Entry-Level Student Physical Therapist's Knowledge of Pain Neurophysiology in a Hybrid-Learning Curriculum Model

Entry-level Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) students are taught the neurophysiology of pain in their basic science courses, but there is concern that the time and quality of curriculums is not adequate. Since chronic pain results in central sensitization, the biopsychosocial and biomedical models are being used broadly in physical therapy clinical settings. The lack of pain science knowledge of an entry-level physical therapy student can be an obstacle in providing appropriate care to achieve optimal patient outcomes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate students' knowledge of pain neurophysiology from an entry-level DPT hybrid-learning curricular model after completing all required internships.

Participants included 34 students who completed the Neurophysiology of Pain Questionnaire (NPQ). This questionnaire consisted of 19 questions to which each item has a true, false, or undecided response. Questions on the NPQ had two categories related to biological mechanisms and how and why pain is perceived.

Mean score of the NPQ was 65.47%. Mean scores on questions pertaining to biological mechanisms was 53.20%, while the mean score for questions pertaining to how and why pain is perceived was 73.52%.

Entry-level DPT students from a hybrid-learning curriculum model demonstrated adequate overall knowledge of pain neurophysiology. Students performed better on questions pertaining to how and why pain is perceived relating to the biopsychosocial model. Although students performed better on the questions pertaining to the biopsychosocial model, it is unclear if this knowledge will translate to patient care. Future research in pain neuroscience education in DPT curriculums may be beneficial.