Tools and Resources

Additional supports to help you with your joint condition

find a healthcare professional

find a support or exercise group

printable information sheets

exercise library

Find a Healthcare Professional

Chartered Physiotherapist

A physiotherapist can help to guide you in how to manage your pain and make a plan for movement and exercise.

Find a physiotherapist using the Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists here.

A list of all CORU-registered physiotherapists in Ireland can also be found here.

Dietician

A dietician can help you with a healthy eating plan or weight management aspects of your joint pain management.

Find a dietician using the Irish Nutrition and Dietetics Institute here.

A list of all CORU-registered dieticians in Ireland can also be found here.

Occupational Therapist

An occupational therapist can help to assess your home and/or work environment and make modifications to support everyday activities.

Find an occupational therapist using the Association of Occupational Therapists of Ireland here.

A list of all CORU-registered dieticians in Ireland can also be found here.

Podiatrist

A podiatrist can help to assess your foot position and provide you with additional support, modifications or orthotics if needed.

Find a podiatrist using Podiatry Ireland here.

A list of all CORU-registered podiatrists in Ireland can also be found here.

Find a Support or Exercise Group

The resources below are split into community initiatives or groups (where there may be some cost), and public services (where there is no cost).

Community Groups, Initiatives and Organisations (A-Z)

age & opportunity

The vision of Age & Opportunity is an Ireland where all older people can be more active, more visible, more creative, more connected, more confident, more often. Click here to learn more about their programmes.

Age & Opportunity also run a FREE nationwide telephone mentoring service supporting people aged 50+ to be more active. FitLine is a great way to help people who want to feel a bit healthier but just don’t have the time or information on where and how to take that first step. Callers to FitLine can find out about clubs, groups, and facilities in their area. They will also be able to gets lots of ideas about how they can do simple physical activities as part of their day-to-day routine to suit their lifestyle. Give them a call on 1800 303 545 or 087-6211767 to register your interest.

Arthritis Ireland

Arthritis Ireland are the first and frequent point of support for people living with arthritis in Ireland. They develop and deliver the services and supports which allow people living with arthritis to lead full and active lives.

An accredited member of the Helplines Partnership, our helpline is a confidential service available from Monday to Friday, 10am-4pm (0818 252 846). The helpline is operated by volunteers who have experience of living with arthritis themselves or caring for someone living with the condition.

Arthritis Ireland's STEPS programme (Steps Towards Empowered People) is a personalised service that offers individuals with arthritis the essential knowledge and tools to make informed decisions about their health journey. You can join the STEPS programme either by referring yourself or through a referral from a health professional.

Arthritis Ireland delivers a range of self-management programmes which are offered both online and in-person.

Living Well With Arthritis is offered both in-person and online and will equip you with a variety of tools and techniques to help self-manage your condition.
Living Well with Pain is an online programme for people living with the pain associated with arthritis or related conditions. Its aim is to support people living with arthritis and to help them develop the skills and confidence to manage their pain.
Behind the Pain is a six-week programme, led by an accredited psychotherapist and discussion topics include coping with an invisible illness, the grief cycle, dealing with fatigue and asking for help.
Be Active with Arthritis is a six-week course led by chartered physiotherapist developed specifically for people with arthritis and related conditions.
The Adapted Exercise Programme is delivered by a trained fitness instructor. The aim of the programme is to reduce pain and stiffness and maintain or improve mobility, muscle strength and functional ability.

For more information on Arthritis Ireland activities in your area, click here.

Chronic Pain Ireland

Chronic Pain Ireland is the national organisation providing information and support services to people living with chronic pain. The mission is to create a greater understanding and awareness of those living with chronic pain in Ireland. They aim to support their members and nurture those living with the condition and their families through guidance and information provision and to advocate within the wider community.

Click here to learn about the organisation.

Check here for nationwide events and meetings calendar.

ExWell Medical

The mission of ExWell Medical is to transform the lives of people and families living with the burden of chronic illness through community based clinical exercise programmes.

ExWell community exercise programmes are available at locations around Ireland and also have recorded online exercise programmes available in 11 different exercise levels.

Click here for more information on ExWell Medical.

Get Ireland Walking

Get Ireland Walking have over 1,800 walking groups registered across the country. By joining a walking group you will be part of a growing national movement for people who are proud to walk for fun and for their health.

Click here to find a national directory of walking groups.

Get Ireland Active

Get Ireland Active is a website to guide you and help you to take control of your own activity journey. Explore countless trails, clubs, facilities and public places across the country.

The Get Ireland Active National Database is Ireland’s interactive activity, sport and recreation hub. It is a central registry bringing together the collective resources of Government, Sport Ireland, local authorities, state agencies, and the national governing bodies of sport to capture all sports facilities and places for people to be active in Ireland.

