Cognitive behavioural approach to chronic pain in
physical therapies
Heather Muncey & Peter Gladwell
In the last decade the understanding of back pain has dramatically changed. The biomechanical and
biomedical models have gradually changed. It is now well established that biopsychosocial factors are
important in many painful conditions. This change in therapeutic focus has presented new challenges to
manual and physical therapists. It suggests that in addition to using physical treatment the management of
the patients’ condition should address psychosocial factors. Use of the cognitive-behavioural model is
helpful to deliver this therapeutic approach to managing pain as a multifactorial condition. This workshop
aims to provide the basic skills used in the cognitive-behavioural approach to physical and manual
therapy.
This two day course will be a mixture and theoretical and practical workshop and will cover:
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Cognitive Behavioural Approach theory
Risk factors for a poor outcome in musculoskeletal pain.
How to conduct a psychosocial assessment
The use of questionnaires and interview skills
Goalsetting skills development
How to develop a treatment plan using a Cognitive Behavioural Approach
The limits of physical therapy practice in the management of pain-related distress are considered in depth
Heather Muncey BA, Dip Grad Phys, MCSP, SRP, MACP - Heather is Principle Physiotherapist in the Pain Management Service
at the North Bristol NHS Trust. Heather has worked in interdisciplinary pain management since 1989. She is experienced in
delivering pain management programmes to individuals and groups in the area of prevention of pain-associated incapacity for
acute recurrent pain, work retention for low back pain and return to work programmes. Heather was the founder of The
Physiotherapy Pain Association in 1994 and the first elected Physiotherapist Council member of The British Pain Society (part of
the International Association for the Study of Pain). She was the Physiotherapist Advisor to the United Kingdom Clinical Standards
Advisory Group Report on Pain, 2000. She was the Physiotherapy clinical supervisor for two of the four centres in the UK Back to
Work Studies in 2000 and 2004. She has presented extensively at national and international scientific conferences and has
published on her area of expertise in specialist texts.
Peter Gladwell BSc, MCSP, SRP - Peter is a Clinical Specialist Physiotherapist in the Pain Management Service and the Chronic
Fatigue Syndrome/ME Service at the North Bristol NHS Trust. Peter works with groups and individuals in the areas of Chronic
Fatigue Syndrome/ME Service, a TENS/Rehabilitation clinic, Pain Management Programmes, a Secondary Prevention Low Back
Pain Programme, and Pain Management and rehabilitation. He has recently had a role in a research programme investigating
group CBT for people with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/ME, and was involved clinically with the Back to Work research project. He
has a role in teaching General Practitioners about the management of CFS/ME. He was the Public Relations Officer for the
Physiotherapy Pain Association, a Clinical Interest Group of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy and is currently the Website
Editor for the PPA.
Day 1 contents:
Introduction - Issues and Outcomes
"Yellow Flags" in Low Back Pain
Interviewing Skills
Questionnaires and Questions
Behavioural Aspects
Goalsetting skills
Screening - Workshop with Case History
Day 2 contents:
Cognitive aspects
Dealing with Distress
Fear Avoidance Beliefs and Graded Exposure
Introducing Exercise - workshop
Helping the Patient to Make the Changes - workshop
Feedback from workshop
Obstacles to rehabilitation: "The Goldfish Bowl" experiment
Dates: 6-7 October 07
Total CPD hours - 14
Venue: Middlesex University, Archway Campus, (North)
London N19
Cost: £215.00
(Student discount available)
To book a place please send a non-refundable deposit of
£125.00, made to:
CPDO Ltd., 15 Harberton Road, London N19 3JS, UK
CPDO Ltd
15 Harberton Road, London N19 3JS, UK
Tel: 0207 263 8551
e-mail: cpd@cpdo.net