Prof. Thomas Benz PhD

Work at ZHAW

Position

• Professor of Physiotherapy, focus Chronic Care
• Head Head of Continuous Education and Services Physiotherapy
• Deputy Head of the Institute of Physiotherapy

Experience

• Professor ZFH
  ZHAW
  2023 - today
• Head of Continuous Education and Services Physiotherapy
  ZHAW
  2020 - today
• Scientific Collaborator Research Department
  ZurzachCare, Bad Zurzach
  2009 - today
• Head of Therapies, Pain Center
  ZurzachCare, Bad Zurzach
  2009 - 2020
• Physiotherapist
  diverse
  2005 - 2009

Education and Continuing education

Education

• PhD / Health Sciences
  Graduate School for Health Sciences, University of Bern
  2015 - 2020
• MSc ETH / Human Movment Sciences
  ETH Zürich
  2000 - 2005
• Physiotherapist
  Physiotherapieschule Leukerbad
  1991 - 1995

Network

ORCID digital identifier

ORCID ID: 0000-0001-6538-0022

Social media

• LinkedIn
• ORCiD

Projects

• The effect of pain education and graded sensorimotor relearning compared to usual physiotherapy in patients with low back pain: RESOLVE Swiss / Project leader / laufend
• GLAD Back Switzerland / Project leader / laufend

Publications

• Angst, Felix; Geiser, Franziska; Benz, Thomas; Lehmann, Susanne; Sandor, Peter,

  2024.

  Somatisation differentiates fibromyalgia from low back pain : a comparative, cross-sectional cohort study.

  Rheumatology.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.1093/rheumatology/keae462

• Angst, Felix; Benz, Thomas; Lehmann, Susanne; Seifritz, Erich; Sándor, Peter S.; Angst, Katrin,

  2024.

  Measurement of depression and anxiety in chronic low back pain and fibromyalgia : a validity comparison of four patient-reported outcome measures.

  Journal of Depression and Anxiety Disorders.

  6(1), pp. 162-172.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.36959/362/489

• Giangreco, Salvatore; Benz, Thomas; Luomajoki, Hannu; Felsch, Quinten,

  2023.

  Validierung und Reliabilitätsprüfung des „Athlete Fear Avoidance Questionnaire (AFAQ)“.

  Sportverletzung - Sportschaden.

  37(4), pp. 164-170.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.1055/a-2176-4349

• Benz, Thomas; Lehmann, Susanne; Sandor, Peter; Angst, Felix,

  2023.

  Relationship between subjectively-rated and objectively-tested physical function across six different medical diagnoses.

  Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine.

  55(jrm9383).

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.2340/jrm.v55.9383

• Walder, Sibylle; Betschart, Martina; Benz, Thomas,

  2023.

  Vergleich zweier Bandagetechniken bei sekundärem Armlymphödem nach Brustkrebs – Wirkung des Zweilagen-Kompressionssystems „3M Coban 2 Lite“ auf das Ödemvolumen und die Lebensqualität bei brustkrebsbedingtem Armlymphödem im Vergleich zur Dreischichten-Kompressionsbandage : eine Kohortenstudie.

  Physioscience.

  20(02), pp. 57-66.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.1055/a-2069-8113

• Angst, Felix; Benz, Thomas; Lehmann, Susanne; Sándor, Peter S.; Wagner, Stephan,

  2023.

  Effects of inpatient rehabilitation in leg lymphedema : a naturalistic prospective cohort study with intra-individual control of effects.

  Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

  104(12), pp. 2035-2042.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apmr.2023.06.001

• Luomajoki, Hannu; Pfeiffer, Fabian; Benz, Thomas,

  2023.

  Rückenschmerzen : welche Evidenz haben Prävention und Physiotherapie?.

  Therapeutische Umschau.

  80(4), pp. 175-182.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.1024/0040-5930/a001432

• Angst, Felix; Lehmann, Susanne; Sandor, Peter S.; Benz, Thomas,

  2022.

  Catastrophizing as a prognostic factor for pain and physical function in the multidisciplinary rehabilitation of fibromyalgia and low back pain.

  European Journal of Pain.

