Psychosocial assessment & treatment

Psychosocial assessment and treatment in musculoskeletal pain are the main focus here. Learners are introduced to screening tools such as STarT Back for back pain and the Orebro Musculoskeletal Screening Questionnaire for a wider range of complaints, with emphasis on identifying risk factors for prolonged disability and opening discussion about issues like anxiety, low mood, or catastrophising. The summary then moves from assessment into treatment, showing how careful listening, thorough subjective and physical examination, and clear feedback all contribute to care. A key theme is giving patients a plausible, non-threatening explanation for their symptoms, correcting unhelpful beliefs, and offering a realistic prognosis. The importance of explaining pain holistically rather than purely through structural pathology is highlighted. Management is framed around scope of practice, using a traffic-light model to distinguish what physiotherapists can address directly and when referral for psychological support is appropriate. Practical strategies include education, movement rehabilitation, exercise, breathing exercises, mindfulness, meditation, and graded motor imagery to reduce fear, stress responses, and pain-related avoidance.