APTA Learning Center

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Persistent Pain Management: A Comprehensive Learning Series

  • Register
    • Early bird pricing available!
    • Non-Member - $459
    • PT Member - $299
    • PTA Member - $199
    • Student - $49
    • Post-Professional Student - $249
    • Staff - Free!
    • Regular Price after 10/31/2024 12:00 AM
    • Non-Member - $599
    • PT Member - $399
    • PTA Member - $299
    • Student - $99
    • Post-Professional Student - $349
    • Staff - Free!

Coming Soon in 2025

Join our six-course series on persistent pain, offering 22 to 30 contact hours (or 2.2 to 3.0 CEUs). Explore essential topics, including barriers to care, pain mechanisms, trauma-informed practices, and evidence-based interventions for diverse patient populations.

Early bird pricing ends November 15, 2024—register now to secure your spot! Enhance your skills and make a meaningful impact in your practice.

 

Course Overviews:

 Course 1: Navigating Barriers, Disparities, and Trauma-Informed Care (0.3 CEU/3 contact hours)

Identify barriers to effective pain management and understand trauma-informed care for vulnerable populations.

Course 2: Core Concepts of Pain Mechanisms and Trauma-Informed Care (0.3 CEU/3 contact hours)

Learn about pain mechanisms through a biopsychosocial lens and apply trauma-informed strategies from the patient’s perspective.

Course 3: Comprehensive Patient Evaluation for Pain Profiling (0.4 to 0.6 CEU/4 to 6 contact hours)

Enhance patient assessment skills and categorize pain types for tailored treatment strategies.

Course 4: Psychologically Informed Strategies in Physical Therapy (0.4 to 0.6 CEU/4 to 6 contact hours)

Integrate psychologically informed approaches to improve patient engagement and pain management.

Course 5: Evidence-Based Interventions for Effective Pain Management (0.4 to 0.6 CEU/4 to 6 contact hours)

Gain essential strategies for medical management and therapeutic techniques, including telehealth applications.

Course 6: Addressing Unique Needs Across Diverse Patient Populations (0.4 to 0.6 CEU/4 to 6 contact hours)

Explore effective pain management strategies tailored to various patient populations, including pediatrics and older adults.

 

Take advantage of early bird pricing, ending November 15! Register today to enhance your practice in persistent pain management!

 

  • Contains 5 Component(s)

    (Persistent-Pain-Management-Series-1)

    This course is part of the Persistent Pain Management: A Comprehensive Learning Series and includes three essential modules designed for healthcare professionals. Upon completion of all 6 courses, you will claim your CE credits for the Persistent Pain Management Series. 

    (Subject to Change.) This course includes the following modules: 

    • Module 1: Identifying Barriers to Effective Pain Management focuses on identifying systemic and individual obstacles to effective pain management and assessment.
    • Module 2: Recognizing Pain Management Disparities explores the recognition of individuals at risk for under-treatment of pain, including vulnerable populations.
    • Module 3: Understanding Systems-Level Trauma-Informed Care focuses on the importance of systems-level trauma-informed care, emphasizing how cultural, gender, and familial factors influence individual pain experiences and the need for compassionate approaches in pain management.

    Participants will explore how clinician beliefs and language influence patient outcomes while enhancing their skills in delivering equitable, compassionate pain management through trauma-informed care.

    Learning Objectives:

    1. Identify professional, system, patient, family, and community barriers to effective pain assessment and management.
    2. Recognize individuals who are at risk for under-treatment of their pain (e.g., individuals who are unable to self-report pain, neonates, and cognitively impaired individuals) or populations where care disparities exist.
    3. Practice in accordance with an ethical code that recognizes human rights, diversity, and the requirement to “do no harm.”
    4. Recognize the inter-individual variability in pain presentations and apply this understanding to contextualize the assessment and management of pain considering age, sex, family, and culture.
      • Attention should be paid to cultural influences on pain
      • Effects of sex and gender on pain and pain management should be considered
    5. Provide learning aids and resources using various media to augment and facilitate the embedding and reinforcement of behavior change
    6. Identify individuals, conditions (e.g., musculoskeletal, neurological, cancer) and specific populations at risk for under-treatment of their pain (e.g., individuals who are unable to self-report pain, neonates, cognitively impaired, adolescents transitioning to adult care, older age groups, elite forces, elite sports people, veterans, cultural minorities) and develop an appropriate plan of care.
    7. Identify and address the positive and negative influences of the clinician’s beliefs and language about pain on outcomes and adherence (including but not limited to diagnosis, assessment findings, imaging, treatment, and prognosis).

    Coming Soon in 2025. Enroll now to elevate your approach to pain care!

