MHA 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 MHA’s entire 2024 community webinar series here!

OR register for individual sessions below.

To find and watch our previous webinars please visit here.

Musculoskeletal Health Awareness Month Series

As a feature of Musculoskeletal Health Awareness Month (MHAM) in October 2024 we have some fantastic consumer and healthcare professional webinars available:

Consumer

• Empowering Consumers, Medicines, Complemetary Medicines and Musculoskeletal Health – presented by Gerald Quigley, Community Pharmacist, Master Herbalist, Media Commentator and Author: Watch Now!
• How an Exercise Physiologist can support your musculoskeletal health – presented by Chloe Jackson from Your Body Hub – Watch Now!
• Pain and Perception: A Closer Look at Why We Hurt – presented by Dr Dan Harvie: Watch Now!

Healthcare Professional

• Innovations in Osteoarthritis Treatments – presented by Professor Flavia Cicuttini, Head of Rheumatology – Alfred Hospital – Watch Now!
• Patient Centred, Value Based Health Care – presented by Drs Andrea Srur and Thomas Kelley of Sprink Ltd – Watch Now!
• Menopause and Musculoskeletal Health – presented by Dr Sonia Davison, Clinical Fellow at Jean Hailes for Women’s Health – Watch Now!        CPD Opportunity: This webinar is accredited by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP). If you are a member of the RACGP and wish for this course to contribute to your continuing professional development (CPD), please view this webinar here,  and your CPD hours will be logged accordingly.

2024 Community Series

• Diagnosis and management of psoriatic arthritis – Presenter: Dr Adam Rischin: 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.

This webinar discusses the key features of psoriatic arthritis, including the main symptoms, tests that can assist diagnosis and effective treatments available. Watch the recording of this webinar!

• Working well with your healthcare provider –  Presenter: Ms Bridget Scanlon is a psychologist who is committed to working from the biopsychosocial model of health and works in a multi-disciplinary team at Empower Rehab where they assist people experiencing persistent pain to do more.
  

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. Watch the recording of this webinar!

• Understanding and managing thumb arthritis  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.
  

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. Watch the recording of this webinar!

• Diagnosis and management of axial spondyloarthritis  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.
  

This webinar will help you understand what axSpA is, how is it diagnosed and what are the common treatment and management approaches. Watch the recording of this webinar!

• The role of the microbiome in a person’s health  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.
  

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. Watch the recording of this webinar!

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

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. 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. Watch the recording of this webinar!

2023

• Anxiety and Depression Linked to Chronic Pain  Presenter: Dr Jacqui Stanford, Health Psychologist, Empower Rehab
• Getting A Good Night’s Sleep​ Presenter: Associate Professor Christopher Worsnop, Sleep Physician, Austin Hospital in Melbourne
• Diagnosis and Management of Rheumatoid Arthritis Presenter: Dr Tina Racunica, Consultant Rheumatologist and the Director of Southern Rheumatology.
• Understanding Complex Regional Pain Syndrome  Presenter: Dr Anne Daly, Specialist Pain Physiotherapist.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

2022

• All About Fibromyalgia  Presenter: Dr Emma Guymer, Rheumatologist, Monash Medical Centre.
• Osteoporosis and osteopenia Presenter: Dr Sonia Davison, Endocrinologist, Melbourne Thyroid and Endocrine Centre.
• Non-opioid Pain Management Presenter: Dr Caroline West is a GP and medical advisor for NPS MedicineWise.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
• Common shoulder problems and their management  Presenter: Dr Sarah Walmsley, Lecturer at The University of Newcastle.
• Weighing up risks and benefits of complementary medicines for musculoskeletal conditions  Presenter: Adj Assoc Prof Geraldine Moses, clinical pharmacist specialised in Medicines Information.
• 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.

2021

• Musculoskeletal conditions and your employment rights Presenter: Jessica Dawson-Field, Employment Associate, Maurice Blackburn Lawyers
• Pregnancy and Arthritis  Presenter: Dr Claire Barrett, Consultant Rheumatologist and Senior Lecturer University of Queensland
• Diet and nutrition in older adults  Presenter: Prof Judi Porter PhD, Accredited Practicing Dietician, FDAA Dietetics Discipline Lead IPAN
• 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
• Pain management and musculoskeletal conditions  Presenter: Dr Jacqui Stanford, Psychologist, Empower Rehab
• Inflammatory arthritis   Presenter: Dr Marie Feletar, Rheumatologist
• Hands and arthritis  Presenter: Ms Josephine Gibbs-Dwyer, Occupational Therapist, Working Hands Therapy 

2020

• Diagnosing and managing gout  Presenter: Dr Tina Racunica, Rheumatologist, Melbourne
• Mindfulness in managing your health:  Presenter: Jo Dunin, Melbourne Centre for Mindfulness
• 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.
• Diagnosing and managing polymyalgia rheumatica Presenter: Dr Daniel Boulos, Rheumatologist, Melbourne. 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
• 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)
• Diagnosing and managing lupus  Presenter: A/Prof Alberta Hoi, Head of the Lupus Clinic, Monash Medical Centre; Chair, Australian Lupus Registry and Bio Bank

Testimonials