PHTY20290 Fundamentals of Pain Science and Practice

Academic Year 2024/2025

This module equips students with a solid understanding of pain science and mechanisms, examining pain from a biopsychosocial perspective and exploring evidence-based assessment and management of common presentations. Students will also learn how factors related to both patients and healthcare professionals may influence treatment. They will acquire the ability to select appropriate physiotherapy assessment and management interventions based on clinical reasoning and evidence-based practice principles, while emphasising compassion, professionalism, safety, and ethics, in a patient-centered manner that respects societal and cultural diversity.
Throughout the module, students are encouraged to integrate knowledge from other modules (anatomy, physiology, functional anatomy and kinesiology, physics, and professional practice) to enhance their understanding of pain science principles and management strategies in the core areas of physiotherapy practice.

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Curricular information is subject to change

Learning Outcomes:

On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
1. Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the biopsychosocial model of pain, recognizing the interplay between biological, psychological, and social factors in the experience and management of pain.
2. Exhibit knowledge of pain neuroscience, including the underlying mechanisms, pathways, and processes involved in the perception and modulation of pain.
3. Employ various pain assessment techniques, utilizing both self-report and objective measures, to accurately evaluate the intensity, location, and nature of pain experienced by patients.
4. Demonstrate knowledge of contemporary pain science and management, and apply evidence-based practices to the biopsychosocial assessment and treatment of patients experiencing diverse pain presentations across the lifespan.

Indicative Module Content:

This module introduces students to pain science and mechanisms, the biopsychosocial model of pain, and evidence-based assessment and management of pain presentations across the lifespan and core areas of physiotherapy practice.

Key module content includes:

1. Biopsychosocial model of pain
2. Pain neuroscience education
3. Pain assessment
4. Evidence based approaches for pain management

Student Effort Hours: 
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

16
Small Group

8
Autonomous Student Learning

70
Online Learning

10
Total

104
Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
This module employs:

Content teaching by didactic lecture and asynchronous (online) video lectures
Problem-based learning and Group discussion
Practical classes
 
Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Pre-requisite:
ANAT10110 - Clinical Human Anatomy I, PHTY10080 - Applied Physics Principles, PHTY10100 - Physio Practice I(Clinic Ed I)


 
Assessment Strategy  
Description Timing Open Book Exam Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade

Not yet recorded.

Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 
Resit In Terminal Exam
Summer No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 
Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment
• Online automated feedback

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Not yet recorded.

Name Role
Professor Catherine Blake Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Assoc Professor Catherine Doody Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Assoc Professor Brona Fullen Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Dr Keith Smart Lecturer / Co-Lecturer