Prof. Thomas Benz, PhD

Work at ZHAW

Position

• Professor of Physiotherapy
• Head Head of Continuous Education and Services Physiotherapy
• Deputy Head of the Institute of Physiotherapy
• GLA:D Back Switzerland Project Manager and Head of Research
• Project Manager (PI) RESOLVE Swiss (SNSF Project)

Experience

• Professor ZHAW
  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

Continuing Education

• Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) in Management-oriented Business Administration
  Zurich University of Applied Sciences
  07 / 2025
• Leadership training
  Zurich University of Applied Sciences
  08 / 2023

Network

ORCID digital identifier

ORCID ID: 0000-0001-6538-0022

Social media

• LinkedIn
• ORCiD

Projects

• RESOLVE Swiss: a new treatment approach in patients with low back pain / Project leader / ongoing
• GLAD Back Switzerland / Project leader / ongoing

Publications

Articles in scientific journal, peer-reviewed

• Wirz, M. et al. (2026) 'Pain science education and graded sensorimotor relearning versus usual physiotherapy for chronic non-specific low back pain (RESOLVE Swiss) : study protocol for a multicentre, cluster-randomised controlled trial with a nested neuroimaging substudy', BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders. doi: 10.1186/s12891-026-10523-7.
• Benz, T. et al. (2026) 'Health and quality of life in patients with leg lymphedema during maintenance phase', Vasa. doi: 10.1024/0301-1526/a001290.
• Angst, F. et al. (2026) 'Volume reduction in leg lymphedema after comprehensive inpatient rehabilitation : a naturalistic prospective cohort study', Vasa. doi: 10.1024/0301-1526/a001268.
• Benz, T. et al. (2025) 'Comprehensiveness and validity of a multidimensional assessment of patients with fibromyalgia : a prospective cohort study', BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, 26(1), p. 1064. doi: 10.1186/s12891-025-09270-y.
• Bechter, S., Benz, T. and Niedermann, K. (2025) 'Leitlinienbasierte Therapie bei Arthrose und Rückenschmerzen mit GLA:D®', der informierte @rzt, 15(8), pp. 18–22. doi: 10.23785/ARZT.2025.08.004.
• Angst, F. et al. (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. doi: 10.36959/362/489.
• Angst, F. et al. (2024) 'Somatisation differentiates fibromyalgia from low back pain : a comparative, cross-sectional cohort study', Rheumatology, 64(4), pp. 1741–1749. doi: 10.1093/rheumatology/keae462.
• Benz, T. et al. (2023) 'Relationship between subjectively-rated and objectively-tested physical function across six different medical diagnoses', Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine, 55(jrm9383). doi: 10.2340/jrm.v55.9383.
• Giangreco, S. et al. (2023) 'Validierung und Reliabilitätsprüfung des "Athlete Fear Avoidance Questionnaire (AFAQ)"', Sportverletzung - Sportschaden, 37(4), pp. 164–170. doi: 10.1055/a-2176-4349.
• Walder, S., Betschart, M. and Benz, T. (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. doi: 10.1055/a-2069-8113.
• Angst, F. et al. (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. doi: 10.1016/j.apmr.2023.06.001.
• Luomajoki, H., Pfeiffer, F. and Benz, T. (2023) 'Rückenschmerzen : welche Evidenz haben Prävention und Physiotherapie?', Therapeutische Umschau, 80(4), pp. 175–182. doi: 10.1024/0040-5930/a001432.
• Angst, F. et al. (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. doi: 10.1002/ejp.1983.
• Angst, F. et al. (2021) 'Common and contrasting characteristics of the chronic soft-tissue pain conditions fibromyalgia and lipedema', Journal of Pain Research, 14, pp. 2931–2941. doi: 10.2147/JPR.S315736.
• Benz, T. et al. (2021) 'Comprehensiveness and validity of a multidimensional assessment in patients with chronic low back pain : a prospective cohort study', BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, 22(291). doi: 10.1186/s12891-021-04130-x.

Books, peer-reviewed

Benz, T. et al. (2025) Hands-off in der Physiotherapie : Schmerzedukation, Kommunikation, Soft Skills und Behandlungsansätze. Edited by H. Luomajoki and C. Schwertfellner. Stuttgart: Thieme.

Book chapters, peer-reviewed

• Benz, T. (2025) 'Physiotherapeutisches Patient*innenmanagement am Beispiel des GLA:D Rückenprogramms', in Luomajoki, H. and Schwertfellner, C. (eds) Hands-off in der Physiotherapie. Stuttgart: Thieme, pp. 263–268. doi: 10.1055/b000000892.
• Angst, F. and Benz, T. (2023) 'Disabilities of the arm, shoulder, and hand questionnaire (DASH)', in Maggino, F. (ed.) Encyclopedia of Quality of Life and Well-Being Research. Cham: Springer, pp. 1808–1828. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-17299-1_3892.

