MSK Community Webinar Series

Do you have a musculoskeletal condition like arthritis, back pain or fibromyalgia and want to learn more about it?

Our FREE community webinars are a great way for you to hear from experts about these conditions and how to manage them. You’ll get practical, up-to-date information, knowledge and skills to help you manage your condition effectively.

Check out the topics we’ve put together for you in the 2024 series!

Book for MSK’s entire 2024 community webinar series here!

OR register for individual sessions below.

To find and watch our previous webinars please visit here.

Webinar topics

2024

Diagnosis and management of psoriatic arthritis

Psoriatic arthritis can be challenging to recognise due to both the varied ways it can present and overlapping symptoms with other conditions. This difficulty can sometimes lead to a delay in diagnosis and ultimately treatment. This webinar will discuss the key features of psoriatic arthritis, including the main symptoms, tests that can assist diagnosis and effective treatments available.

Presenter: Dr Adam Rischin is a consultant rheumatologist with public hospital appointments at The Alfred and Goulburn Valley Health, and private practice appointments at Malvern Rheumatology, Southern Rheumatology, and Cabrini Hospital in Melbourne.

Watch the recording of this webinar!

Working well with your healthcare provider

Living with a chronic health condition can, at times, feel like your condition is in control. Would you like to find out how to put yourself back in the ‘driver’s seat’ with your condition being a ‘passenger’? This webinar will give you some tips and strategies on how to how to effectively communicate with your healthcare providers; how to plan ahead for your appointments; and advice about being aware of your emotions’ impact on your information processing and decision-making. Understanding more from the perspective of your health professionals and what they are aiming to achieve when working with you will also be covered.

Presenter: Ms Bridget Scanlon  is a psychologist who is committed to working from the biopsychosocial model of health. She is passionate about helping clients understand the mind–body connection and developing their confidence to cope independently. Bridget works in a multi-disciplinary team at Empower Rehab where they assist people experiencing persistent pain to do more.

Watch the recording of this webinar!

Understanding and managing thumb arthritis

This webinar is designed to provide consumers with a better understanding of osteoarthritis and an overview of the most up-to-date hand therapy options for treating and managing their condition.

Presenter: Ms Jessica Cauchi is an Accredited Hand Therapist (as awarded by AHTA) and a Clinic Director at Melbourne Hand Rehab. Jessica has a passion for providing client–centred, holistic care that is evidence–based.

Watch the recording of this webinar!

Diagnosis and management of axial spondyloarthritis

Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), whether with x-ray change (ankylosing spondylitis) or without x-ray change (non-radiographic axial SpA), is usually diagnosed many years after the onset of symptoms. Until diagnosis, chronic back pain is commonly experienced by people with this condition. This webinar will help you understand what axSpA is, how is it diagnosed and what are the common treatment and management approaches.

Presenter: Dr Lionel Schachna is the director of rheumatology at the Austin Hospital. He runs the spondylitis clinic at the Austin Hospital which was established in 2004 and has treated more than 2000 patients with axial spondyloarthritis.

Watch the recording of this webinar!

The role of the microbiome in a person’s health

Have you heard about the microbiome, but are not really sure what it is? Wondered about the connection between the microbiome and your health? This webinar will review the methodology that has been developed to evaluate the human microbiome, discuss some of the pivotal studies that have evaluated the role of the microbiome in a person’s health generally, as well as studies specific to what is known about the microbiome in inflammatory musculoskeletal disease.

Presenter: Dr Beverly Ng is a Rheumatology Consultant at St George Hospital and Westmead Hospital. She completed Rheumatology advanced training in New South Wales, in addition to a Clinical Research Fellowship at Addenbrooke’s Hospital (Cambridge, UK) on psoriatic arthritis. She is currently pursuing research exploring the role of the microbiome in relation to treatment response in patients with psoriatic arthritis as part of her PhD.

Watch the recording of this webinar!

The importance of exercise and physical activity for osteoarthritis – How to go about it.

In this webinar, Dr Christian Barton will discuss the importance of prescribed exercise and getting active to help manage knee osteoarthritis. A number of myths will be discussed and busted. The numerous benefits of exercise for osteoarthritis and general health will be discussed, and guidance on how to address pain to get active again provided.

Presenter: Dr Christian Barton is a physiotherapist with his research and practice focused on the management of persistent knee pain and osteoarthritis (OA), as well as running-related injury. He is based at La Trobe University’s Sport and Exercise Medicine Research Centre in Melbourne.
Watch the recording of this webinar!

What is Sjogren’s disease and how is it managed?

Sjogren’s disease is a multi-system autoimmune condition. Your immune system is designed to identify foreign bodies (e.g. bacteria, viruses), and attack them to keep you healthy. However in the case of Sjogren’s disease, your immune system attacks the glands in your body that make moisture (e.g. tears, saliva). In addition, Sjogren’s disease is associated with a number of co-morbidities that can be classified as extraglandular manifestations and this can include inflammatory arthritis, lupus-like rash, and other organ involvement. This webinar will provide the audience a greater understanding of Sjogren’s disease – what it is, how it is diagnosed and how it is managed.

Presenter: Associate Professor Alberta Hoi is a rheumatologist, leading lupus expert and translational researcher in Australia. Her research focuses on disease predictors and outcomes, registry design and implementation, quality of care and patient centered interactions.
Thursday 14 November 2024, 7pm AEDT – Register for this webinar here!

