1. Exercise for people living with arthritis
Date
Your name and post nominals
Professional title
Your practice name
“Hello everybody, thank you for coming along today. My name is xxxxxxxx and I have been invited here today to talk to you about the importance of physical activity to those living with the symptoms of arthritis. Has anyone here been told that they have arthritis (hands up)?”
Introduce yourself, including:
- Your name
That you are a practicing osteopath / how long you have been in practice
The name of your practice and where it is located / a bit about other therapists working at the practice or specialist interests / your current working patterns / what you love about being an osteopath (keep it short – 1 min max)

2. What is osteopathic practice?
Osteopathic practice is a safe and effective form of physical therapy that promotes the health of the people we care for through:
Manual therapy
Health advice and promotion
Rehabilitation exercises
There is a focus on the individual needs of the patient.
Ask “does anyone know what osteopathy is?”
“It is recognised by the NHS and well known for effective treatment of musculoskeletal disorders such as back pain, neck pain, joint and muscle pain.
It has an excellent safety record and is suitable for patients of all ages.”
- “Treatment is usually very gentle, involving a combination of mobilisation, manipulation and soft tissue massage to help improve function.”
“As osteopaths are independently regulated primary healthcare professionals, patients don’t need to be referred by their GP.”
‘Manual therapy’ - including joint manipulation, joint articulation and soft tissue techniques such as massage.
‘Health promotion’ – such as the importance of physical activity, weight management and breathing/relaxation techniques.
“Manual therapy, such as the techniques used by osteopaths, is recommended for the treatment of certain types of arthritis by the Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the organisation that makes recommendations to the NHS regarding what interventions should be considered for certain conditions.”

3. Osteopathic practice in the UK
“Osteopath” is a protected title
Regulated by law (Osteopaths Act 1993)
GOsC is the osteopathic Regulator (Similar to GMC for doctors)
- For the first bullet point say “As ‘osteopath’ is a title protected by law, you cannot call yourself an osteopath without having undertaken 4-year degree level training and without being registered with the GOsC.”
“Since 1993, when osteopathic practice underwent statutory regulation, the demand for and popularity of osteopathy has been steadily increasing. Today an estimated 30,000 people consult an osteopath every working day.”
State “I’m registered with the GOsC and a member of the Institute of Osteopathy, the professional body in osteopathy. This means that you can be assured of the highest standards of care for your staff.” Add your GOsC ‘I’m registered’ logo and registration number.

4. Misconceptions about arthritis
Misconception 1: “There is nothing that can be done for arthritis. It is a natural consequence of getting older, it just gets worse and there is nothing you can do to combat it” Misconception 2: “Exercises is bad for arthritis. You should not do exercises if you have arthritis as it will inevitably make the pain worse”
Introduce self:
“So before we start, a little bit about me. I graduated as an osteopath in [DATE] + [Short biography]. In that time I have worked with hundreds of people living with the symptoms of arthritis and what I have found is that there are some common misconceptions when it comes to the management of arthritis and I’d like to address those before we start.
The first is [read misconception 1]. In fact, the research tells us this could not be further from the trues. There is lots you can do to manage the symptoms of arthritis yourself including body weight management (if you are over weight), good nutrition, pacing and exercises amongst others.
The next misconception is [read misconception 2]. Again, the research says that this could not be further from the truth. In fact we know that if you strengthen the muscles in the front of the upper legs (the quadriceps) this has been proven to reduce the pain of knee arthritis in many people.“

5. What are the benefits of exercises?
Ask “So you have probably all hears about the benefits of doing the prescribed amount of exercises each week. What are the benefits? Lets go around the room…”

6. What are the benefits of exercises?
Enjoyment
Improves mood. Combat stress and depression
Improve joint flexibility, ligament strength and muscles tone
Improves heart and lung function
Preserves bone density
Improve balance (reduce risk of falling)
Reduces blood pressure
Reduces cholesterol
Improved blood sugar control
Helps to manage weight
Improves the quality of sleep. Reduce fatigue
Boosts immunity
Talk through the benefits above:
Bullet point 1 - Produces endorphins which make you feel good. If you exercises with a friend there is a social component.
Bullet point 2 - Helps with some of the less talked about psychological symptoms of arthritis including a sense of isolation.
Bullet point 5 - People with arthritis are more likely to develop osteoporosis and weight bearing exercise can help.
Bullet point 10 - If you are over weight and have knee arthritis, loosing weight is one of the best things you can do to reduce the pressure on your knees.

7. How much exercises should I do?
Ask “So we have talked about the benefits of doing the prescribed amount of exercise – so how much exercises should you do?”

8. How much exercises should I do?
At least 150 minutes of moderate activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity per week
Strength exercises on two or more days a week that work all the major muscles (upper limbs, lower limbs and trunk)
Those over 65 years of age or at risk of falls should do exercises to improve balance and co-ordination on at least two days a week.
Read through slide:
Ask “What is the definition of 'moderate activity’?” ANSWER: You should still be able to maintain a conversation without difficulty/you should not be sweating profusely. e.g. walking or cycling.
Ask “What is the definition of 'vigorous activity’?” ANSWER: You should find it difficult to maintain a conversation without pausing for breath/you may be sweating profusely. e.g. running or singles tennis.
‘Those at risk of falls’ - Such as people with weak legs, poor balance and some medical conditions.
Examples of balance exercises include yoga, Tai Chi and dancing.

9. How do I get started?
General aerobic fitness and local muscle strengthening (start small and gradually build up)
Exercise on prescription
Ask an iO member osteopath
State “So how do you get started if you haven’t exercised before?”
Start slow and gradually build up as your confidence and ability improve.
If you need a little more help, most GPs can refer to a scheme called ‘exercises on referral/prescription’. This gives you access to 8 – 10 weeks of sessions with a personal trainer at a local gym at highly subsidised rates (and sometime free) to help you to improve your confidence.
If you would like the expert opinion of a qualified medical professional consider consulting an osteopath.
If you have knee pain, ‘ESCAPE-Pain’ is a researched and evidence based exercises and education class proven to reduce the pain of knee arthritis and improve the person’s ability to do the things they want to.
Arthritis Action is a charity that provides evidence based exercises sheets that you can download free from their website that are written by osteopaths specifically for people living with the symptoms of arthritis. [You might wish to print some of these off and use them as hand-outs at your talk]

10. Get in touch… Your name Your practice name Address Address, poste code
Tel: +44 (0) xxxx xxxx
Practice address
In association with:
“thank you. If you would like any further information, please get in touch.”