This course prepares future physical therapists to evaluate and treat pain using a contemporary, mechanism-based biopsychosocial model. Students will learn to differentiate nociceptive, neuropathic, nociplastic, and stress-amplified pain presentations, and to recognize that biological, psychological, and social contributors are present from the onset of pain, not only when pain becomes persistent. Through structured assessment training, therapeutic communication practice, movement and pacing strategies, and contextualized manual therapy, students will develop clinical reasoning skills that support individualized, values-based care. By the end of the course, students will be capable of designing and delivering treatment plans that build function, reduce fear, and enhance patient autonomy across acute, subacute, and chronic time frames.
Prerequisites
Permission of Course Director. This course is subject to enrollment restrictions and may not be offered each year.