Occupational Therapy for Musculoskeletal Conditions and Arthritis (Canada) Top 10 priorities

The most important questions

  1. How can barriers be reduced to ensure easy and timely access to occupational therapy services (e.g., rheumatology care) across Canada for people living with MSK conditions and arthritis?
  2. How can occupational therapy enable people living with MSK conditions and arthritis to participate in daily activities (e.g. parenting, sleep, cooking) and meaningful life roles at home, work, school, for leisure and in their communities?
  3. What is the role of occupational therapy in addressing the mental and psychosocial health of people living with different MSK conditions and types of arthritis (including diseases and injuries to bones, joints, and skin)?
  4. What are the best outcome measures for capturing the effect of occupational therapy treatments for people living with different MSK conditions and types of arthritis?
  5. What is the role of occupational therapy in preventing and managing chronic and persistent pain for people living with MSK conditions and arthritis?
  6. How can occupational therapists help manage fluctuating symptoms associated with chronic conditions (e.g. pain, fatigue, brain fog) to improve participation in daily activities for people living with MSK conditions and arthritis?
  7. How does the course (amount, length, follow-up) of occupational therapy received affect outcomes for people living with MSK conditions and arthritis?
  8. What occupational therapy interventions are effective for prevention of disability and/or decline for people with MSK conditions and arthritis?
  9. How effective are interventions focused on energy conservation and joint protection for people with MSK conditions and arthritis?
  10. What is the role of occupational therapy in managing comorbidities in people with MSK conditions and arthritis?

The following questions were also discussed and put in order of priority at the workshop:

  1. What type of occupational therapy care (e.g., group therapy, publicly funded, private) most effectively improves outcomes for people living with MSK conditions and arthritis?
  2. How can occupational therapy help people with MSK conditions and arthritis engage in a realistic self-management routine (e.g., optimize their function and day-to-day health long-term)?
  3. How can trauma-informed approaches be applied to occupational therapy?
  4. What are effective treatment(s) for neck pain and neck fatigue in people living with MSK conditions (e.g., hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, ankylosing spondylitis)?
  5. Which occupational therapy interventions are most cost-effective for people with MSK conditions and arthritis?
  6. What are the long-term effects of wearable supports (e.g., splints, braces, orthoses) for people living with different MSK conditions and types of arthritis?
  7. How can occupational therapy improve participation in daily activities for people living with upper limb and hand conditions (e.g. fractures, dislocations, nerve injuries)?

Key documents

For full details of all of the questions identified by this PSP, please see this PSP spreadsheet.