GLA:D Ireland

GLA:D Ireland is a non-profit initiative that aims to increase access to appropriate care for people with osteoarthritis. It stands for Good Life with osteoArthritis in Denmark and is available in over 10 countries worldwide. In Ireland, GLA:D-trained physiotherapists are running exercise and education programmes for people with hip and knee osteoarthritis across public and private healthcare settings. This programme has shown improvement in outcomes like pain, function and quality of life in participants after an 8-week programme and up to 12 months later. Find out more about the programme in the video below.

More about the GLA:D programme, including sites where the programme is available can be found here.

Irish Coalition for People with Obesity (ICPO)

The ICPO are volunteer non-profit patient-led organisation whose mission is to provide or direct people to education, support and raise awareness for people living with overweight or obesity across Ireland.

The ICPO offer support through online or in-person meetings or walks. They also provide information on a number of important topics related to living with obesity and interventions. More information about ICPO can be found here.

Siel Bleu Ireland

Siel Bleu Ireland are a social enterprise and a non for profit organisation. They believe in living an active and healthy lifestyle, giving older adults and people living with chronic conditions or disabilities the tools to improve autonomy and quality of life. Information on their community-based programmes, one-to-one exercise programmes and live online classes can be found here.

Sport Ireland Local Sports Partnerships

The Sport Ireland network is made up of 29 Local Sports Partnerships (LSPs) who are passionate about getting Ireland physically active, involved in sport and ensuring everyone in the community has the chance to be included.

Examples of some of the community programmes adapted for all levels of physical activity that are run by Local Sports Partnerships include Activator Poles Walking programmes, ParkRun, Aqua Fit, Park Yoga, Men on the Move, Functional Fitness, Women on Wheels etc.

To find the website for your LSP and local offerings, click here.

Versus Arthritis (Northern Ireland)

Versus Arthritis are a registered charity providing support to people living with arthritis in the UK. Versus Arthritis offer a confidential helpline (0800 5200 520 or helpline@versusarthritis.org.) The Versus Arthritis website offers a wealth of information on various arthritic conditions and supports available in different areas.

Support services offered specifically in Northern Ireland can be found here.

Public Services

HSE National Osteoarthritis Hip and Knee Pathway

This is an evidence-based pathway that has been developed by the National Clinical Programme for Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery (NCPTOS), with testing being supported by the Department of Health via Sláintecare funding since January 2023.

This pathway is currently being testing on two pilots’ sites:

HSE Dublin & North East - Louth Meath IHA including Our Lady’s Hospital, Navan,
HSE Dublin & South East - Carlow/Kilkenny/South Tipperary & Waterford IHA’s including University Hospital, Waterford.

This aims to improve early access to conservative management for people who present to their general practitioner with symptoms of osteoarthritis of the Hip/Knee joint. The GP can refer them to an inter-disciplinary (physiotherapy and dietetics) community-based programme which participants attend for up to six weeks.

An App has been developed by the clinical programme, in collaboration with the HSE, Zendra Health, RCSI, University of Limerick and patient representatives. The App has been designed to empower users to self-manage their symptoms in the long-term, and opt for a “Patient Initiated Review” if needed with the healthcare professional team. The pathway logo has been designed with HSE’s Spark Innovation Programme and the App is now listed on the HSE’s App Store.

For further information please go to the following website link: Hip and Knee Pathway

HSE Living Well with Chronic Pain Programme

The Living Well programme is a free 6-week self-management programme for adults with chronic or long-term health conditions. It gives you the skills and confidence to live well with your long-term health condition.

Living Well is a self-management resource centre evidence-based self-management programme originally developed at Stanford University, and offered at a wide number of locations around Ireland. If you want to join this programme or need more information, click here.

Staying Fit for the Future with Better Balance Better Bones (South West)

Staying Fit for the Future with Better Balance Better Bones is a weekly exercise class in a community setting that will challenge and train components needed for maintaining good independent movement (strength, flexibility, range of movement, static and dynamic balance).

Classes are delivered by exercise professionals who have been trained by HSE Physiotherapists in the Staying Fit For the Future, Better Balance Better Bones programme.

More information on the programme in Cork can be found here and in Kerry here.

HSE Midwest Pain Management Programme: Education

This programme is designed for people dealing with a pain condition persisting beyond six months who wish to develop their understanding of pain and how best to manage it.

The programme is delivered online or in-person at Croom Orthopaedic Hospital Limerick in small groups by pain team members over four mornings with breaks. Topics include: understanding pain, pacing, goal setting, managing setbacks, emotional wellbeing, sleep, mindfulness, using the arts and creativity, nutrition, and managing medication.

Your GP refers to Pain Services via central referrals stating explicitly that it is for the pain management programme. You can also be referred to the programme by other medical teams or your pain consultant. Phone: 061 485 398.

Printable Information Sheets and Infographics

Useful printable resources for each joint condition can be found below. Click on the resource and it will open in a new page.