The launch of the National Strategic Action Plan for Arthritis this week outlines a clear pathway to implement affordable, timely access to services - including properly funded physiotherapy treatment - to support the four million Australians who live with arthritis, the leading cause of chronic pain in Australia.

At present, there are more than 2.2 million Australians living osteoarthritis (OA), a joint disease which causes chronic pain, and rates continue to soar.

Allied health professionals certified with limited registration from their professional body are eligible to provide complex pain management services in residential aged care, the Department of Health has ruled.

The Australian Physiotherapy Association has called on the Government to protect the term ‘physio’, in the same way ‘Physiotherapist’ and ‘Physiotherapy’ are already protected, ensuring that  practitioners using these titles are qualified and registered.

The National Osteoarthritis (OA) Strategy was unveiled at the OA Summit in Canberra today, with the aim of combatting the soaring rates of OA in Australia and providing cost effective, evidence-based solutions for the more than 2.2 million Australians living with the debilitating condition.

A leading osteoarthritis expert says too often patients receive fragmented and inappropriate care to manage their damaged joints. Professor David Hunter is leading a national strategy to significantly improve the way patients with osteoarthritis are managed. 

DURING last month's World Arthritis Day, the Australian Physiotherapy Association called for increased treatment access for sufferers. Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common chronic joint disease, and one of the leading causes of pain and disability in Australia.

The Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) recently made a submission to the Federal Government in response to its call for consultation on a range of health reform issues that will affect changes to the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law Act. The APA called on the government to protect the term ‘physio’ to reassure the public that practitioners using this term are fully qualified, registered physiotherapists using evidence-informed treatments. 

A new educational topic on low back pain from NPS MedicineWise could reframe the role of imaging in diagnosing non-specific low back pain, providing practice tips on how to manage consumer beliefs and expectations.

Osteoarthritis, or OA, is the most common form of arthritis, affecting more than 2.1 million Australians.