  26(7), pp. 1569-1580.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.1002/ejp.1983

• Benz, Thomas; Lehmann, Susanne; Elfering, Achim; Sandor, Peter S.; Angst, Felix,

  2021.

  Comprehensiveness and validity of a multidimensional assessment in patients with chronic low back pain : a prospective cohort study.

  BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders.

  22(291).

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12891-021-04130-x

• Angst, Felix; Benz, Thomas; Lehmann, Susanne; Sandor, Peter; Wagner, Stephan,

  2021.

  Common and contrasting characteristics of the chronic soft-tissue pain conditions fibromyalgia and lipedema.

  Journal of Pain Research.

  14, pp. 2931-2941.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.2147/JPR.S315736

• Benz, Thomas,

  2025.

  Physiotherapeutisches Patient*innenmanagement am Beispiel des GLA:D Rückenprogramms

  .

  In:

  Luomajoki, Hannu; Schwertfellner, Christoph, eds.,

  Hands-off in der Physiotherapie.

  Stuttgart:

  Thieme.

  pp. 263-268.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.1055/b000000892

• Angst, Felix; Benz, Thomas,

  2023.

  Disabilities of the arm, shoulder, and hand questionnaire (DASH)

  .

  In:

  Maggino, Filomena, ed.,

  Encyclopedia of Quality of Life and Well-Being Research.

  Cham:

  Springer.

  pp. 1808-1828.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-17299-1_3892

• Benz, Thomas; Geiser, Franziska; Lehmann, Susanne; Sandor, Peter; Angst, Felix,

  2024.

  Somatisation differentiates fibromyalgia from low back pain : a comparative, cross-sectional cohort study [poster].

  In:

  Swiss Pain Society and Swiss Gender Health Network Annual Congress, Aarau, Switzerland, 14-15 November 2024.

• Benz, Thomas; Niedermann Schneider, Karin; IG GLA:D,

  2024.

  The implementation of exercise and education as first-line interventions for osteoarthritis and low back pain in Switzerland [poster].

  In:

  Swiss Pain Society and Swiss Gender Health Network Annual Congress, Aarau, Switzerland, 14-15 November 2024.

• Angst, Felix; Geiser, Franziska; Benz, Thomas; Lehrmann, Susanne; Sandor, Peter,

  2024.

  Somatisation differentiates fibromyalgia from low back pain : a comparative, cross-sectional cohort study [poster].

  In:

  11th Annual Scientific Conference of the European Association for Psychosomatic Medicine (EAPM), Lausanne, Switzerland, 12-15 June 2024.

• Benz, Thomas; Lehmann, Susann; Sandor, Peter; Angst, Felix,

  2022.

  Catastrophizing as a prognostic factor for pain and physical function in the multidisciplinary rehabilitation of fibromyalgia and low back pain [poster].

  In:

  12th Congress of the European Pain Federation (EFIC), Dublin, Ireland, 27-30 April 2022.

• Benz, Thomas; Hilfiker, Roger; Allet, Lara; Bechter, Susann; Frank, Felicitas; Peters, Rick; Roffler, Martina; Scascighini, Luca; Niedermann Schneider, Karin,

  2021.

  GLA:D Rücken : ein Schulungs- und Übungsprogramm für Personen mit Rückenschmerzen [poster].

  In:

  2. Kooperationskongress SMARTER REHA, online, 6.-7. Mai 2021.

• Benz, Thomas; Lehmann, Susanne; Elfering, Achim; Sandor, Peter; Angst, Felix,

  2021.

  Comprehensiveness and validity of multidimensional assessment in patients with chronic low back pain [poster].

  In:

  IASP 2021 Virtual World Congress on Pain, online, 9-11 June and 16-18 June 2021.

• Benz, Thomas; Lehmann, Susanne; Elfering, Achim; Sandor, Peter; Angst, Felix,

  2021.

  Comprehensiveness and validity of multidimensional assessment in patients with chronic low back pain [poster].

  In:

  World Physiotherapy Congress, online, 9-11 April 2021.

• Benz, Thomas; Angst, Felix; Lehmann, Susanne; Wagner, Stephan; Simmen, Beat; Sandor, Peter; Gengenbacher, Michael; Angst, Jules,

  2021.

