Advanced MSK Practice 2: Applied Advanced MSK Practice

This module builds directly on the foundations established in Advanced MSK Practice 1: Principles of Advanced MSK Practice, supporting clinicians to integrate biopsychosocial principles with deeper structural and physiological understanding in musculoskeletal (MSK) care. This module focuses on translating advanced level contemporary theory into skilled, confident, and adaptable MSK practice. This module is specifically tailored for musculoskeletal (MSK) outpatient physiotherapists, but may be of benefit for MSK clinicians from a range of MSK disciplines and settings (e.g., osteopathy, urgent care, orthopaedics, etc).

You will explore how anatomy, physiology, biomechanics, and tissue healing interact with psychological, social and behavioural influences to shape pain, function and recovery. Emphasis is placed on developing a nuanced understanding of when structural and physiological factors meaningfully inform clinical presentations, and when they do not fully explain a patient’s experience. By synthesising these perspectives, you will cultivate a flexible and evidence-informed framework for clinical reasoning, assessment, and management.

A central focus of the module is the development of advanced practical and hands-on skills. Through extensive face-to-face teaching, and supported work-based learning, you will refine your ability to perform expert subjective and physical examinations, generate and test clinical hypotheses, and interpret findings within a broader, biopsychosocial context. You will develop confidence in managing complexity and uncertainty, including recognising red flags, integrating additional assessment methods, and making appropriate referral or escalation decisions.

You will also enhance your capability to select, deliver, and evaluate a wide range of MSK interventions. These include manual therapy, exercise and functional rehabilitation, movement-based approaches, and psychologically informed strategies, alongside consideration of pharmacological, injection, and surgical management pathways. The module emphasises precision, safety, and competence in manual handling skills, while maintaining a strong commitment to holistic, evidence-informed MSK care that integrates scientific knowledge with individual patient context.

Timetable

• 07 April 2027
• 13 April 2027
• 20 April 2027
• 29 April 2027
• 04 May 2027
• 12 May 2027
• 18 May 2027
• 24 May 2027
• 01 June 2027
• 09 June 2027
• 16 June 2027
• 22 June 2027
• 29 June 2027
• 06 July 2027
• 20 July 2027 - exam

Who is it for?

This course is for registered healthcare professionals working in any area of musculoskeletal clinical practice. Prior completion of Advanced MSK 1: Principles of Advanced MSK Practice is a mandatory pre-requisite, as it underpins the knowledge and skills to fully participate in and benefit from this module.

Benefits

This module is part of our MSc Advanced MSK Practice programme and therefore is accredited by the Musculoskeletal Association of Chartered Physiotherapists (MACP) and NHS England’s Centre for Advancing Practice – the only course in the country with dual accreditation. This module enables learners to fulfil the NHSE Advanced Practice Multiprofessional Framework (2024), the NHSE Advanced Practice MSK Curriculum and Capabilities Framework (2023), and the IFOMPT Educational Standards Framework (2016). Completion facilitates accreditation as an Advanced MSK Practitioner and MACP membership, and can be used to contribute towards the MSc Advanced MSK Practice.

Accredited by:

• Musculoskeletal Association of Chartered Physiotherapists
• NHS England
• The Centre for Advancing Practice.

This short course module is designed to be flexible in allowing you to study and reach your goals at your own pace. Our health CPD courses are credit-bearing modules that may contribute to a University degree or award.

Transfer course credits towards postgraduate taught degree

As a health care professional, once you've completed this course you could offset 15 credits as part of a postgraduate programme, continuing your study with further modules to make up a Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert) 60 credits.

The overall aim of this module is enable MSK clinicians to integrate biopsychosocial and structural-physiological knowledge to perform expert MSK assessments, develop precise practical handling skills, and make evidence-informed, patient centred clinical decisions about care in complex and uncertain contexts. Below are the module learning outcomes.

