Postgraduate Course: Chronic pain and advanced analgesic principles (VESC11123)
Course Outline
| School | Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies |
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 | 10 |
ECTS Credits | 5 |
| Summary | Chronic pain is a pain state that lasts beyond the initiating cause and often for longer than 3 months duration. The initiating causes of chronic pain are varied but include many disease processes associated with older animals, such as osteoarthritis, cancer and dental disease. Treating chronic pain can be complex and often requires a combination of multi-model analgesia, physiotherapy, exercise modifications and behavior/environmental modifications. The field of chronic pain assessment and treatment is constantly evolving and keeping up to date can be challenging. |
| Course description |
In this course you will learn about the pathophysiology of chronic pain as well as the welfare and ethical implications. You will develop a deeper understanding of how to assess chronic pain in veterinary species.
Strategies for managing chronic pain in veterinary species and in various situations will be discussed, with a focus on pathophysiology and pharmacological management, and less focus on behavioural management (this is covered in the Clinical animal behaviour courses). There is also an emphasis on new pharmacological developments within the field of chronic pain treatment and how these treatments can be used in the clinical setting. You will learn how to develop pain management plans with a holistic approach to pain management which explores non-pharmacological treatment options to complement pharmacological analgesia regimes.
This course is available to veterinary surgeons, veterinary nurses and veterinary technicians, and those with an appropriate veterinary clinical background. A knowledge of physiology and analgesic pharmacology is assumed.
The course will cover:
- Pathophysiology and biopsychosocial aspects of chronic pain
- Ethical and welfare implications of chronic pain
- Advanced analgesic pharmacology
- Assessment and treatment options for chronic pain
- Future developments and research into chronic pain
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Course Delivery Information
|
| Academic year 2025/26, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
|
Quota: None |
| Course Start |
MVM Online Learning Block 2 |
| Course Start Date |
16/02/2026 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
100
(
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 2,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
98 )
|
| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
|
| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Written Exam 0 %, Coursework 100 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Formative assessments
- Questions embedded within recorded lectures enabled through media create.
- Feedback on first 2 weeks of reflective diary where appropriate.
Summative assessments
The assessments will map to the learning outcomes as follows:
Assessment 1: Reflective diary over four weeks of course material; approx. 250-300 words per weekly post. LO 1, 2 & 3 (40%)
Assessment 2: Pain management plan (approx. 2000 words): LO 1,2,3 (60%)
|
| Feedback |
- Feedback from discussion board questions linked to weekly learning and specialist literature.
- Questions e.g. embedded within recorded lectures enabled through media create.
- Feedback on first 2 weeks of reflective diary where appropriate.
Summative feedback from assessments
|
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate an extensive knowledge and critical understanding of the pathophysiology of chronic pain; and its ethical and welfare implications in the veterinary setting.
- Apply a critical understanding of assessment methods and treatment options, particularly analgesic pharmacology, and how these can influence future veterinary clinical practice and decision making.
- Critically review specialist literature, consolidate, and extend knowledge in chronic pain of veterinary species and pain management strategies, including a review of assessment tools and future developments for treatment options in clinical veterinary practice.
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
| Keywords | pain,chronic pain,veterinary,pharmacology,analgesia |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Miss Juliet Duncan
Tel: (0131 6)50 8806
Email: Juliet.Duncan@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Mr Stephen Mitchell
Tel: (0131 6)51 7112
Email: stephen.mitchell@ed.ac.uk |
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