Understanding, Evaluating and Treating Pain for the PT and PTA Student

For Physical Therapy and Physical Therapy Assistant Students – Learn about Pain Neuroscience, Clinical Pain Management, Effective Pain Treatment

Pain science knowledge has increased tremendously over the last few decades, yet the pain and opioid epidemic continues to wreak havoc on individuals, families, communities and the world. Healthcare providers (including physical therapists) are in a position to be a part of the solution to this global epidemic by learning about and understanding pain neuroscience and educating patients on the causes of pain and how to treat it. This physical therapy textbook shows how.

Written by four world-renowned physical therapists/pain science experts, this medical neuroscience book is written for PT and PTA students and is based on current guidelines for PT school curriculums. Readers will learn about the causes of pain and how to effectively treat it.

The book includes a background of the neuroscience of pain, psychosocial aspects of pain, pain management guidelines and strategies for treating pain, details on drugs to help treat pain, information about special populations, and much more.

Understanding, Evaluating, and Treating Pain includes the following chapters:

• Pain
• The Neuroscience of Pain
• Psychological Aspects of Pain
• Clinical Reasoning of Pain Mechanisms
• Physical Therapy Assessment of Pain
• Treating Pain
• Treating Pain: Education
• Treating Pain: Movement
• Treating Pain: Calming the Nervous System
• Interprofessional Treatment of Pain
• Pharmacology and Pain
• Special Health Conditions, Diagnoses, Populations, and Clinical Setting Considerations

This textbook and clinical guide provides a foundation for physical therapists and physical therapy assistant students to learn about pain and provides the tools to help them be part of the solution to this global epidemic.

Written by Adriaan Louw, PT, PhD; Emilio Puentedura, PT, DPT, PhD, OCS, GDMT, FAAOMPT; Stephen Schmidt, PT, MPhysio, OCS, FAAOMPT; and Kory Zimney, PT, DPT, PhD. Illustrated. Softcover; 224 pages.

About the Authors

Adriaan Louw, PT, PhD

Teaching post-graduate spinal manual therapy and pain science throughout the US and internationally since 1996, Adriaan Louw has authored and co-authored numerous articles and book chapters related to spinal disorders and pain science. He is a Certified Spinal Manual Therapist and has a PhD focusing on Pain Neuroscience Education.

Emilio Puentedura, PT, DPT, PhD, OCS, GDMT, FAAOMPT

Emilio Puentedura is a board-certified Orthopaedic Clinical Specialist with a PhD in Physical Therapy. He has over 42 years of clinical experience and more than 30 years of teaching experience and is a full Professor at Baylor University. He specializes in pain neuroscience education and spinal manipulation therapy.

Stephen Schmidt, PT, MPhysio, OCS, FAAOMPT

Stephen Schmidt is a physical therapist with 30 years of experience working in orthopedic manual therapy and inpatient rehabilitation settings. He co-authored several books on pain neuroscience education and has been teaching courses on pain, neurodynamics, and graded motor imagery for more than 20 years.

Kory Zimney, PT, DPT, PhD

Kory Zimney is director of the PhD in Health Sciences program and an associate professor in the Health Science Physical Therapy Department at the University of South Dakota where he is part of several groups that conduct research on pain neuroscience education and therapeutic alliance.