Pain Mechanisms and Management

Undergraduate | 2026

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area/catalogue icon
Area/Catalogue
REHB 3010
Course ID icon
Course ID
204822
Level of study
Level of study
Undergraduate
Unit value icon
Unit value
6
Course level icon
Course level
3
Study abroad and student exchange icon
Inbound study abroad and exchange
Inbound study abroad and exchange
The fee you pay will depend on the number and type of courses you study.
No
University-wide elective icon
University-wide elective course
No
Single course enrollment
Single course enrolment
No
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Note:
Course data is interim and subject to change

Course overview

The aim of this course is to develop an understanding of pain and introduce the principles of pain management within a multidisciplinary framework. Biopsychosocial models for the clinical engagement of pain; epidemiology of pain as a public health problem; working pain definitions; neural communication; neural pathways; pain mechanisms and contributors; pain deconstruction into pathobiological mechanisms; neuroendocrine system; immune system; identification of risk factors for chronicity and barriers to recovery; assessment of pain, disability and recovery; principles of acute and chronic pain management; multidisciplinary pain management strategies; Exercise and movement strategies; psychological approaches in pain management; common pain conditions.

Course learning outcomes

  • Describe the biological and psychological factors that contribute to a pain experience.
  • Describe the roles of the nociceptive, endocrine, immune, motor, autonomic nervous systems in the experience of pain.
  • Apply principles from the basic sciences to clinical examples using biopsychosocial models of engagement.
  • Identify the psychosocial factors that increase the risk of pain-related disability.
  • Formulate a collaborative multidisciplinary pain management program.
  • Explain pain to a layperson using jargon-free language.

Prerequisite(s)

N/A

Corequisite(s)

N/A

Antirequisite(s)

N/A