2023

Anxiety and Depression Linked to Chronic Pain
Presenter: Dr Jacqui Stanford, Health Psychologist, Empower Rehab
Watch the recording of this webinar

Getting A Good Night’s Sleep​
Presenter: Associate Professor Christopher Worsnop, Sleep Physician, Austin Hospital in Melbourne
Watch the recording of this webinar

Diagnosis and Management of Rheumatoid Arthritis
Presenter: Dr Tina Racunica, Consultant Rheumatologist and the Director of Southern Rheumatology.
Watch the recording of this webinar

Understanding Complex Regional Pain Syndrome
Presenter: Dr Anne Daly, Specialist Pain Physiotherapist.
Watch the recording of this webinar

Diagnosis and Lifestyle Management of Hip/Knee Osteoarthritis
Presenter: Rana Hinman, Research Physiotherapist and Deputy Director, Centre for Health, Exercise & Sports Medicine, University of Melbourne.
Watch the recording of this webinar

What Can You Do About Neck Pain​?
Presenter: Shaun O’Leary, BPHTY (Hon), MPHTY (Msk), PhD, Associate Professor in Physiotherapy between the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Queensland, and the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital Physiotherapy Department.
Watch the recording of this webinar.

Medicinal Cannabis for Musculoskeletal Conditions and Chronic Pain: An Update
Presenter: Iain McGregor, Professor of Psychopharmacology and Academic Director of the Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics in the Brain and Mind Centre at the University of Sydney, Australia.
Watch the recording of this webinar

2022

All About Fibromyalgia
Presenter: Dr Emma Guymer, Rheumatologist, Monash Medical Centre.
Watch the recording of this webinar

Osteoporosis and osteopenia
Presenter: Dr Sonia Davison, Endocrinologist, Melbourne Thyroid and Endocrine Centre.
Watch the recording of this webinar

Non-opioid Pain Management
Presenter: Dr Caroline West is a GP and medical advisor for NPS MedicineWise.
Watch the recording of this webinar
Click here to view presentation slides

Surgery for joint arthritis
Presenter: Professor Peter Choong, Sir Hugh Devine Professor of Surgery at St. Vincent’s Hospital 
Watch the recording of this webinar

Common shoulder problems and their management
Presenter: Dr Sarah Walmsley, Lecturer at The University of Newcastle. 
Watch the recording of this webinar

Weighing up risks and benefits of complementary medicines for musculoskeletal conditions
Presenter: Adj Assoc Prof Geraldine Moses, clinical pharmacist specialised in Medicines Information. 
Watch the recording of this webinar

The impact of musculoskeletal conditions on intimate relationships: What to know and where to access help
Presenters: Prof Ilana Ackerman, musculoskeletal epidemiologist in the School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine at Monash University; Ms Laura Restoux, Senior Physiotherapist with the Central Coast Local Health District and Ms Brooke Dobo, an experienced women’s and pelvic health physiotherapist based in Brisbane.
Watch a recording of this webinar

2021

Musculoskeletal conditions and your employment rights
Presenter: Jessica Dawson-Field, Employment Associate, Maurice Blackburn Lawyers
Watch the recording of this webinar

Pregnancy and Arthritis
Presenter: Dr Claire Barrett, Consultant Rheumatologist and Senior Lecturer University of Queensland 
Watch the recording of this webinar 

Diet and nutrition in older adults
Presenter: Prof Judi Porter PhD, Accredited Practicing Dietician, FDAA Dietetics Discipline Lead IPAN 
Watch the recording of this webinar 

The doctor told me to exercise more to help my osteoarthritis. What does that mean and how can it help?
Presenter: Dr Christian Barton Senior Research Fellow, LASEM Research Centre 
Watch the recording of this webinar 

Pain management and musculoskeletal conditions
Presenter: Dr Jacqui Stanford, Psychologist, Empower Rehab 
Watch the recording of this webinar 

Inflammatory arthritis
Presenter: Dr Marie Feletar, Rheumatologist 
Watch the recording of this webinar

Hands and arthritis
Presenter: Ms Josephine Gibbs-Dwyer, Occupational Therapist, Working Hands Therapy 
Watch the recording of this webinar 

2020

Diagnosing and managing gout
Presenter: Dr Tina Racunica, Rheumatologist, Melbourne
Watch the recording of this webinar

Mindfulness in managing your health
Presenter: Jo Dunin, Melbourne Centre for Mindfulness
Watch the recording of this webinar

Musculoskeletal conditions and your mental health 
Presenter: Jacqui Stanford, Director and Principal Psychologist, Empower Rehab. Musculoskeletal Australia is very grateful to Abbvie Pty Ltd for sponsoring this webinar. 
Watch the recording of this webinar

Diagnosing and managing polymyalgia rheumatica
Presenter: Dr Daniel Boulos, Rheumatologist, Melbourne
Watch the recording of this webinar
We would like to thank Dr Daniel Boulos for kindly re-recording the webinar after a technical problem caused the original recording to be lost.

Understanding scleroderma and Raynaud’s phenomenon
Presenter: Dr Nava Ferdowsi, Rheumatologist, St Vincent’s Hospital, Melbourne
Watch the recording of this webinar

Staying strong and on your feet into older age
Presenter: Dr Frances Batchelor, Director, Clinical Gerontology Division at the National Ageing Research Institute and Director of Research in the Melbourne Ageing Research Collaboration (MARC)
Watch the recording of this webinar

Diagnosing and managing lupus

Presenter: A/Prof Alberta Hoi, Head of the Lupus Clinic, Monash Medical Centre; Chair, Australian Lupus Registry and Biobank
Watch the recording of this webinar 

Testimonials