Health Connections Mendip will be running another of their popular ‘Escape Pain’ courses at the Frome Medical Centre building at Enos Way in June.
The organiser of the course is Jo Fordham, a health connector, who has been working at Health Connections for the last four years.
“The course is aimed at people who have osteoarthritis of the knees and the hips,” explains Jo. “The Escape Pain course is not a magic wand. It cannot make pain ‘disappear’. However, what the course does aim to do is give patients coping strategies in dealing with their condition.”
The course runs for six weeks with two weekly sessions. Jo describes the course as being partly about doing the right physical exercise and also instilling the right level of self-management, looking at areas from diet and lifestyle, to medicines prescribed.
“By the end of the course, patients understand that by doing the correct physical exercises, they are then strengthening the muscles,” adds Jo. “However, it is far more than just physical exercise, it is also all about regaining confidence and self-esteem. From those that attended the last course, the feedback was extremely positive.”
One of the participants on Jo Fordham’s last Escape Pain class was Dr Rebecca Hall, a GP at the Frome Medical Practice, but on this occasion attending as a patient and not as a doctor.
“As an arthritis-suffering GP, I was really impressed,” comments Dr Hall. “Jo is very good at leading the group and it felt both inclusive and challenging. The course combines physical exercise and discussion around set topics each week. It was also telling how all the group were still attending each class throughout the whole course.”
However, places are limited on the course and to be eligible you must have a diagnosis of osteoarthritis of either the knee or hip, be over 45 years of age and be a registered patient at a Mendip GP practice.
To find out more information contact Jo Fordham and the team at mendip.healthconnections@nhs.net or tele phone 01373 468368.