  • Contains 4 Component(s)

    (Persistent-Pain-Management-Series-2)

    This course is part of the Persistent Pain Management: A Comprehensive Learning Series and equips healthcare professionals with essential knowledge of pain mechanisms and trauma-informed care from the patient's perspective. Upon completion of all 6 courses, you will claim your CE credits for the Persistent Pain Management Series. 

    (Subject to Change.) This course includes the following modules: 

    • Module 1: Pain Mechanisms and the Biopsychosocial Framework participants will delve into the science of pain, exploring its physiological and psychological dimensions.
    • Module 2: Trauma-Informed Care: A Patient Perspective focuses on patient-level trauma-informed care, emphasizing how to address individual needs and enhance patient experiences.

    Learning Objectives:

    1. Understand and explain the biopsychosocial model and its relevance to pain, one’s response to pain, and the impact of pain on one’s life
    2. Apply knowledge of basic science of pain to person-centered assessment and management of pain.
    3. Explain the current theories and science of pain that considers anatomical, physiological, psychological, and social factors of pain and pain management. Specifically:
      1. Understand and describe the neurological pathways from the nociceptor to the cortex, how these pathways are unique to different tissue types (i.e., skin, muscle, joint, viscera), and the different pathways involved in the processing and modulating nociceptive information and pain experience
      2. Understand peripheral, spinal, and central sensitization processes, how these forms of plasticity are associated with nociception and pain perception, and the implications for assessment, treatment, and management
      3. Characterize and apply the mechanisms that underlie specific biopsychosocial aspects of nociception and pain: e.g., referred pain, primary hyperalgesia, secondary hyperalgesia, allodynia
      4. Characterize the central nervous system pathways that modulate nociceptive transmission and appraise how these systems may contribute to pain
      5. Recognize neuroimaging tools and describe key brain regions and connections potentially involved in pain
    4. Communicate appropriate information to other health professionals involved in providing patient care to optimize interdisciplinary management, including medical and surgical, behavioral and psychological, or pharmacological approaches.
    5. Identify and analyze the differences between acute, acute-on-chronic, recurrent, and chronic pain and the implications of these for pain assessment.
    6. Recognize the differences between physical dependence, substance-use disorder, misuse, tolerance, addiction, and non-adherence.
    7. Understand the indications, evidence, and proposed mechanisms for pharmacologic agents for pain management (e.g., non-opioid medication, selective (COX2) and nonselective nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, gabapentinoids, reuptake inhibitors), opioid analgesia (weak and strong), as well as co-analgesics and topical analgesics.

    Course Instructions

    1. Click on the Contents tab to watch the course recording.
    2. Click the Take Quiz button to complete the assessment. Learners will have 3 attempts to pass and must answer at least 70% of questions correctly.
    3. Click Fill Out Survey under the Evaluation listing to provide valuable course feedback. Scroll down on all questions as there may be answer options that expand past the size of the window.
    4. Click the View/Print Your Certificate button under the Certificate listing. You can view/print your certificate at any time by visiting the APTA Learning Center and clicking the CEU Certificate/Transcript link on the left-hand side of the page. 

    Need Assistance?

    For assistance logging in, accessing activities, claiming credit, or for other questions or concerns, please e-mail learningcenter@apta.org. 

  • Contains 4 Component(s)

    (Persistent-Pain-Management-Series-3)

    This course is part of the Persistent Pain Management: A Comprehensive Learning Series and focuses on enhancing your skills in assessing and evaluating patients with persistent pain. Upon completion of all 6 courses, you will claim your CE credits for the Persistent Pain Management Series.

    (Subject to Change.) This course includes the following modules: 

    • Module 1: Foundations of Pain Assessment: Techniques and Best Practices, participants will learn to conduct patient evaluations that consider the biopsychosocial factors influencing pain.
    • Module 2: Pain Profiles: Mapping Individual Variability and Treatment Strategies dives into categorizing pain types to inform tailored treatment strategies, improving patient outcomes through precise clinical decision-making.

    Learning Objectives - TBD

    Course Instructions

    1. Click on the Contents tab to watch the course recording.
    2. Click the Take Quiz button to complete the assessment. Learners will have 3 attempts to pass and must answer at least 70% of questions correctly.
    3. Click Fill Out Survey under the Evaluation listing to provide valuable course feedback. Scroll down on all questions as there may be answer options that expand past the size of the window.
    4. Click the View/Print Your Certificate button under the Certificate listing. You can view/print your certificate at any time by visiting the APTA Learning Center and clicking the CEU Certificate/Transcript link on the left-hand side of the page. 

    Need Assistance?

    For assistance logging in, accessing activities, claiming credit, or for other questions or concerns, please e-mail learningcenter@apta.org. 

