591: Brazilian Physical Therapy Faculty Knowledge of the IASP Pain Curriculum: A National Survey

Topic: Education, Societal Impact, and Others
Subtopic: Education

Background and Aims: Pain is a leading cause of disability worldwide, yet inadequate professional training remains a major barrier to effective pain care. The International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) recommends a competency-based pain curriculum for health professionals, including physical therapists. However, evidence suggests that pain education in undergraduate physical therapy programs is often insufficient, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. This study aimed to investigate Brazilian physical therapy faculty members’ perceived knowledge of the IASP pain curriculum and to identify gaps across its core domains.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey study was conducted following the CROSS reporting guidelines. Physical therapists working as faculty members or program coordinators in Brazilian undergraduate physical therapy programs were recruited via email and social media. Participants completed an online questionnaire assessing demographic characteristics, pain-related training, familiarity with the IASP pain curriculum, and perceived knowledge of curriculum competencies across four domains. Perceived knowledge was rated using a five-point Likert scale. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The study was approved by a local research ethics committee.

Results: Eighty-nine faculty members participated (mean age 43.0 ± 9.0 years; 58.4% women). Most reported teaching pain-related content (78.7%), although 71.9% had not received formal pain education during undergraduate training, and 15.7% reported no pain-specific training. While 74.2% were familiar with IASP, 41.6% were unaware of or neutral regarding the IASP pain curriculum for physical therapists. Higher perceived knowledge was reported in pain management and intervention domains, particularly exercise prescription and patient communication, whereas lower perceived knowledge was observed in pain neurobiology, neurophysiological mechanisms, and pharmacological pain management.

Conclusions: Brazilian physical therapy faculty report teaching pain-related content despite limited formal training and partial awareness of the IASP pain curriculum. Knowledge gaps were particularly evident in foundational pain science domains. These findings highlight the need for targeted faculty development and curricular alignment with IASP recommendations to strengthen pain education in undergraduate physical therapy programs. Improving educator training may represent a critical step toward reducing low-value pain care and improving outcomes for people living with pain in Brazil and similar contexts.

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Presenting Author: Jessica Fernandez Mosqueira Gomes
Submitting Author: Jessica Fernandez

Senior Author: Felipe J. J. Reis

IASP 2026 Global Year theme of Neuropathic Pain: No

• Samantha de Sousa Silva: NA - Instituto Federal do Rio de Janeiro
• Leandro Calazans Nogueira: PhD - Instituto Federal do Rio de Janeiro
• Josimari Melo DeSantana: PhD - Universidade Federal de Sergipe
• Felipe J. J. Reis: PhD - Instituto Federal do Rio de Janeiro