Knowledge

Integrate and critically appraise core MSK sciences—including anatomy, physiology and tissue healing—with contemporary biopsychosocial understandings to form a coherent, evidence-informed perspective on MSK health. (NHSE Domains A, B, C; IFOMPT Dimensions 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)

Skills

Perform and evaluate advanced MSK assessments by applying expert biopsychosocial reasoning to both subjective and physical examination, and create collaboratively designed, individualised treatment plans that respond to patient needs and priorities (NHSE Domains A, B, C; IFOMPT Dimensions 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) Demonstrate and refine high-level manual handling and manipulation skills, ensuring techniques are accurate, safe and executed with precision and professional competence. (NHSE Domains C; IFOMPT Dimensions 8) Analyse and interpret subjective findings to discriminate between possible MSK and non-MSK (including red flag) presentations and conduct and critically appraise non-MSK physical assessment techniques such as abdominal, neurological, and cardiovascular screening assessments; interpret findings and justify appropriate signposting, referral or escalation pathway. (NHSE Domains A, B; IFOMPT Dimensions 1, 2, 3, 6, 7)

Values and attitudes

Analyse and synthesise authentic real-world MSK health challenges, and generate evidence-informed strategies to address these issues at the micro (individual), meso (service) and macro (system) levels (NHSE Domain D; IFOMPT Dimension 10) Critically evaluate and apply the knowledge, behaviours and decision-making processes required of advanced MSK practitioners, demonstrating readiness for the complexities and demands of advanced clinical roles (NHSE Domain D; IFOMPT Dimension 10)

Teaching

• Principles and practice of handling and manual therapy
• Anatomy, physiology, biomechanics, and pathology of MSK disorders
• Detection and management of red flag pathologies
• Evidence based understandings and practical application of subjective and physical examination techniques
• Evidence based management of MSK disorders including exercise rehabilitation, functional rehabilitation, manual manipulation, adjunctive treatments (e.g., taping, myofascial techniques, etc), and pharmacologic and surgical management options
• Situating core MSK science within a biopsychosocial paradigm
• All synthesised within 12 face to face practical taught days orientated around the cervical and thoracic spine, shoulder, elbow, wrist and hand, lumbar spine and sacroiliac joint, hip, knee, foot and ankle.

Assessment

Students will undertake two clinical scenario OSCEs with a professional actor playing the role of the simulated patient. The clinical scenarios at hand will be based on real life patients seen within MSK AP clinical settings. Students will be required to conduct a subjective assessment, objective assessment, and treatment/management with the patient, and will then perform a movement analysis, manual therapy technique, and viva examination to demonstrate integrated evidence based biopsychosocial-structural-pathophysiological knowledge and skills.

Award

This module may be used toward the MSc Advanced MSK Practice award, or other MSc Advanced Practice awards at City St George’s University of London.

Credits

This course is worth 15 credits toward eligible programmes.

November 2026: To apply for this course please complete this online form.

April 2027: To apply for this course please complete this online form.

If applying for this module, you MUST state the Module Title and Course Code in the personal statement tab. Without this we will be unaware of what module you are applying for and will delay your application decision.

Registered health care professionals who practice clinical assessment and treatment of musculoskeletal disorders with sufficient clinical experience and knowledge to engage fully in level 7 learning (assessed via application process).

It is recommended that you are working in a musculoskeletal clinical practice setting whilst undertaking this module, but this is not a formal requirement. Completion of the the Advanced MSK Practice 1: Principles of Advanced MSK Practice module is a mandatory pre-requisite.

Undergraduate degree of equivalent

You should have all of the following:

• Honours degree (2:2 or above) from the UK or Republic of Ireland
• recognised healthcare/health-related professional qualification and current professional registration
• at least one years full-time clinical experience (or the equivalent in part-time hours) in health or social care employment (for example nursing, paramedics, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, pharmacy, radiology, etc).

International qualifications

We accept equivalent qualifications gained in other countries. Please see our Entry Requirements page. For countries not on this list, we use UK ENIC to assess. Please see our International Student Support pages for more information.

If you have any questions, you can contact us at pgenquiries@sgul.ac.uk.

English requirements

If English is not your first language, you will require one of the following:

• A first degree from a UK university
• A first degree from an overseas institution recognised by City St George's, University of London as providing adequate evidence of proficiency in the English language, for example, from institutions from Australia, Canada or the United States of America
• International English Language Test Service (IELTS) a score of 7.0 is required with no subtest below 7.0
• Pearson Test of English (Academic) score 72 required
• TOEFL 100 overall with 24 in Writing, 20 in Listening, 19 Reading and 20 Speaking
• Other evidence of proficiency in the English language, which satisfies the board of studies concerned, including registration with your professional regulator.

This is a Group 1 course.

Full details can be found on our English Language requirements webpage.