Taking Control of Your Hip and Knee Osteoarthritis
Learn about hip and knee osteoarthritis and strategies to manage pain, including exercise, healthy weight, and pain relief.
Duration
4 weeksWeekly study
1 hour100% online
How it worksDigital upgrade
Free
Taking Control of Your Hip and Knee Osteoarthritis
Explore joint disease with experts from the University of Melbourne
Osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis, affects over 500 million people worldwide.
This four-week course will give you an introduction to living with osteoarthritis. Examining practical methods of pain management, you’ll gain a full overview of the recommended treatments available.
Develop your knowledge of osteoarthritis and pain management
Whilst pain is the osteoarthritis symptom that interferes with people’s lives the most, how pain is experienced differs for everyone.
On this course, you’ll examine the symptoms of osteoarthritis and the factors that affect how pain is felt.
Developing an understanding of individual experiences of osteoarthritis, you’ll be able to discuss and share useful strategies for symptom management.
Examine healthy living techniques using physical activity and weight management
Exercise and weight management can dramatically improve quality of life for people with osteoarthritis.
Using current research, you’ll learn how weight loss and activity can reduce pain and help avoid or delay joint surgery.
You’ll learn a range of healthy eating and safe exercise techniques, helping you adjust your daily routines and improve your symptoms.
Investigate additional pain management strategies including hip and knee surgery
People with osteoarthritis are often referred for surgery before low-risk lifestyle treatments are fully explored.
You’ll learn about treatments available to manage osteoarthritis symptoms. You’ll examine medications, joint injections, and arthroscopic or joint replacement surgery.
By the end of this course, you’ll have a thorough understanding of osteoarthritis, as well pain management strategies. You’ll be able to develop a personal plan to manage your pain and discuss appropriate treatment with health professionals.
Syllabus
Week 1
Learning about osteoarthritis
Welcome to the course
Introducing this course and our educators, Prof Kim Bennell, Prof Rana Hinman and Dr Rachel Nelligan.
Welcome to Week 1
Welcome to the first week of this course!
Understanding osteoarthritis
Let's start by discussing more about what osteoarthritis is and what causes it.
Pain and osteoarthritis
Now let's discuss more about the causes of pain in osteoarthritis.
Overview of recommended treatments
Now let's discuss the treatments that are recommended for hip and knee osteoarthritis.
Finding out more
Now let's discuss where you can find out more about osteoarthritis.
Reflect and review
It's time to test your knowledge and reflect on this week's learnings.
Week 2
Physical activity and exercise for osteoarthritis
Welcome to Week 2
Welcome to the second week of this course!
Benefits and safety of exercise and physical activity
Let's start this week by discussing the benefits and safety of exercise for people with hip and knee osteoarthritis.
What physical activity and exercise is suitable for people with osteoarthritis?
Now let's discuss the amount of physical activity that is recommended for people with hip and knee osteoarthritis and the different types of exercise which might be beneficial.
How to become more active with osteoarthritis
Now let's discuss some useful strategies that can help people with osteoarthritis live a more active life.
Finding out more
Now let's discuss where you can find out more about physical activity and exercising with osteoarthritis.
Reflect and review
It's time to test your knowledge and reflect on this week's learnings.
Week 3
Body weight and osteoarthritis
Welcome to Week 3
Welcome to the third week of this course!
Body weight and osteoarthritis
Let's start this week by discussing the link between body weight and hip and knee osteoarthritis.
Understanding more about body weight and weight loss
Now let's discuss a bit more about how body weight is regulated and why weight loss can be so challenging.
Helpful strategies for weight loss and weight maintenance
Now let's discuss a range of strategies that can be helpful for healthy weight maintenance.
Finding out more
Now let's discuss where you can find out more about weight management for osteoarthritis.
Reflect and review
It's time to test your knowledge and reflect on this week's learnings.
Week 4
Additional management strategies and conclusion
Welcome to Week 4
Welcome to the fourth week of this course!
Helpful pain management strategies
Let's start this week by discussing a range of other strategies that can be helpful for pain management.
Other treatments for osteoarthritis
Now let's discuss pain relieving medications, joint injections and joint replacement surgery for people with osteoarthritis.
Finding out more
Now let's discuss where you can find out more about the management strategies we've discussed this week.
Reflect and review
It's time to test your knowledge and reflect on this week's learnings.
Course conclusion and planning your next steps
You have reached the end of this course, it's time to think about how you might put what you have learnt into action.
When would you like to start?
Start straight away and join a global classroom of learners. If the course hasn’t started yet you’ll see the future date listed below.
Available now
Learning on this course
On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.
What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...
- Describe what osteoarthritis is and how it is diagnosed
- Identify accurate and inaccurate information about osteoarthritis
- Identify what treatments are recommended for hip and knee osteoarthritis
- Describe the benefits of physical activity and exercise for people with hip and knee osteoarthritis
- Critique the different types of physical activity and exercise to see which might suit you
- Identify a range of factors that contribute to weight and the benefits of even a small amount of weight loss for joint symptoms
- Compare the benefits and risks of medications and surgical treatments for people with osteoarthritis
- Create a plan for how you will manage your osteoarthritis, based on what you have learnt from this course
Who is the course for?
This course is designed for people with persistent hip or knee joint pain or arthritis. It is also beneficial for family members of people with persistent joint pain who wish to provide more support.
Health professionals should refer to our Physiotherapy Exercise and Physical Activity for Knee Osteoarthritis (PEAK) course.
Who will you learn with?
Rachel is a physiotherapist and researcher at the University of Melbourne, Australia. Her research focuses on osteoarthritis, including the use of digital tools to help people self-manage joint pain.
Professor of Physiotherapy and Director of the Centre for Health, Exercise and Sports Medicine at the University of Melbourne with expertise in the management of chronic musculoskeletal conditions
Rana is a physiotherapist, researcher and Professor at the University of Melbourne, Australia. Her research focuses on chronic musculoskeletal pain, along with telehealth & digitally-supported care.
Who developed the course?
The University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. We are Australia’s number one university and world leader in education, teaching and research excellence.
Established
1853Location
Melbourne, AustraliaWorld ranking
Top 40Source: Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2022
What's included?
The University of Melbourne are offering everyone who joins this course a free digital upgrade, so that you can experience the full benefits of studying online for free. This means that you get:
Learning on FutureLearn
Your learning, your rules
- Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
- Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
- Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores
Join a global classroom
- Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
- Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
- Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others
Map your progress
- As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
- Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
- Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate
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