Pain Physiotherapy Level 1 - Part A

CPD Hours

5 hours.

This course is approved for 5 CEU points/hours through the Arizona Physical Therapy Association (accepted in 29 other states). For more information click here.

Course Overview

Most clinicians work with people in pain. Become a better practitioner by developing the confidence to effectively assess and manage pain. Aligned with the IASP curricula, topics in this course cover the multi-dimensional nature of pain, pain assessment and measurement, management of pain and pain conditions.

The Pain Physiotherapy Level 1 course outlines the key principles of Pain and Pain Management which can be immediately transferred to practice. This course presents this foundational knowledge to support physiotherapists who are new, recently graduated or experienced (across all the different disciplines) and are looking to expand, refresh and better integrate their knowledge in the area of pain physiotherapy

Completion of Pain Physiotherapy Level 1 first requires the completion of pre-requisite learning. After completion of the pre-requisite learning, the wholly virtual version of this course consists of two parts - Part A and Part B, to be completed in order.  Further details outlined below under "Delivery Elements".

Learning Outcomes

At the end of Pain Physiotherapy Level 1, you will be able to:

• Describe the burden of chronic pain on both society and the individuals living with it
• Demonstrate an understanding of important pain-related terminology
• Apply a basic biopsychosocial framework for the assessment and management of pain
• Use a biopsychosocial clinical reasoning approach as a case presentation methodology and as an educational treatment tool with patients
• Recognise common pain related conditions
• Consider the relative appropriateness of different forms of treatment approaches for pain related presentations (such as hands-on treatment and self-management skills)

Delivery Elements

This online course consists of two parts plus pre-requisite learning, each to be enrolled in separately and completed in order: 

1. Pre-requisite learning (3 CPD hours)
   Free to members and non-members.
   Participants must complete the Better Pain Management modules 1-3, Faculty of Pain Medicine ANZCA before enrolling and completing Part A.
2. Part A (5 CPD hours)
   Four entirely online self-paced modules. This webpage is for this component of the wholly virtual course.
3. Part B (2 CPD hours)
   A live 2hr interactive webinar. To be enrolled in and completed after completion of Part A

Delivery Method Options:

Learners can choose one of two ways of undertaking Pain Physiotherapy Level 1:

• Wholly virtual: online self-paced (Pre-requisite & Part A) and live webinar (Part B)
  or
• Blended: online self-paced (Pre-requisite) and attending a face-to-face classroom course (Parts A & B)

Diagram: two ways to undertake APA Pain Physiotherapy Level 1

Please Note: This webpage is for enrolment into the Part A component of the wholly virtual version of the Pain Physiotherapy Level 1 course. For registration into the blended version, please visit www.australian.physio/pd-search

Important note: if you have completed or wish to undertake the face-to-face classroom course, you are not required to complete Part A or Part B virtual.

Prerequisites

Presenters

Tim Austin, FACP, APA Specialist Pain Physiotherapist (as awarded by the Australian College of Physiotherapists in 2021)

Tim’s work in the Private Practice involves acute injury treatment through to complex inter-disciplinary pain management. For many years, he worked with Dr John Ditton, and more recently with Associate Professor Tillman Boesel and colleagues at the Inner West Pain Centre.  Between 2005 and 2007, Tim completed a Masters of Pain Management with Honours through the University of Sydney. Upon completion of this degree, Tim was asked to teach on this degree program, which he continues to do.  Tim has been a member of the Board of the Australian Pain Society for the past five years, currently serving as Treasurer. He was also instrumental in the establishment of the Pain Special Interest Group of the Australian Physiotherapy Association and is currently Chair of its National Committee. In May 2018, Tim was one of the first to achieve the APA Titling credential in the field of Pain. In 2021, Tim became a Specialist Pain Physiotherapist (as Awarded by the Australian College of Physiotherapists) - the first Australian physiotherapist to be awarded this credential, and is now proud to be a Fellow of the Australian College of Physiotherapists (FACP).  Tim has two keen professional interests. Firstly, the provision of evidence-based inter-disciplinary pain management in primary and secondary care. Secondly, that all professions working in pain management have the capacity to learn from each other in all forms of continuing education.

Duncan Sanders, APA Pain Physiotherapist

Duncan Sanders is a Senior Lecturer, Sydney Medical School at the Pain Management Research Institute, University of Sydney and private practitioner at All About Physio Nerang and Kingscliff. He completed his PhD at The Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London. His PhD exploring the brain mechanisms and modulation of persistent pain using modern neuroimaging techniques was nominated for the King’s College London graduate school prize. Clinically Duncan has worked as a Physiotherapist in various settings, including pain clinics, the British Military, private practice and large tertiary hospitals. He was the Educational Development Physiotherapist and Clinical Specialist in Pain Management at Guys and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, London. His main area of interest over the last 14 years has been in multidisciplinary pain management, working in world-renowned facilities including the Michael J Cousins Pain Management & Research Centre, Royal North Shore Hospital and the INPUT Pain Management Unit, St Thomas’ Hospital, London. He is the past Chair and current Vice-Chair of the APA Pain Group NSW State Committee.