Keele research informs first UK guideline for inflammatory arthritis pain management
Research led by Keele University and Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (MPFT) and funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) has played a crucial role in a new national guideline for helping people with inflammatory arthritis.
Developed by the British Society for Rheumatology (BSR), it is the first UK guideline dedicated to managing pain in people with inflammatory arthritis, and was developed by a range of healthcare professionals including doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, psychologists, and pharmacists, as well as people with lived experience of inflammatory arthritis.
It provides advice on how pain can be best assessed and treated in adults, children, and young people with inflammatory arthritis, based on the best available research.
Inflammatory arthritis, which affects over 1% of adults and 4 in 10,000 children and young people in the UK, refers to conditions causing joint inflammation. The commonest types are rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, axial spondyloarthritis, and juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Many people with inflammatory arthritis suffer from daily pain, which has a great impact on their lives.
By bringing together the latest evidence and expert consensus, the guideline supports a holistic, person-centred approach to managing pain in people with inflammatory arthritis. The contributions from Keele University and MPFT highlight the strength of collaboration between researchers and clinicians in improving patient care and outcomes.
The group that developed the guideline was co-led by Dr Ian Scott, Reader in Rheumatology at Keele University and Honorary Consultant Rheumatologist at MPFT, whose research has helped inform the need for the Guideline alongside its recommendations.
Dr Scott said: “Pain is so common in people with inflammatory arthritis. It has many different causes and effects, so working out what is causing pain and how best to treat it in different people can be challenging. I am delighted that we now have a UK guideline that is dedicated to helping patients and clinicians do this.”
Colleagues from across Keele University's School of Medicine and MPFT were heavily involved in the development of the Guideline, with Tilli Smith and Dr Opeyemi Babatunde playing a key role in conducting the literature review underpinning the guideline. Both are authors on the guideline, alongside other Keele and MPFT colleagues including Assie O'Connor (a pharmacist) and Professor Christian Mallen (a GP).
