Cognitive Behavioural Skills to Treat Back Pain

The Back Skills Training (BeST) Programme

Esther Williamson, Pippa Nicolson, Beth Fordham, and Zara Hansen

Most FutureLearn courses run multiple times. Every run of a course has a set start date but you can join it and work through it after it starts. Find out more This course is approved by the British Psychological Society for the purposes of Continuing Professional Development for healthcare professionals. It is designed for healthcare professionals with a role or interest in managing patients with low back pain (including nurses, occupational therapists, physiotherapists and psychological therapists). It will also be useful for students training to become healthcare professionals. The Certificate of Achievement for this course would be useful for providing evidence of CPD. You can use the hashtag #FLbackskills to talk about this course on social media.

Topics Covered

The nature and cause of persistent low back pain.
The cognitive behavioural approach.
Exercise and activity for low back pain.
How thoughts and feelings can influence pain.
Pain management skills.

Enroll now

Save this course

Create your own learning path. Save this course to your list so you can find it easily later.

Save

Reviews summary

Cbt skills for back pain management

According to learners, this course offers a largely positive experience, particularly for healthcare professionals seeking to understand and apply the cognitive behavioural approach to chronic back pain. Students frequently highlight the well-structured modules and clear, accessible content, finding it provides actionable skills and valuable insights into patient communication. While many find it invaluable for clinical practice, some note that the depth might be introductory for those with advanced CBT backgrounds, and a few mentioned pacing issues or dated video quality. Overall, it's considered a solid foundation for managing back pain.

Ideal for foundational learning, potentially basic for experts.

"Some parts felt a little basic if you already have a strong CBT background, but it's a solid foundation."

"It's good for an introduction, but perhaps not deep enough for advanced practitioners."

"It might be good for absolute beginners, but if you have any prior knowledge, you might find it too superficial."

Modules are well-organized and presented accessibly.

"The modules were well-structured and easy to follow. I found the practical applications and case studies extremely helpful."

"The content was clear, and the videos were engaging. The material is presented in a very accessible way, and insights are profound."

"Excellent course! It is well-structured, clear, and provides practical tools. I learned a lot about applying CBT techniques."

Equips professionals with actionable skills for clinical use.

"It truly deepened my knowledge and equipped me with actionable skills. Highly recommended for any healthcare professional."

"As a physiotherapist, I found this course invaluable. It’s highly practical and has immediately impacted how I communicate with patients..."

"I learned a lot about how to apply CBT techniques specifically to chronic back pain. The emphasis on patient empowerment was truly impactful."

Some videos described as dated or needing improvement.

"My only minor critique is that some of the video quality could be improved, but it didn't detract significantly from the learning."

"Honestly, I was a bit disappointed... the production quality of some videos seemed dated. It might be good for absolute beginners."

Pacing can be slow; some desired more interactive elements.

"I felt it dragged a bit in places. While it covers important concepts, I sometimes struggled with the pacing."

"The online forum was not very active, which made discussion less engaging."

"I found the course somewhat dry. While the information is important, the presentation could be more engaging."

Activities

Coming soon We're preparing activities for Cognitive Behavioural Skills to Treat Back Pain: The Back Skills Training (BeST) Programme. These are activities you can do either before, during, or after a course.

Career center

Learners who complete Cognitive Behavioural Skills to Treat Back Pain: The Back Skills Training (BeST) Programme will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Reading list

We haven't picked any books for this reading list yet.

The Chronic Pain Control Workbook