Physio Academy

Back Pain 201: Advanced Assessment

Access: 60 days
Cost: $249 NZD
Study time: 10 hours approximately + self directed reading

This course is designed for physiotherapists who have some experience and knowledge of assessment and treatment of patients with primary symptoms of back and / or referred lower limb pain. Although my course Back Pain 101 is not a pre-requisite, it is recommended for recent graduates or undergraduates. 

Back Pain 201 opens the door for lumbar spine and pelvic diagnostics and treatment selection based on a broad perspective that includes pathoanatomy, neurophysiology and the psychosocial dimensions by teaching you the essentials of a comprehensive clinical history and physical examination. 

By the end of this course you will be able to confidently identify:

1. Mechanical discogenic pain.
2. Radicular syndromes.
3. Spinal stenosis.
4. Sacroiliac joint pain.
5. Hip and buttock pain sources. 

Course Structure:

Chapter 1: History and Screening

• Red Flags
• Pain Drawings
• Advanced Clinical History
• Psychosocial Screening Questionnaires
• Observations of Lateral Shift & 
• Advanced Neurological Examination

Chapter 2: Centralisation & Directional Preference

• The concept of Centralisation
• Directional Preference
• Implementing Repeated Movement Testing

 
Chapter 3: Non-Lumbar Pain Sources

• Sacroiliac Joint Pain & Instability Assessment
• Hip and Buttock Pain Assessment

Chapter 4: Putting It All Together

• Efficient physical examination sequence
• Utility of advanced assessment

Learning outcomes:

1. Able to identify red flag indicators of serious spinal pathology.
2. Understand and interpret pain drawings.
3. Make appropriate use of pre-screening health, pain, disability, sensitisation and psychosocial questionnaires.  
4. Complete a detailed neurologic screening examination to identify radicular pain and radiculopathy.
5. Understand the history and concepts of the centralisation and directional preference phenomena.
6. Able to conduct a repeated movement / mechanical loading assessment to identify the subcategory for patients whose symptoms show directional preference or centralized.
7. Able to carry out reliable and validated sacroiliac joint pain provocations tests and understand interpretation of patient responses.
8. Able to carry out a standard orthopaedic medicine assessment for painful disorders of the hip and buttock structures.
9. Implement a practical sequence of assessment and testing that is efficient and practical within normal clinical settings.
10. Use clinical reasoning to interpret the clinical data derived from the advanced assessment.

This course builds on Back Pain 101,  providing a structured assessment method that will be further expanded upon in the Back Pain 300 series.