Graduate Certificate in Chronic Pain Management (online learning)

This course will assist learners in developing approaches to the global assessment of patients with pain (acute and chronic) and to guide diagnostic, care and treatment. This will include conventional health assessment techniques (interview and physical examination), pain measurement tools, psychological assessment, specific techniques (e.g. examination of lumbar spine, functional assessments), and the role and value of diagnostic studies.

Lecturers: Lesley Norris, MSc, PT; Maria Dritsa, PhD Psychology; Celine Gélinas, RN, PhD; Sara Saunders, PhD, OT; Dr. Mark Ware, MD, MRCP (UK)

This course is designed to review the basic neuroscience of pain and the interrelationship between psychological, physiological and environmental processes in pain perception. Neuro-anatomical, physiological, pharmacological, and biochemical mechanisms involved in nociception are presented. The contributions of psychological factors such as mood and cognition, as well as environmental factors are examined as contributors to the pain experience. Conceptual paradigms are introduced that allow integration of the biomedical and psychosocial factors to understand the pain experience. These lead to an understanding of how psychological and environmental factors can modify or maintain pain perception and behavior and how these might be modified to manage the pain experience.

Lecturers: Lesley Norris, MSc, PT; Robert Dykes, PhD, Physiology; Matthew Hunt PT, PhD; Sara Saunders OT, PhD; Timothy Wideman PT, PhD

This course will explore the different approaches to treating chronic pain, current available evidence on their efficacy, side-effects, ethics, and their costs to the individual and the healthcare system. Management through pharmacology, procedural interventions, psychological approaches, functional rehabilitation, and different alternative therapies will be reviewed. 

Lecturers: Kimberly Smalridge PT; Sara Saunders OT, PhD; Lesley Norris Singer PT, MSc; Maria Dritsa, PhD Psychology; Dr. Mark Ware, MD, MRCP (UK); Dr. Jordi Perez MD, PhD, FIPP; André Bussières DC, MSc, PhD, FCCS; Celine Gélinas, RN, PhD; Melissa Richard-Lalonde N, PhD(c) 

This course explores specific pain conditions, their incidence, prevalence, and their underlying mechanism.  Clinical presentations of these conditions will be discussed as well as some general management strategies.

The elective provides you with a unique opportunity to build upon and compliment the course content in a personalized way by pursuing a topic area of interest. This could be done by transferring learning to a practical clinical setting, exploring a topic of interest in more detail, or taking an additional, graduate university-level course, from McGill or elsewhere, to enhance your understanding of chronic pain management.

*POTH603-Directed Practicum: This is a tutorial with directed practical experience in a clinical setting related to the student's clinical specialization, including curriculum development, and emphasizing current thought in rehabilitation. See previous years examples here.

*POTH618-Topics in Rehabilitation: This is a directed reading course on a topic in rehabilitation science. The student will acquire extensive knowledge in the topic of interest and understand the strengths and limitations of the current body of work in the area. See previous years examples here.

*Another 500-level or higher course (online or not) approved by the Director of Graduate Programs 

*Another 3 credit graduate level course (online or not) from a different university, as approved by the Director of Graduate Programs

The steering and curriculum committees include eminent scientists, healthcare professionals, and scholars.  

• Sabrina Carrié, MD, Anesthesiologist, Chronic Pain Specialist  
• Maria Dritsa, PhD, Psychology
• Robert Dykes, PhD, Physiology, Professor Emeritus
• Céline Gélinas, RN, PhD
• Jonathan Hudon, MD, Chronic Pain Specialist
• Lesley Norris, MSc, PT
• Sara Saunders, PhD, OT
• Kimberley Smalridge, PT
• Dr. Mark Ware, MD, MRCP (UK)
• Timothy Wideman, PhD, PT
• Isabelle Gélinas, PhD, OT, Director of Graduate Programs 
• Monica Slanik, BSc(Bio), BSc(OT), Chair and Program Management

Current contributors to the various courses are clinicians specialized in chronic pain management and leading experts from the School of Physical and Occupational Therapy and the Alan Edwards Centre for Research on Pain. View listing of contributors under each course above.

The four core courses are taken in the fall and winter semesters, the elective course can be taken during the fall, winter, or summer semester. As most students are working clinicians, it is recommended to take one course per term. With this recommended plan, the program will take 2 – 2.5 years to complete.

For those who are interested in completing the program earlier, we do offer a fast track option where certain courses can be taken as two per semester, thus completing the program in 1 - 1.5 years. 

Each course is one academic semester (13 weeks); with 2-3 hours per week of formal instruction plus 3-5 hours per week for assignments, readings, and work-integrated learning activities.

The ideal trajectory is to start with the first course in the Fall of each year. Students may start in the Winter however if this path is chosen, some review of foundational concepts prior to this first week of classes may be required.

Have more questions? Please see Frequently Asked Questions in menu.

A Bachelor of Science degree or equivalent in a health related discipline from a university or recognized institution is required to apply to this graduate program. Visit admissions for online graduate certificates for a full list of required documents and step by step process.

The tuition fee calculator is found here. At this link, you will find tuition costs and fees per semester. These fluctuate based on annual adjustments to the fees and charges. 

*Please note that international students may opt out of paying the International Health Insurance. 

You will need a personal computer with Internet access.