Central Sensitisation for Manual Therapy Practitioners

This is a two hour CPD course Persistent musculoskeletal pain remains one of the most complex and challenging presentations in modern manual therapy. While traditional approaches focus on tissue damage and structural dysfunction, this course introduces a contemporary, evidence-informed framework grounded in pain neuroscience and central sensitisation. Throughout this course, you will develop a clear understanding of how pain can persist beyond normal healing timelines, and why the relationship between tissue damage and pain is often inconsistent. You will explore the key mechanisms underlying central sensitisation, including changes within the peripheral tissues, spinal cord, and brain, and how these contribute to amplified and widespread pain experiences. A strong emphasis is placed on clinical reasoning. You will learn how to recognise the characteristic features of a sensitised nervous system, including disproportionate pain, unpredictability, hyperalgesia, and allodynia. The course also provides practical guidance on assessment strategies, including subjective history-taking, the use of screening tools such as the Central Sensitisation Inventory, and physical examination techniques that help identify altered pain thresholds. Importantly, this course translates theory into practice. You will be guided through management considerations specific to central sensitisation, including how to adjust your manual therapy “dose,” communicate effectively with clients, and apply pacing and graded exposure principles. The focus shifts from structural correction to symptom modulation, helping you deliver care that aligns with the client’s current nervous system capacity. By the end of this course, you will be equipped to confidently assess, classify, and manage persistent pain presentations using a modern, biopsychosocial approach. This course is designed to enhance your clinical reasoning, improve client outcomes, and support your ongoing professional development.