  Extended overview of the longitudinal pain-depression association : a comparison of 6 naturalistic cohort studies of specific chronic pain conditions [poster].

  In:

  World Physiotherapy Congress, online, 9-11 April 2021.

• Benz, Thomas; Lehmann, Susanne; Wagner, Stephan; Simmen, Beat; Sandor, Peter; Gengenbacher, Michael; Angst, Jules; Angst, Felix,

  2021.

  Extended overview of the longitudinal pain-depression association : a comparison of 6 naturalistic cohort studies of specific chronic pain conditions [poster].

  In:

  IASP 2021 Virtual World Congress on Pain, online, 9-11 June and 16-18 June 2021.

• Bechter, Susann; Benz, Thomas; Niedermann, Karin,

  2022.

  Spezifisches Training & Edukation.

  Schmerz.Therapie.

  5(02), pp. 86-90.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.1055/a-1756-9434

• Benz, Thomas; Allet, Lara; Bechter, Susann; Capra, Gianpiero; Hilfiker, Roger; Niedermann Schneider, Karin; Scascighini, Luca; Frank, Felicitas; Peters, Rick; Roffler, Martina,

  2022.

  GLA:D Rücken Programm : ein Edukations- und Übungsprogramm für Personen mit chronischen oder rezidivierenden lumbalen Rückenschmerzen.

  Physioactive.

  58(1), pp. 5-9.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.5169/seals-1047016

• Benz, Thomas,

  2024.

  GLA:D - Programm und die Evidenz von Trainingsmassnahmen bei lumbalen Rückenproblematiken.

  In:

  6. Physio-Symposium der Orthopädie Rosenberg, Gossau, Schweiz, 6. November 2024.

• Benz, Thomas; Niedermann Schneider, Karin; Interessensgemeinschaft (IG) GLA:D,

  2024.

  The implementation of GLA:D programmes in Switzerland.

  In:

  IFOMPT 2024, Basel, Switzerland, 4-6 July 2024.

• Benz, Thomas,

  2022.

  Weiterbildung im Spannungsfeld «Fachexpertise und Interprofessionalität».

  In:

  IGPTR-Tagung, Rheinfelden, Schweiz, 6. Dezember 2022.

• Benz, Thomas,

  2022.

  GLA:D Rücken Programm bei lumbalen Rückenschmerzen.

  In:

  Physioswiss Kantonalverband Aargau, online, 5. Oktober 2022.

Publications before appointment at the ZHAW

• Comparison of short- and mid-term outcomes of Italian- and German-speaking patients after an interdisciplinary pain management programme in Switzerland: A prospective cohort study
• Responsiveness of the cervical Northern American Spine Society questionnaire (NASS) and the Short Form 36 (SF-36) in chronic whiplash
• Effects of inpatient rehabilitation in hip and knee osteoarthritis: a naturalistic prospective cohort study with intraindividual control of effects
• Association of the sense of coherence with physical and psychosocial health in the rehabilitation of osteoarthritis of the hip and knee: a prospective cohort study
• Interdisciplinary rehabilitation after whiplash injury: An observational prospective 5 years outcome study
• Effectiveness of subgroup-specific pain rehabilitation: a randomized controlled trial in patients with chronic back pain
• Health and quality of life in patients with medication overuse headache syndrome after standardized inpatient rehabilitation: A cross-sectional pilot study
• Translation, cross-cultural adaptation and reliability of the German version of the migraine disability assessment (MIDAS) questionnaire
• Extended overview of the longitudinal pain-depression association: A comparison of six cohorts treated for specific chronic pain conditions
• Treatment of chronic pain in Switzerland: scientific evidence
• Salutogenic concepts in the rehabilitation of osteoarthritis
• Comparison of patients in three different rehabilitation settings after knee or hip arthroplasty: a natural observational, prospective study
• Multidimensional minimal clinically important differences in knee osteoarthritis after comprehensive rehabilitation: a prospective evaluation from the Bad Zurzach Osteoarthritis Study
• Quadriceps performance under activation of foot dorsal extension in healthy volunteers: an interventional cohort study
• Rehabilitation bei chronischen Kopfschmerzen
• Neurorehabilitation bei Kopfschmerzen

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