Postgraduate Course: Musculoskeletal Pain (PAMA11085)
Course Outline
| School | Deanery of Clinical Sciences |
College | College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
| Course type | Online Distance Learning |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This elective course introduces you to the field of musculoskeletal pain. It aims to provide you with an opportunity to explore concepts in musculoskeletal pain assessment, treatment, and management. There are many controversial issues in musculoskeletal pain management and many unanswered questions. This course aims to provide you with an overview of what is currently understood and what is believed to be best clinical practice in the assessment and management of musculoskeletal pain. |
| Course description |
Please ensure that you have provided an academic description, an outline of the content covered by the course and a description of the learning experience students can expect to get.
The main body of the course description should ideally cover a number of elements;
Academic Description: Building on the summary description, a more in-depth, academic description of the learning aims (not the learning outcomes as these are explicitly detailed elsewhere), nature and context of the course.
Outline Content: A more detailed outline content or syllabus (where this is convention within the discipline). N.B. it is advisable not to be overly prescriptive such as indicating in which weeks of the semester certain topics will be taught in the course descriptor since this is likely to change annually.
Student Learning Experience: A narrative description of how the course will be taught, how students are expected to engage with their learning and how they will be expected to evidence and demonstrate their achievement of the intended learning outcomes.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2025/26, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
|
Quota: None |
| Course Start |
MVM Online Learning Block 1 |
| Course Start Date |
15/09/2025 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 4,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 2,
Online Activities 30,
Feedback/Feedforward Hours 10,
Formative Assessment Hours 10,
Summative Assessment Hours 60,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Placement Study Abroad Hours 80,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
0 )
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| Additional Information (Learning and Teaching) |
163
|
| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Assessment and Feedback in this course is covered by the University of Edinburgh Assessment and Feedback Principles and Priorities. These can be found at this link https://edwebcontent.ed.ac.uk/sites/default/files/atoms/files/assessmentfeedbackprinciplespriorities.pdf .
The key principles that underpin assessment activities are evidence-based practice and the application of theory to clinical practice.
Assessment will consist of the following:
Assessment 1: Contribution to Synchronous Discussion Board topics 10% (1% x 10 weeks)
Assessment 2: Reflective Summary Blog 1 (15%)
Assessment 3: Reflective Summary Blog 2 (15%)
Assessment 3: Case Report and Letter of Referral (60%)
If you fail to make a reasonable attempt at any of the assessments in the course, you risk a failing grade for the course, which may have repercussions in your ability to achieve a final award in the programme. |
| Feedback |
Assessment and Feedback in this course is covered by the University of Edinburgh Assessment and Feedback Principles and Priorities. These can be found at this link https://edwebcontent.ed.ac.uk/sites/default/files/atoms/files/assessmentfeedbackprinciplespriorities.pdf .
Throughout your studies, you will receive regular feedback on your work. This helps to maximise the effectiveness of learning and teaching and enhances your performance. Feedback can be any comment from another person that may result in improving your learning and understanding. It is important to remember that feedback is not always in written form on a marked piece of work. Whilst feedback can take this form, most of the feedback you will receive during your university career may not associated with a mark.
Feedback is provided on all items of in-course assessment, both summative and formative. Formative feedback may take the form of group feedback where only salient points for the whole group are provided.
When marked work is returned to you, it is your responsibility to read and think about the feedback given and not just look at the mark. The feedback gives you an indication of what you did well, what you misunderstood and what you did not address correctly. If you have any questions, please contact the named Course Organiser.
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| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate a critical knowledge of the principal mechanisms and multidimensional nature of musculoskeletal pain using appropriate terminologies and conventions
- Demonstrate a critical understanding of the principles of pain measurement and assessment as specifically applied to musculoskeletal pain conditions
- Critically appraise the contemporary approaches to the diagnosis and management of musculoskeletal pain
- Evaluate the current non-pharmacological, pharmacological and surgical approaches in the treatment of musculoskeletal pain
- Demonstrate a critical understanding of the importance of effective and efficient communication with other healthcare professionals
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Reading List
A list of Learning Resources will be provided to ensure access to appropriate and relevant resources to enable full participation in this course.
Details about the Learning Resource Lists can be found at https://www.ed.ac.uk/information-services/research-teaching-staff/resource-lists/information-for-students.
Below is a selection of some of the resources that you will be expected to engage with during the course. This is an indicative list and may be amended in light of more recent and relevant resources becoming available.
Caneiro, J.P., Roos, E.M., Barton, C.J., O'Sullivan, K., Kent, P., Lin, I., Choong, P., Crossley, K.M., Hartvigsen, J., Smith, A.J. and O'Sullivan, P., 2020. It is time to move beyond ¿body region silos¿ to manage musculoskeletal pain: five actions to change clinical practice. British journal of sports medicine, 54(8), pp.438-439.
Hanchard, N., Special Tests in Musculoskeletal Examination. pp 17-88. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-7020-3025-3.00002-2. (Book chapter).
O'Sullivan, P.B., Caneiro, J.P., O'Sullivan, K., Lin, I., Bunzli, S., Wernli, K. and O'Keeffe, M., 2020. Back to basics: 10 facts every person should know about back pain. British journal of sports medicine, 54(12), pp.698-699.
Saragiotto, B.T., Maher, C.G., Hancock, M.J. and Koes, B.W., 2017. Subgrouping patients with nonspecific low back pain: hope or hype?. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy, 47(2), pp.44-48.
Walton, D.M. and Elliott, J.M., 2018. A new clinical model for facilitating the development of pattern recognition skills in clinical pain assessment. Musculoskeletal Science and Practice, 36, pp.17-24. |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
During the course students will have to demonstrate the ability to work both independently and collaboratively with others. Their knowledge and understanding of the topic will improve but they will also learn generic approaches/skills. As the course is distance learning, it will contribute to their IT, writing and communication skills which can be applied to both clinical and academic environments. Finally, they will be expected to be able to bring together and draw from the information provided through the course during their assignment writing. Competences such as structuring of work and accurate referencing should also improve.
Generic cognitive skills:
The ability to apply critical analysis, evaluation and synthesis to forefront issues and developments, develop original and creative responses to problems and issues, critically review, consolidate and extend knowledge, skills, practices and thinking, deal with complex issues and make informed judgements in situations in the absence of complete or consistent data/information.
Communication, IT and numeracy skills:
Use a wide range of routine skills and a range of advanced and specialised skills such as communication with peers, more senior colleagues and specialists, evaluation of a wide range of numerical and geographical data.
Autonomy, accountability and working with others:
Exercise substantial autonomy and initiative in professional and equivalent activities, work in a peer relationship with specialist practitioners, demonstrate leadership and/or initiative and make an identifiable contribution to change and development and/or new thinking, manage complex ethical and professional issues.
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| Keywords | musculoskeletal,concept,red flags,assessment,low back pain,self-management,pain drivers |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Mr Paul Barratt
Tel: 0131 242 6977
Email: Paul.Barratt@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Ms Ewelina Skala
Tel: (0131 5)37 1000
Email: eskala2@exseed.ed.ac.uk |
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