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October 1, 2025

Bridging Knowledge and Application: A Longitudinal Study of a Comprehensive Pain Science Framework in Physical Therapist Education

Key Points

Students displayed a significant increase in pain knowledge after the pain science courses, especially in the first six months.
The study found a decrease in biomedical belief scores, while psychosocial beliefs showed fluctuating trends but ultimately increased.
Data was collected through validated questionnaires and analyzed using statistical methods including repeated-measure ANOVA.
The findings highlight the potential for integrating pain science content into PT curricula for enhanced educational outcomes.

Abstract

Introduction: This study investigates the impact of a comprehensive pain science framework that includes integrated content, a standalone course, and training of core faculty in a physical therapist (PT) education program. The aim is to determine if this approach leads to significant changes in students' knowledge, beliefs, and confidence. Review of literature: Recent studies have examined various implementation strategies for pain education in entry-level PT education programs, yielding mixed results in knowledge retention and changes in attitudes and beliefs. Subjects: Physical therapist students enrolled in a hybrid, accelerated program (n = 99). Methods: Before the program's start, core faculty members completed a pain science continuing education (CE) course. Pain science content was integrated throughout the curriculum, coupled with a standalone 2-credit-hour course. Data were collected using the revised Neurophysiology of Pain Questionnaire, the Pain Attitudes and Beliefs Scale for Physiotherapists, and the 5-question Pain Care Confidence Scale. A repeated-measure ANOVA was used to examine knowledge and beliefs, and a repeated t -test was used to examine confidence. Results: Students' pain knowledge fluctuated over time but showed an overall significant increase, with the largest increases occurring in the first 6 months of the integrated course curriculum (54–75%) and during the standalone pain science course (70–90%). The biomedical belief scores significantly decreased over time, while psychosocial belief scores fluctuated over time, with a significant overall increase by the end of the pain science course. Confidence scores significantly increased during the standalone pain science course, t(84) = -14.309, P < .001, d = −1.552. Discussion and Conclusion: This study examined the implementation of a pain science framework in 1 cohort and found significant changes in students' knowledge, beliefs, and confidence. This framework uniquely combined CE for core faculty, integrated pain education information throughout the curriculum, and culminated with a standalone pain science course. This study provides insight into effective comprehensive pain science education curriculum changes, which may help other PT programs model and analyze their pain science curriculum.

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