Spotlight on Arthrosis

For the first time, the St. Pölten University of Applied Sciences hosted a symposium and a public info day on the topic of arthrosis. Experts talked about the joint disease from a medical, therapeutic and care perspective. During the info day, everybody affected or interested could obtain comprehensive information, and get active in interactive workshops – ranging from dietary advice, and strength training for arthrosis with physiotherapists to an analysis of your own body’s muscle mass.

With the large and rising number of people affected and the numerous treatment methods related to arthrosis, the topic is highly relevant. On 21 February, the St. Pölten UAS’ Department of Health held a symposium and an info day on the topic of arthrosis for the first time. The event brought together 160 experts and 250 visitors who could obtain information, engage in networking, and get active in interactive workshops.

“We are happy about the positive feedback we received and the large participation in the info day. This highlights how important the topic is these days. Thanks to the event, we could create awareness, promote prevention, and contribute to improving the care provided to people impacted by arthrosis,” Barbara Wondrasch, Head of the Department of Health and the Institute of Health Sciences at the St. Pölten University of Applied Sciences, rejoices at the event’s success.

Expert Symposium Promotes Professional Exchange

During the symposium, renowned experts from research and practice presented the latest knowledge gained on arthrosis in research and therapy.

The speakers included Stefan Nehrer (University of Continuing Education Krems) who gave insights into the current state of research and therapy. Tanja Stamm (Medical University of Vienna) demonstrated how to measure treatment success using new technologies. Karl-Heinz Wagner (University of Vienna) talked about diet for people affected by arthrosis and arthrosis prevention through diet. Bernhard Taxer (Physio Austria) gave a lecture linking knowledge gained from neuroscience with arthrosis. Markus Neubauer (Universitätsklinikum Krems) showed how regenerative medicine could stop arthrosis.

Innovations in Arthrosis Therapy

Experts from various fields discussed innovations and future developments in arthrosis therapy from various perspectives during the panel discussions.

“The symposium demonstrated the remarkable amount of new knowledge on preventing and treating arthrosis that science has generated over the past years. That being said, there is still room for improvement when it comes to passing on this knowledge to the wider public and creating awareness among all relevant stakeholders”, says Wondrasch to summarise the discussion.

Info Day for the Wider Public

For the first time, an info day for the wider public was held within the framework of the expert symposium “Spotlight on Arthrosis”. Ranging from dietary advice, strength training with physiotherapists, and workshops on the topic of psychosocial health of those affected by arthrosis to an analysis of your own body’s muscle mass, the afternoon programme for the wider public offered an engaging mixture of lectures, workshops, info stations, and interactive activities.

Karin Pieber who is a physiatrist and medical director at Universitätsklinikum St. Pölten – Lilienfeld gave a lecture that was met with enthusiasm by both the expert audience and the wider public. She emphasised the importance of movement as a crucial measure to prevent arthrosis, motivating visitors to stay active.

“Movement is a decisive component of preventing and treating arthrosis by contributing to pain reduction, strengthening and improving flexibility. Movement should always be a part of people’s life, regardless of their age. An important approach to championing awareness, is to take away the fear of movement and highlight the individual benefits of movement for each and everybody to motivate people to move more. Recommendations to engage in physical activity should be part of every talk with a doctor and go beyond the advice to ‘move more often’.”

The info day was a great success and attracted numerous visitors to come to the Campus St. Pölten. “The info day has demonstrated to me what I, myself, can do against my arthrosis. The experts were there to support us with in-depth knowledge and practical advice – a great mixture of information and interaction”, says an enthusiastic visitor.

You can find more information on osteoarthritis in focus here (German).

campus.erleben – the Public Event Format of the St. Pölten UAS

“Arthrose im Fokus” (Spotlight on Arthrosis) was part of the campus.erleben event sessions. During the sessions, the St. Pölten UAS is opening its doors to everybody who is interested. Actively delve into life on campus and get informed about activities in teaching and research!