PhD Project: Closing the Pain Education Gap in Chiropractic and Osteopathy Education
Applications for this PhD project are now open. The deadline for applications is 6 April 2026.
Pain is the most common reason people seek healthcare, yet professional pain education remains inconsistent, variably implemented, and often poorly linked to measurable improvements in clinical behaviour or patient outcomes. Manual therapy professions such as chiropractic and osteopathy manage a substantial proportion of musculoskeletal pain in the UK, but pain education within these fields has historically relied on historical explanatory models and unclear assumptions about effectiveness. This PhD addresses a critical and timely challenge attempting to close the gap between pain education, clinician competence, and real-world patient benefit.
Project Contact:
Professor David Newell
Email: david.newell@hsu.ac.uk
Details
This project will investigate the “pain education validation gap” by developing and testing a competency-based framework for contemporary pain management in chiropractic and osteopathic care.
It will ask whether clearly defined, evidence-informed pain competencies can be reliably taught, whether they lead to sustained changes in clinician reasoning and behaviour. We will also explore the possibility of a feasibility trial to identify whether higher levels of clinician competence are associated with improved patient experiences and outcomes in routine musculoskeletal care.
The PhD will use a rigorous, mixed-methods design across three linked studies. The first will develop and validate a pain competency framework using evidence synthesis, expert consensus, and patient input followed by an evaluation a competency-based education intervention for chiropractic and osteopathic students, examining changes in beliefs, clinical reasoning and communication concerning pain.
Depending on progression of the initial studies a third will be a a feasibility study for a cluster based pragmatic trial at Health Sciences University teaching clinics, testing in student clinicians whether the developed pain education leads to measurable improvements in patient outcomes such as enablement, therapeutic alliance, empathy, pain, and disability.
Based at Health Sciences University in the UK and aligned with the Centre for PAIn Research, this PhD offers advanced training in mixed-methods research, education evaluation and potentially, trial design.
It is well suited to applicants from health sciences, psychology, rehabilitation, or related disciplines who are motivated to improve pain care through education, evidence, and clinical relevance. UK and international applicants are welcome, with UK presence required for later stages of the project.
Funding 
HSU is offering up to three fee waivers for UK home applicants starting in October 2026. All eligible UK home applicants will automatically be considered for fee waiver support, which is awarded competitively based on the excellence of the candidate.
International applicants are unfortunately not eligible for fee waivers.
All applicants are expected to have financial plans in place to cover their studies and should not rely on a fee waiver.
Self-funded students are also welcome to apply for this project. Self-funded students can be UK home students or international students.
Availability
Available to both UK and International students
Potential Supervisors
Latest News
Discover and read all the latest news, press releases and happenings here at Health Sciences University.
Health Sciences University (HSU) and the College of Integrated Chinese Medicine (CICM) have confirmed that they have begun early exploratory discussions about the possibility of a future merger. HSU and CICM already have an established academic relationship, with HSU currently validating CICM’s degree provision. The discussions now underway are separate from, and additional to, this existing validation arrangement.
Nils Theuninck is a third-year Master of Chiropractic student at Health Sciences University with an impressive background in elite sailing. He has competed internationally as part of the Swiss National Sailing Team and has earned several podium finishes at major events. Most recently, Nils sailed with Alinghi Red Bull Racing in their challenge for the 37th America’s Cup. His dedication to both sport and chiropractic has been recognised with a 2025 International Sports Chiropractic Federation (FICS) Student Scholarship. We spoke to him about his sailing journey, how this influenced his decision to study chiropractic, and his goals for the future.
The National Student Survey (NSS) is now open and will close on 30 April 2026. If you’re a final‑year undergraduate, this is your chance to tell us about your experience of studying at HSU.
Our campuses in Bournemouth and London will be closed from 6pm Wednesday 24th December 2025, and will re-open at on Monday 5th January 2026.
An innovation developed through HSU’s Centre for Osteopathic Research and Leadership (CORaL) has been selected by the World Health Organization as one of just 21 projects worldwide to feature at the WHO Global Summit.
Advance HE has published a new report that explores the merger which brought together AECC University College in Bournemouth and the University College of Osteopathy in London to create Health Sciences University (HSU).
