An initiative to offer a free-to-access programme in East Kilbride for people living with chronic joint pain has been given the backing of the town's MP, Dr Lisa Cameron.
The 12-week programme at Nuffield Health in the town, which is led by rehabilitation specialists, has been designed to help people to self-manage chronic joint pain, a condition that affects more than 8.5 million people in the UK.
In Scotland 16.6 per cent of people (420,000) aged 45 have osteoarthritis of the knee, while 10.1 per cent (256,000) have osteoarthritis of the hip.
Following a hiatus during the COVID-19 pandemic, the programme was relaunched at East Kilbride Fitness and Wellbeing Gym earlier this year.
Since then, more than 50 people from the local area have benefited from sessions.
Across the UK more than 2300 people have now taken part, with seven in ten (69 per cent) reporting significant improvements in their condition.
Taking part in one of the group exercise sessions, Ms Cameron said: "It was inspirational to see the work that is being done to support joint pain recovery at Nuffield Health in East Kilbride.
"I met with participants of the programme on the day who said it had turned their life around and given them back their health.
"I know this programme will support many local people in their recovery, so please do get in touch with Nuffield Health if it could benefit you."
Jacqueline McRorie, general manager of the Nuffield Health East Kilbride Fitness and Wellbeing Gym, said: “It was great to welcome MP MS Cameron to one of our joint pain exercise sessions, and fantastic to see her get stuck in.
"Living with joint pain can be debilitating, but Nuffield Health’s programme equips people with the knowledge and practical experiences to better manage pain in the long term. It’s open to anyone and is completely free.”
Karen Ferguson, a local resident and former participant, said: “I joined the class as my mobility was poor due to osteoarthritis in both knees.
"The pain made walking very difficult, and I hoped that the Joint Pain Programme might be able to help.
“Fast forward to now and I am a much fitter and healthier person. The gym has become a second home and I have made some wonderful friends there.”
The programme follows a group format, with an average of 10 participants, and consist of twice weekly sessions.
These include education workshops and exercise classes to help reduce pain and increase mobility, as well as providing the tools to support mental health and understand more about joint pain.
The programme is free to access and open to anyone living with chronic joint pain.
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