The first quarter of 2025 revealed an interesting trend in healthcare continuing education, with exceptional engagement with musculoskeletal assessment courses on Physiopedia Plus (Plus) showing that healthcare practitioners worldwide are invested in addressing the growing challenges of musculoskeletal conditions.
We regularly monitor trending courses on Plus and when we look at the start of 2025 it has been interesting to see a huge uptake of courses related to musculoskeletal assessment. The cervical spine and shoulder regions were consistent areas of interest throughout the quarter; with the Overview of Cervical Spine Assessment ranked among the top five most popular courses for two consecutive months, and the Overview of Shoulder Assessment course claiming the leading position in both February and March.
“This course was amazing! It helped me improve my cervical assessment skills. The course included in-depth information about the assessment elements, a proposed classification for an easy diagnosis selection, and videos of cervical tests that might help with making a diagnosis.” – Physiotherapist, Australia
This interest in musculoskeletal education may reflect on the current influences on health conditions and healthcare delivery. The growing occurrence of remote work environments and long hours spent on digital devices have caused ergonomic, postural and musculoskeletal issues in adults and adolescents, leading to an increased prevalence of neck and shoulder pain, creating new challenges for practitioners.
Patient preferences and insurance reimbursement models may also play a role in this educational trend. Many insurance providers prefer conservative management for cervical and shoulder conditions before approving more invasive procedures. Healthcare professionals respond to these expectations by improving their assessment and intervention skills for better patient outcomes and meet insurance’s documentation requirements.
The popularity of fundamental assessment courses like manual muscle testing, strength assessment and range of motion evaluation shows that students and clinicians recognise the importance of building strong clinical foundations. These skills enable more accurate diagnosis, better documentation and ultimately more effective patient care.
It was an excellent introductory course in muscle strength testing. It was interesting to learn another grading scale besides the Oxford one we usually use – Physiotherapist, South Africa
There is a lot of interest in using exercises for therapy in healthcare right now. The Therapeutic Exercise Prescription Guidelines course was super popular, landing in the top five resources in March! Physical activity was another significant topic in February’s trending courses. Global Issues Surrounding Physical Activity and The Role of Physical Activity in Non-Communicable Diseases, appearing in the top five, show healthcare professionals’ continuous recognition of exercise as a crucial intervention.
I love this course as it broadened my horizons and made me understand the role of physical activity in numerous conditions, specifically cancers. As a PT, I recommend this course to my fellows in allied health as it will help them build fundamental pools of concepts regarding this domain. – Physiotherapist, Pakistan
It isn’t just movement in general that has been popular so far this year, the specific Gait Definitions and Gait Cycles in March’s top courses shows a focus on functional movement assessment.
It was an excellent presentation. It will improve my gait analysis in a clinical setting and improve my practice prowess!” – Physiotherapist, United Kingdom
These educational trends collectively demonstrate healthcare professionals’ commitment to providing hands-on, personalised care through mastery of physical assessment techniques and functional exercise provision. We are eagerly following these trends so that we can continue to support you with evidence-based resources to address these emerging needs.
Physiopedia Plus is a subscription site that offers internationally accredited continuing education and professional development opportunities for the global rehabilitation community in 6 languages.
Your subscription fees fund the Physiopedia charity website to keep it updated and openly accessible to all.
Your subscription also provides FREE access to Plus for rehabilitation professionals in low income countries.
There are also discounts available depending on where you live and for students.