NRP 53 “Musculoskeletal Health - Chronic Pain“

The main goal of the National Research Programme “Musculoskeletal Health – Chronic Pain“ (NRP 53) is to promote the maintenance of musculoskeletal health. Utilizing an interdisciplinary approach, the projects should investigate the following research foci:

Analysis of musculoskeletal health status in the Swiss population, taking into consideration sociological, psychological, economic, legal, and ethical aspects
Identification of new exogenous factors that cause musculoskeletal disease states or accidents/injuries, or promote musculoskeletal health, respectively, whereby the factors may stem from the workplace, lifestyles, or the environment
Identification of genetic determinants of musculoskeletal health and pathology
Intervention studies designed to promote musculoskeletal health for specific groups in the population at high risk for musculoskeletal diseases, and analysis of the relevant ethical, legal, psychological, sociological and economic issues
Interdisciplinary analyses of the mechanisms of chronic pain and of the transition from acute to chronic pain in the musculoskeletal system
Development of new therapeutic strategies for the treatment of pain in the musculoskeletal system

The NRP will provide the responsible cantonal and federal authorities with the necessary scientific bases for the designing of appropriate prevention measures and thus make an important contribution towards health promotion.

Framework

CHF 12'000'000

Duration

5 years

President of the steering committee

Andreas E. Stuck, Geriatrische Universitätsklinik, Spital Netz Bern, Bern

Implementation Officer

Mathis Brauchbar, Advocacy AG, Zürich

Programme Coordinator

Barbara Flückiger Schwarzenbach, SNSF

Work launch

April 2014