Written conference contributions, peer-reviewed

• Benz, T. et al. (2025) 'Somatisation differentiates fibromyalgia from low back pain : a comparative, cross-sectional cohort study', in 14th Congress of the European Pain Federation EFIC, Lyon, France, 24-26 April 2025.
• Benz, T. et al. (2025) 'Relationship between subjectively-rated and objectively-tested physical function across six different medical diagnoses', in 14th Congress of the European Pain Federation EFIC, Lyon, France, 24-26 April 2025.
• Benz, T. et al. (2025) 'Comprehensiveness and validity of a multidimensional assessment of patients with fibromyalgia : a prospective cohort study', in 14th Congress of the European Pain Federation EFIC, Lyon, France, 24-26 April 2025.
• Benz, T. et al. (2024) 'Somatisation differentiates fibromyalgia from low back pain : a comparative, cross-sectional cohort study', in Swiss Pain Society and Swiss Gender Health Network Annual Congress, Aarau, Switzerland, 14-15 November 2024.
• Benz, T., Niedermann Schneider, K. and IG GLA:D (2024) 'The implementation of exercise and education as first-line interventions for osteoarthritis and low back pain in Switzerland', in Swiss Pain Society and Swiss Gender Health Network Annual Congress, Aarau, Switzerland, 14-15 November 2024.
• Angst, F. et al. (2024) 'Somatisation differentiates fibromyalgia from low back pain : a comparative, cross-sectional cohort study', in 11th Annual Scientific Conference of the European Association for Psychosomatic Medicine (EAPM), Lausanne, Switzerland, 12-15 June 2024.
• Benz, T. et al. (2022) 'Catastrophizing as a prognostic factor for pain and physical function in the multidisciplinary rehabilitation of fibromyalgia and low back pain', in 12th Congress of the European Pain Federation (EFIC), Dublin, Ireland, 27-30 April 2022.
• Benz, T. et al. (2021) 'Comprehensiveness and validity of multidimensional assessment in patients with chronic low back pain', in IASP 2021 Virtual World Congress on Pain, online, 9-11 June and 16-18 June 2021.
• Benz, T. et al. (2021) 'Extended overview of the longitudinal pain-depression association : a comparison of 6 naturalistic cohort studies of specific chronic pain conditions', in World Physiotherapy Congress, online, 9-11 April 2021.
• Benz, T. et al. (2021) 'Comprehensiveness and validity of multidimensional assessment in patients with chronic low back pain', in World Physiotherapy Congress, online, 9-11 April 2021.
• Benz, T. et al. (2021) 'Extended overview of the longitudinal pain-depression association : a comparison of 6 naturalistic cohort studies of specific chronic pain conditions', in IASP 2021 Virtual World Congress on Pain, online, 9-11 June and 16-18 June 2021.
• Benz, T. et al. (2021) 'GLA:D Rücken : ein Schulungs- und Übungsprogramm für Personen mit Rückenschmerzen', in 2. Kooperationskongress SMARTER REHA, online, 6.-7. Mai 2021.

Other publications

• Stehrenberger, A. et al. (2025) 'Effect of pain science education and graded sensorimotor retraining on disability in patients with chronic low back pain : a study protocol of a cluster-randomized clinical trial', in 19th International Forum for Back and Neck Pain Research in Primary Care (IBNP Forum), Davos, Switzerland, 24-27 June 2025.
• Benz, T. et al. (2022) 'GLA:D Rücken Programm : ein Edukations- und Übungsprogramm für Personen mit chronischen oder rezidivierenden lumbalen Rückenschmerzen', Physioactive, 58(1), pp. 5–9. doi: 10.5169/seals-1047016.
• Bechter, S., Benz, T. and Niedermann, K. (2022) 'Spezifisches Training & Edukation', Schmerz.Therapie, 5(02), pp. 86–90. doi: 10.1055/a-1756-9434.

Oral conference contributions and abstracts

• Benz, T. et al. (2025) 'Zusammenhang zwischen subjektiv beurteilter und objektiv getesteter Gang-bezogener Funktionsmessung', in Physioscience. Thieme, pp. S6–S7. doi: 10.1055/s-0045-1812359.
• Careddu, S. et al. (2025) 'RESOLVE-Intervention bei chronischen Rückenschmerzen : Protokoll einer cluster-randomisierten Studie', in Physioscience. Thieme, p. S4. doi: 10.1055/s-0045-1812353.
• Benz, T., Bechter, S. and Niedermann, K. (2025) 'Verlaufskontrolle und Qualitätsmonitoring durch ein nationales Datenregister in der Physiotherapie', in Physioscience. Thieme, pp. S23–S24. doi: 10.1055/s-0045-1812402.
• Benz, T. (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, T., Niedermann Schneider, K. and Interessensgemeinschaft (IG) GLA:D (2024) 'The implementation of GLA:D programmes in Switzerland', in IFOMPT 2024, Basel, Switzerland, 4-6 July 2024.
• Benz, T. (2022) 'Weiterbildung im Spannungsfeld «Fachexpertise und Interprofessionalität»', in IGPTR-Tagung, Rheinfelden, Schweiz, 6. Dezember 2022.
• Benz, T. (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

Research data

Karamanlargil, Asli; Maurer, Yael; Güttinger, Adrian; Benz, Thomas; Giannouli, Eleftheria, 2026. Data for project 'First normative data for a novel instrumented cognitive-motor assessment battery in older adults'. Zenodo.

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