Musculoskeletal (MSK) problems are among the most common reasons children present to health services. Because movement difficulties, pain, delayed milestones, and functional decline can signal a wide range of conditions – from benign variants to life-threatening illnesses – rehabilitation and therapeutic health professionals play a crucial role in early identification, screening and management.

This course provides a comprehensive, clinically oriented overview of paediatric MSK conditions, equipping participants with foundational knowledge and practical skills to recognise normal versus abnormal development, identify red flags, manage common conditions and implement evidence-based rehabilitation strategies.

About the course

  • Course Design: Self-directed

  • Duration: It will take about 3 hours to complete.

  • Eligibility for this course:
    • Rehabilitative and Therapeutic Health Professionals
    • Primary Care Nurse Specialists
    • Medical Officers
    • WCDHW Trainers
    • Clinical Facilitators

  • Accreditation: This course is accredited for:
    • HPCSA: 3 Clinical CPD points (Level 1)
    • WCDHW Nursing: 3 CPD points in Area of Practice

  • Certification: Participants need 70% pass mark for final quiz.

  • Published: October 2026

If you meet the eligibility criteria, apply to start:

Your supervisor details are required

Apply to enroll

Course outline

This course covers the following content:

Musculoskeletal Problems in Children: A Clinical Approach for Rehabilitation & Therapeutic Health Professionals
  • Module 1: Foundations: overview of musculoskeletal conditions
    • Trauma-related musculoskeletal conditions
    • Non-trauma related musculoskeletal conditions
    • Recognising changes in movement
    • Normal motor development
  • Module 2: History and clinical examination
    • Red flags on history
    • pGALS
    • MSK screening examination
  • Module 3: Musculoskeletal conditions in children
    • Trauma-related conditions:
      • Fractures
      • Overuse injuries
      • Non-accidental injuries
    • Non-trauma-related conditions:
      • Normal variants
      • Blount’s Disease (Tibia vara)
      • Vitamin D deficiency
      • Pes Cavus
      • Pes Planus
      • Congenital clubbed foot 
      • Developmental dysplasia of the hip
      • Scoliosis
      • Hypermobility
      • Growing pains
  • Module 4: Specific musculoskeletal conditions in children
    • Septic arthritis
    • Osteomyelitis
    • Tuberculosis
    • Post-infectious (reactive) arthritis
    • Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis
    • Juvenile Dermatomyositis 
    • Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
    • Haemophilia
    • Cerebral palsy
  • Module 5: General management principles
    • Monitoring tools
    • Pharmacological management
    • Non-pharmacological management
    • Pain management
    • Paediatric pain assessment tools
    • Coping with pain: distraction techniques
    • Coping with pain: non-pharmacological tools
    • Rehabilitation and therapy
    • Support and wellbeing
  • Module 6: Conclusion
    • Summary of all modules


Western Cape Government Department of Health and Wellness
People Development Centre

Acknowledgements:

  • University of Cape Town’s Knowledge & Instructional Development (KIDS) Training Hub
  • Knowledge Translation Unit