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PHTY41180

Academic Year 2026/2027

Pain Science and Practice (PHTY41180)

Subject:
Physiotherapy
College:
Health & Agricultural Sciences
School:
Public Hlth, Phys & Sports Sci
Level:
4 (Masters)
Credits:
5
Module Coordinator:
Ms Dee McEvoy
Trimester:
Autumn
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

This module was developed specifically to achieve the learning goals of the Professional Master in Physiotherapy. It is a 5 credit clinical teaching module based on the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) and the European Pain Federation (EFIC undergraduate pain curricula for physiotherapists. This module builds on the clinical modules completed in Year 1 and advances students’ understanding of pain science and practice.

It focuses on two broad topics: 1) pain science and practice and 2) the application of physical agents (APA) in physiotherapy. Specifically, this module advances the students’ knowledge of: models of pain, the neurobiology of pain, the assessment and management of common and complex pain presentations as well other topics of contemporary pain science and practice. It also enables students to understand the use and place of electro-physical modalities, such as therapeutic heat, cryotherapy, and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, in contemporary clinical practice.

Students will be encouraged to develop and apply their pain science and practice knowledge to a range of clinical conditions, and patient presentations and cohorts. Students will further develop the ability to select, implement and appraise pain management interventions based on principles of clinical reasoning and evidence-based practice. And to do so in a compassionate, professional, safe, and ethical manner that recognises patient-centeredness and respects societal and cultural diversity.

Mapped to CORU SoP: 1.1-1.3, 1.5, 1.8, 1.17, 2.1-2.4, 2.9, 2.12-2.14, 3.1-3.3, 3.5, 3.6, 3.8, 3.10, 4.4, 5.1-5.4, 5.6-5.8, 5.10, 5.11, 5.14, 5.16-5.20, 5.23, 5.26, 5.28

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

On successful completion of this module students should be able to:

1. Demonstrate an advanced knowledge of contemporary pain science and practice and demonstrate the ability to apply that knowledge to the evidence-based assessment and management of patients with varied clinical presentations of pain. And to do so in a collaborative, compassionate, professional, safe, and ethical manner that recognises and respects societal equality, diversity and inclusion and develops professional autonomy and accountability.

2. Describe and understand the theoretical and physiological mechanisms underpinning the safe and appropriate application of selected physical agents for pain modulation, tissue healing, and justify their place within contemporary physiotherapy practice.

Indicative Module Content:

This module advances the students’ knowledge of pain science and practice, models of pain, and the evidence-based assessment and management of common and more complex pain presentations. It also enables students to understand the use and place of selected physical modalities (including, therapeutic heat, cryotherapy, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) in contemporary clinical practice.

The United Nations identified seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as core to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and UCD contributes in general to SDG 4 Quality Education. Further SDGs explored within this module if relevant are listed below. A scale of 1 - 5 indicates the extent to which the SDG is covered.


 

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Autonomous Student Learning

76
Lectures

20
Practical

8
Total

104

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
Lectures and practical classes taught according to concept- and competency-based teaching and learning methods; including interactive lectures and practical sessions incorporating task-, case- and clinical simulation-based learning and discussion based on IASP and EFIC preregistration pain curricula for physiotherapists.

AI/Academic Integrity:
Staff may utilise Artificial Intelligence (AI) during the programme to support teaching and learning and it will be clearly indicated if and when AI is used. Students are prohibited from representing work as their own that they did not write, code or create. Submission of AI-generated content to this module by a student without explicit permission and attribution is not allowed and it may reflect unacceptable professional behaviour. This may result in the initiation of a student disciplinary procedure in accordance with the “University Student Code of Conduct and Academic Integrity Policy.

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade Component repeat (in-module) Offered
Exam (In-person): Combined MCQ and short-answer quiz covering pain science and practice and application of physical agents. Completed in-person and in-class. Week 11 Standard conversion grade scale 40% Yes
50
 Yes
Viva Voce: Students' knowledge of pain science and practice will be summatively assessed by participation in an individual, face-to-face 10 minute oral examination with two examiners.
 Week 12 Graded Yes
50
 Yes

As part of UCD's student support, under the Additional Consideration policy, extensions may be available for the following assessments in the module: Assignment (including essay/poster), Portfolio, Reflective Assignment, Report(s), and Individual Project.


Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 

Remediation Type Remediation Timing
In-Module Resit Prior to relevant Programme Exam Board
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, on an activity or draft prior to summative assessment
• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment
• Peer review activities
• Self-assessment activities

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

- Summative feedback i) individual student and ii) group/class feedback, post-assessment - Formative feedback i) individual student and ii) group/class feedback, within class, prior to summative assessment

- Pain: A textbook for health professionals. van Griensven H, Strong J, Unruh AM (Editors). 2nd Edition. Churchill Livingstone Elsevier, 2014.
- Key peer reviewed publications identified within lecture notes (reviewed, ± updated yearly).

Name Role
Dr Keith Smart Lecturer / Co-Lecturer

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Autumn Field Trip Offering 1 Week(s) - 12 Fri 08:00 - 14:50
Autumn Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 2 Thurs 09:00 - 09:50
Autumn Practical Offering 1 Week(s) - 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 Thurs 09:00 - 10:50
Autumn Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 2, 3, 5, 7 Wed 10:00 - 11:50
Autumn Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 4, 11 Wed 10:00 - 11:50
Autumn Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 6 Wed 10:00 - 11:50
Autumn Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 8 Wed 10:00 - 11:50
Autumn Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 9 Wed 10:00 - 11:50
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