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Listen to people's real-life experiences of living with arthritis

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Listen to people's real-life experiences of living with arthritis

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Make collections of pages and videos that interest you.

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Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Alliance

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ARMA welcomes Government roadmap for work and health, but emphasises need for rapid progress

The Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Alliance welcomed the announcement today of Improving Lives: the future of work, health and disability , but emphasises the need for fast progress for people with musculoskeletal conditions. Improving Lives sets out plans to transform employment prospects for disabled people and those with long term health conditions over the next 10 years.

Conditions of the bones, joints muscles - musculoskeletal conditions - are the leading cause of people's inability to work and disability in the UK. Less than two-thirds of working age people with a musculoskeletal condition are in work.

Sue Brown, chief executive of ARMA said, "I very much welcome the Government's firm recognition of the need to address musculoskeletal conditions and work. We look forward to working closely with Government to ensure the details are right, but it's vital that there is rapid progress if we are to curb the growing impact of musculoskeletal conditions on people's working lives.

"The specific proposals in the document for a Challenge Fund need to ensure that musculoskeletal conditions are a high priority in their activity."

Watch recordings of past webinars from the MSK series.

Self-care workforce skills

Joint Pain Advisor Webinar

Getting It Right First Time Masterclass

Clinical Networks: Transforming MSK Care

Physiotherapy in Primary Care

The Musculoskeletal Health Questionnaire

New models of MSK Masterclass

Work & Health MSK Webinar

The MSK Webinar Series
Recent event:

Sport, Exercise and Musculoskeletal Training and Delivery in the NHS
Webinar recording available now
The Faculty of Sport, Exercise and Musculoskeletal Medicine presents
the scope of work of a Sport & Exercise (SEM) Consultant, and an example of how to set up and run a successful NHS Musculoskeletal (MSK) service.

Visit the webinar page.

Public Health England's Active 10

Over 6.3 million adults aged 40 to 60 do not achieve 10 minutes of continuous brisk walking over the course of a month and are missing out on important health benefits. The new One You physical activity campaign is encouraging adults to build 10 minutes continuous brisk walking into their day as a simple way to improve their health, which could save the NHS over £0.9 billion per year.

Read the evidence reviewed by Public Health England and learn about the Active 10 app.

ARMA's Policy Positions

ARMA published two policy position papers in 2016:

Like previous documents, these are the result of input from across our membership and our community, and contain recommendations for policy makers.

Please share widely.

Policy Position Paper on Prevention
of Musculoskeletal Conditions

ARMA highlights a need for transformation so that Care and Public Health systems go beyond merely tackling musculoskeletal conditions when they arise, to promoting good, lifelong musculoskeletal health.

Click here to access the document.

Policy Position Paper on Joint Replacement Surgery

The Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Alliance is extremely concerned about increasing restrictions to access NHS services for joint replacements and the impact on people with musculoskeletal conditions.

Click here to access the document.

Musculoskeletal toolkit launched to help employers support people with musculoskeletal conditions

ARMA worked with Public Health England and Business in the Community to develop a new toolkit for employers in the workplace, which launched at the Health and Wellbeing at Work Conference in the NEC today (7 March 2017). Musculoskeletal conditions are an important consideration for businesses as they are a leading cause of pain and disability in the UK, affecting many employees.

The toolkit draws together information for employers to support staff in the prevention, early identification, management and adaptation for people affected by musculoskeletal conditions. The musculoskeletal toolkit is a simple step-by-step guide dealing with back, neck, muscle and joint pain at work. It will help employers access the best free resources that are available for their organisation and employees.

You can access the toolkit from the Business in the Community website.

World Health Organisation landmark action plan will tackle tidal wave of musculoskeletal conditions

The Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Alliance, an alliance of prominent health charities, professional and research bodies, today [Thursday 15th September 2016] welcomed a ground-breaking World Health Organisation action plan to tackle musculoskeletal conditions in Europe.

The Action Plan was also welcomed internationally by the Global Alliance for Musculoskeletal Health, calling on the European Region to implement the Action Plan and all countries of the world to adopt a similar approach to tackling musculoskeletal conditions.
Sign up to the Global Alliance's e-petition.
Response to Improving Lives: The Work, Health and Disability Green Paper

UK Government consultation

ARMA welcomes the recognition in the Improving Lives: The Work, Health and Disability Paper of the need to address musculoskeletal conditions and work.

Musculoskeletal conditions are among the commonest causes of people's inability to work and, as evidenced in the Global Burden of Disease study (2015), are the single biggest cause of pain and disability in the UK. Less than two-thirds of working age people with musculoskeletal conditions are in work. MSK conditions are the leading cause of sickness absence, resulting in 30.6 million working days lost each year and one in five visits to the GP. They are associated with anxiety and depression. The impact of MSK problems on work is predicted to increase and with people working into older ages, the impact on work will also increase.