  • Contains 5 Component(s)

    (Persistent-Pain-Management-Series-4)

    This course is part of the Persistent Pain Management: A Comprehensive Learning Series and delves into the integration of psychologically informed strategies within physical therapy to enhance the management of persistent pain. Upon completion of all 6 courses, you will claim your CE credits for the Persistent Pain Management Series. 

    (Subject to Change.) This course includes the following modules: 

    • Module 1: Understanding Psychologically Informed Physical Therapy introduces the foundational concepts of psychologically informed care, emphasizing its significance in addressing the complexities of persistent pain. 
    • Module 2: Integrating Psychological Approaches into Clinical Practice provides practical techniques for incorporating these strategies into clinical practice, equipping participants with tools to facilitate patient engagement and improve outcomes.
    • Module 3: Communicating Effectively: Discussing Pain with Your Patients focuses on effective communication skills, empowering healthcare professionals to have meaningful conversations about pain with their patients.

    Learning Objectives - TBD

    Course Instructions

    1. Click on the Contents tab to watch the course recording.
    2. Click the Take Quiz button to complete the assessment. Learners will have 3 attempts to pass and must answer at least 70% of questions correctly.
    3. Click Fill Out Survey under the Evaluation listing to provide valuable course feedback. Scroll down on all questions as there may be answer options that expand past the size of the window.
    4. Click the View/Print Your Certificate button under the Certificate listing. You can view/print your certificate at any time by visiting the APTA Learning Center and clicking the CEU Certificate/Transcript link on the left-hand side of the page. 

    Need Assistance?

    For assistance logging in, accessing activities, claiming credit, or for other questions or concerns, please e-mail learningcenter@apta.org. 

  • Contains 4 Component(s)

    (Persistent-Pain-Management-Series-5)

    This course is part of the Persistent Pain Management: A Comprehensive Learning Series. Upon completion of all 6 courses, you will claim your CE credits for the Persistent Pain Management Series. 

    (Subject to Change.) This course includes the following modules: 

    • Module 1: Medical Management
    • Module 2: Graded Motor Imagery 
    • Module 3: Manual Therapy as a Rehabilitation Tool
    • Module 4: Hypoalgesic Effects of Exercise
    • Module 5: Maximizing Time in Digital Health

    Learning Objectives:

    1. Develop an evidence-based management program in collaboration with the client/patient, directed at modifying pain and encouraging helpful behaviors, promoting tissue healing, improving function, reducing disability, and facilitating recovery.
    2. Implement management that includes active approaches such as functionally oriented behavioral-movement reeducation approaches and exercise), passive approaches such as manual therapy (where indicated and avoiding erroneous and potentially catastrophic rationales such as “realignment,” “stabilizing,” “correcting”), and the application of electro-physical agents as indicated.
    3. Critically evaluate and apply reliable and valid pain assessment measures that examine:
      1. Pain intensity/severity (e.g., Numerical Rating Scale, Visual Analogue Scale, Brief Pain Inventory, Location, Type, including nociceptive, nociplastic, and neuropathic
      2. Function and Disability/Impairment (e.g., Six-minute Walk Test, Oswestry Disability Index, Örebro Musculoskeletal Pain Questionnaire)
      3. Psychophysical (pain thresholds) or autonomic response measures (e.g., skin conductance)
      4. Psychological factors (e.g., Pain Catastrophizing Scale, Fear Avoidance Scale, depression, anxiety, Stress Scale, Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire)
      5. Person-centered factors (identified by a thorough clinical interview; e.g., sex, age, culture, beliefs about pain, expectations, coping strategies, impact)
    4. Interpret, critically appraise (reliability, validity, and responsiveness), and implement available screening measures for:
      1. Risk factors for the development of chronic pain conditions
      2. Identifying subgroups of responders/nonresponders in transition from acute to chronic pain
    5. Understand, identify, and implement appropriate and available evidence-based treatment and management options to support person-centered pain management.
    6. Apply evidence-based, person-centered self-management strategies for pain that promote a person’s general well-being.
    7. Identify the indications and evidence for and the proposed mechanisms underlying commonly used interventions, including but not limited to exercise, manual therapy, relaxation strategies (breathing, body scan), mindfulness meditation, and electrotherapeutic agents such as TENS and interferential current, acupuncture, ultrasound, laser, and biofeedback.
    8. Understand how to assess and manage people with pain across different pain settings and transitions of care (hospital, private practice, nursing home, hospice).

    Course Instructions

    1. Click on the Contents tab to watch the course recording.
    2. Click the Take Quiz button to complete the assessment. Learners will have 3 attempts to pass and must answer at least 70% of questions correctly.
    3. Click Fill Out Survey under the Evaluation listing to provide valuable course feedback. Scroll down on all questions as there may be answer options that expand past the size of the window.
    4. Click the View/Print Your Certificate button under the Certificate listing. You can view/print your certificate at any time by visiting the APTA Learning Center and clicking the CEU Certificate/Transcript link on the left-hand side of the page. 

