Living with Arthritis and Connective Tissue Diseases

The Next Rheumatology Flare Roller Coaster workshop will be held on Saturday 3rd February 2018, from 09:30 -13:00.
Venue: Fracture Clinic – C Level, Queen Alexandra Hospital, Cosham PO6 3LY

Places are limited so please register early.

To book your place or receive more information, email: [email protected] or telephone 02392286935

For frequently asked questions about our Flare Rollercoaster workshop, please see our leaflet [PDF].

If you have arthritis or a connective tissue disease, the festive period can be tough.…

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Portsmouth Department of Rheumatology dancing class

Fourteen patients and their partners and staff from the Department of Rheumatology are about to complete their 6-week ballroom class. Over the weeks they will have taken an additional 12,000 steps and exercised for around extra 5.5 hours.

Claire Jeffries, Rheumatology Specialist, Physiotherapist and Hydrotherapy Manager, points out that there are many health benefits of dancing: “it’s great for people of all ages, shapes and sizes”.

Dancing offers a wide range of physical and mental benefits:

  • improved condition of your heart and lungs
  • increased muscular tone, strength, endurance and motor fitness
  • increased aerobic fitness
  • weight management
  • stronger bones and reduced risk of osteoporosis
  • better coordination, balance, agility and flexibility
  • increased physical confidence
  • improved mental functioning and psychological wellbeing
  • greater self-confidence and self-esteem

The Department of Rheumatology would encourage people living with Arthritis and connective tissue diseases to consider dance as a form of activity.…

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Spark innovation for the everyday challenges of arthritis

Recently, Arthritis Research UK has launched another round of Spark funding in collaboration with the Design Council. The Spark programme provides funding and support to UK-based innovators to develop products that will help tackle the everyday challenges that people with arthritis face, so improving their quality of life.

This exciting initiative aims to support the development of assistive products that help people living with arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions to live well, to help people be independent and to be in control of their lives as much as possible.…

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Exercise venue preferences for ESCAPE-pain: We want your views

ESCAPE-pain is a 6 week rehabilitation programme for individuals with knee and hip osteoarthritis which aims to educate participants on their condition, self-management and coping strategies as well as exercise. The Health Innovation Network, the Academic Health Science Network, has been working hard for the past 3+ years to spread the adoption of ESCAPE-pain across the U.K, and recently, has been awarded a grant by Sport England as part of their ‘Active Ageing’ project to target inactive adults in particular and increase access to the programme.…

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The BOA’s Four New Commissioning Guides

The British Orthopaedic Association (BOA) is pleased to announce the recent publication of four revised commissioning guides with the Royal College of Surgeons of England. These NICE-accredited guides set out best practice care pathways to assist CCGs in designing optimal care for their populations. We are extremely grateful to all those involved in the rigorous development and accreditation processes. The guides, which can be found here, are:

  • Pain Arising from the Hip in Adults
  • Painful Deformed Great Toe in Adults
  • Painful Osteoarthritis of the Knee
  • Treatment of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Following the recent BOA and ARMA position statements on the rationing of elective orthopaedic services, we are urging stakeholders to consider these guides and to promote their adoption wherever appropriate with local CCGs.…

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A Guide to Rheumatology: Parliamentary briefing

In late September, BSR are releasing ‘A Guide to Rheumatology: Parliamentary briefing,’ which seeks to address the challenges and opportunities faced by the rheumatology multidisciplinary team and identify ways to improve the treatment and care received by individuals with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases. It highlights the significant difficulties experienced by rheumatology services and the patients they serve: 

  • Waiting times: 38% of patients in England with suspected rheumatoid arthritis were assessed within three weeks of referral.
  • Diagnostic delay: Only 18% of patients in England were referred to rheumatology within the NICE recommended three days of presentation to their GP.
…

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ARMA Policy Position Paper on Joint Replacement Surgery

In early August, ARMA has published a Policy Position Paper titled:

‘Rationing’ Access to Joint Replacement Surgery and Impact on People with Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Conditions [document opens in pdf]

It deals with the damaging nature of thresholds and scoring tools, the problems of waiting times and restricted access to surgery, and how patients with musculoskeletal conditions are affected.

The Alliance is drawing attention to worrying trends in treatment access and the paper makes clear the key outcomes we are seeking from CCGs and the NHS.

A new addition to the LUPUS UK range of publications

In July LUPUS UK released the newest edition in their range of publications, ‘LUPUS: Bone Health & Osteoporosis’.

The factsheet was kindly written by Dr David Armstrong (Consultant Rheumatologist, Altnagelvin Hospital, Londonderry).

This factsheet can be downloaded from the LUPUS UK website at www.lupusuk.org.uk/publications/ and physical copies are available from the National Office in Romford.