We look forward to working with the Joint Work and Health Unit and ARMA members to provide more detailed support from the musculoskeletal community to realise the opportunities that the Green Paper proposes.

Read the full response.

New ARMA Leaflet

ARMA has released an A5 leaflet to support its activity, promoting good musculoskeletal health.

The leaflet features key messages on what is needed to provide the right care for musculoskeletal conditions,
in the right place, at the right time.

ARMA is the alliance providing a collective voice for the arthritis and musculoskeletal community in the UK.
Together, ARMA and its member organisations work to improve quality of life for all those living with musculoskeletal (MSK) disorders in the UK.

We aim to foster co-operation between charities and professional organisations, working to enhance understanding and mutual support between individuals and organisational bodies.

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ARMA - Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Alliance

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The Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Alliance welcomed the announcement today of Improving Lives: the future of work, health and disability , but emphasises the need for fast progress for people with musculoskeletal conditions. Improving Lives sets out plans to transform employment prospects for disabled people and those with long term health conditions over the next 10 years.

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aimed at patients but very useful overviews

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We're Versus Arthritis. We won't rest until everyone with arthritis has access to the treatments and support they need to live the life they choose with real hope of a cure in the future.

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Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases: 77 (2)

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First published in 1974, The Journal of Rheumatology is a monthly international serial edited by Earl D. Silverman. With the support of our esteemed Editorial Committee and Editorial Board, The Journal features peer-reviewed research articles on clinical subjects from scientists working in rheumatology and related fields, as well as proceedings of meetings as supplements to regular issues.

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Arthritis Care & Research - All Issues - Wiley Online Library

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Please note this American website this is aimed at patients rather than healthcare professionals

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Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is the most common autoimmune type of arthritis. In RA, your body's immune system begins to react against its own tissues, causing significant inflammation in your joints and various other organs. This can cause joint pain, stiffness, swelling and decreased flexibility of the joints. RA often strikes small joints in your wrists, hands and feet but can also affect larger joints and other organs such as the eyes and lungs. About 75% of RA patients are women. Symptoms usually start between ages 30 and 50 but can happen to people at any age. RA is a chronic condition and there is no cure currently however there are many ways to treat and manage symptoms. Early diagnosis and the right treatments can ease symptoms and prevent joint damage or disability.

What Are the Signs/Symptoms?

Stiffness in your joints in the morning is a clue that you may have RA, as this is not common in other conditions. It may last one to two hours (or even the whole day) but generally improves with movement of the joints. Swelling and pain in the small joints of the hands and feet which have lasted for greater than 6 weeks can also be a sign of a persistent inflammatory disease. Diagnosing RA requires a physical exam, blood tests and scans like X-ray, MRI, or ultrasound. Once diagnosed, treatments for RA aim to lower inflammation, ease symptoms like pain or swelling, and prevent long-term joint damage.

What Are Common Treatments?

A disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD) is usually the first treatment usually prescribed for RA. Common DMARDs include methotrexate, leflunomide, hydroxychloroquine, and sulfasalazine. If DMARDs alone don't control RA inflammation, a rheumatologist may prescribe a biologic drug such as abatacept, adalimumab, etanercept, tocilizumab, or medications such as tofacitinib or upadacitinib. No single treatment works for all patients, and many people may change their treatment at least once during their lifetime. A rheumatologist will help find a treatment plan that is best for you.

Living with RA

Regular follow up with your rheumatologist is key to proper disease control and reduced risk of joint damage. Take all medications as prescribed, and notify your doctor if drugs cause any side effects or problems. Do low-impact aerobic exercises, such as walking, and exercises to boost muscle strength. Smoking cessation is also highly important if you're a smoker since there is a known association of tobacco use and rheumatoid arthritis. Certain supplements such as omega-3 have also been shown to improve pain in patients with RA.
Updated February 2023 by Bhakti Shah, MD, and reviewed by the American College of Rheumatology Committee on Communications and Marketing. This page is updated biannualy. This information is provided for general education only. Individuals should consult a qualified health care provider for professional medical advice, diagnosis and treatment of a medical or health condition.

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Information for patients and caregivers on rheumatoid arthritis (RA): what it is, causes, getting diagnosed, treatment options, and tips for living with RA.

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Jack March introduction to Rheumatology video.

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The Student / New Grad RheumRoom - Session 1

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Rheumatology Clinical Scenarios Ebook by Jack March