    Need Assistance?

    For assistance logging in, accessing activities, claiming credit, or for other questions or concerns, please e-mail learningcenter@apta.org. 

  • Contains 16 Component(s)

    (Persistent-Pain-Management-Series-6)

    This course is part of the Persistent Pain Management: A Comprehensive Learning Series. Upon completion of all 6 courses, you will claim your CE credits for the  Persistent Pain Management Series. 

    (Subject to Change.) This course includes the following, select one to complete:

    This course focuses on effective persistent pain management strategies tailored to various patient populations, including:

    • Pediatric considerations
    • Complex patient presentations
    • Older adults and lower limb loss
    • Psychological factors and movement-evoked pain in tendinopathy
    • Injury-related fears and return to play post-ACL reconstruction
    • Persistent pain in the emergency department

    Learning Objectives:

    1. Recognize the inter-individual variability in pain presentations and apply this understanding to contextualize the assessment and management of pain considering age, sex, family, and culture.
    2. Special attention should be paid to pain across the lifespan from the infant to the older adult
    3. Effects of sex and gender on pain and pain management should be considered
    4. Critically evaluate and apply reliable and valid pain assessment measures that examine:
    5. Pain intensity/severity (e.g., Numerical Rating Scale, Visual Analogue Scale, Brief Pain Inventory, Location, Type, including nociceptive, nociplastic, and neuropathic
    6. Function and Disability/Impairment (e.g., Six-minute Walk Test, Oswestry Disability Index, Örebro Musculoskeletal Pain Questionnaire)
    7. Psychophysical (pain thresholds) or autonomic response measures (e.g., skin conductance)
    8. Psychological factors (e.g., Pain Catastrophizing Scale, Fear Avoidance Scale, depression, anxiety, Stress Scale, Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire)
    9. Social domain (e.g., supportive social network, Pain Disability Index)
    10. Person-centered factors (identified by a thorough clinical interview; e.g., sex, age, culture, beliefs about pain, expectations, coping strategies, impact)
    11. Vulnerable populations (e.g., communication barriers, cognitive impairment, cultural sensitivities)
    12. Social factors (e.g., supportive network, participation in life)
    13. Identify and analyze social, environmental (work/home) and institutional context or factors unique to the person that can impact the assessment of pain.
    14. Develop and implement a management plan that reflects meaningful shared decision making, including the person and relevant others (such as family, friends, health professionals)
    15. Undertake shared decision making (with the patient) that is underpinned by sound clinical reasoning and contemporary pain science
    16. Identify and implement exercise and activity as a key component of physiotherapy/physical therapy management, including across all stages of pain conditions and across the lifespan.
    17. Identify the indications and evidence for and the proposed mechanisms underlying commonly used interventions, including but not limited to exercise, manual therapy, relaxation strategies (breathing, body scan), mindfulness meditation, and electrotherapeutic agents such as TENS and interferential current, acupuncture, ultrasound, laser, and biofeedback.
    18. Apply cognitive and behavioral approaches to support improved functional movement and person-centered pain outcomes (e.g., specifically addressing beliefs and fear avoidance or endurance).


    Expand your expertise in navigating the unique challenges associated with these diverse groups.

    Course Instructions

    1. Click on the Contents tab to watch the course recording.
    2. Click the Take Quiz button to complete the assessment. Learners will have 3 attempts to pass and must answer at least 70% of questions correctly.
    3. Click Fill Out Survey under the Evaluation listing to provide valuable course feedback. Scroll down on all questions as there may be answer options that expand past the size of the window.
    4. Click the View/Print Your Certificate button under the Certificate listing. You can view/print your certificate at any time by visiting the APTA Learning Center and clicking the CEU Certificate/Transcript link on the left-hand side of the page. 

    Need Assistance?

    For assistance logging in, accessing activities, claiming credit, or for other questions or concerns, please e-mail learningcenter@apta.org. 

  • Contains 1 Component(s), Includes Credits

    (Persistent-Pain-Management-Series-CEU-Certificate)

    Course Instructions

    1. Click on the Contents tab to watch the course recording.
    2. Click the Take Quiz button to complete the assessment. Learners will have 3 attempts to pass and must answer at least 70% of questions correctly.
    3. Click Fill Out Survey under the Evaluation listing to provide valuable course feedback. Scroll down on all questions as there may be answer options that expand past the size of the window.
    4. Click the View/Print Your Certificate button under the Certificate listing. You can view/print your certificate at any time by visiting the APTA Learning Center and clicking the CEU Certificate/Transcript link on the left-hand side of the page. 

    Need Assistance?

    For assistance logging in, accessing activities, claiming credit, or for other questions or concerns, please e-mail learningcenter@apta.org.