Prof. Dr. Sabina Hotz Boendermaker
Prof. Dr. Sabina Hotz Boendermaker
ZHAW
School of Health Sciences
Institute of Physiotherapy
Katharina-Sulzer-Platz 9
8400 Winterthur
Work at ZHAW
Position
Professor in the Department of Physiotherapy Sciences
Focus
Pain psychology fear avoidance behavior, activity patterns, cortical reorganization, sensorimotor System, Action Observation, Motor imagery, virtual reality, functional MRI; ACT Acceptance and Commitment Therapy,Mindfulness
Experience
Senior Researcher
ZHAW
08 / 2016 - 08 / 2023
Network
ORCID digital identifier
Projects
- The Course and Neuroplasticity in Neck Pain-Associated Disorders and Whiplash-Associated Disorders in the General Population / Project leader / ongoing
- Bi-directional interactions of sensory perception, motor performance and fear of movement in the development of persistent low back pain / Project leader / completed
- Spine Posture Monitoring (DigiSpine) / Team member / completed
Publications
Articles in scientific journal, peer-reviewed
- Delalay, M., & Hotz Boendermaker, S. (2026). Mental pain responses of ultramarathon runners : a scoping review. Sports, 14(2), 72. https://doi.org/10.3390/sports14020072
- Morf, R., Kernwein, C., Jaeger, J., Reicherzer, L., Degenfellner, J., & Hotz-Boendermaker, S. (2025). Prognostic value of activity patterns and stress measures for persistent pain and disability in acute neck pain : a 3-month follow-up study. Frontiers in Pain Research, 6. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpain.2025.1686389
- Morf, R., Reicherzer, L., Degenfellner, J., Hasenbring, M., Erat, A., & Hotz-Boendermaker, S. (2025). Frequencies of persistence, activity pacing, fear avoidance and general stress in acute neck pain. Comprehensive Psychoneuroendocrinology, 23(100308). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpnec.2025.100308
- Hotz Boendermaker, S., Surbeck, U., Morf, R., & Pfeiffer, F. (2024). Persistence, not avoidance, is associated with low back pain : an observational cohort study. European Journal of Pain. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejp.4728
- Pfeiffer, F., Luomajoki, H., Meichtry, A., & Hotz Boendermaker, S. (2024). The course of acute low back pain : a community-based inception cohort study. Pain Reports, 9(3), e1152. https://doi.org/10.1097/PR9.0000000000001152
- Nijs, J., Kosek, E., Chiarotto, A., Cook, C., & Hotz Boendermaker, S. (2024). Nociceptive, neuropathic, or nociplastic low back pain? : the low back pain phenotyping (BACPAP) consortium’s international and multidisciplinary consensus recommendations. The Lancet Rheumatology, 6(3), E178–E188. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2665-9913(23)00324-7
- Luomajoki, H., Pfeiffer, F., & Hotz Boendermaker, S. (2023). Psychologische Faktoren im Fokus : Fragen als Schlüssel zum Behandlungserfolg. MSK – Muskuloskelettale Physiotherapie, 27(4), 217–222. https://doi.org/10.1055/a-2125-8078
- Dietrich, N., Luomajoki, H., & Hotz Boendermaker, S. (2023). The association between mechanical temporal summation, state anxiety at baseline, and persistent low back pain : a 12-month prospective cohort study. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, 24(1), 957. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12891-023-07046-w
- Heussler, M., Winter, J., Hotz Boendermaker, S., & Bauer, C. M. (2022). Watch your back: development and usability of a visual feedback system for people with low back pain : a single subject usability study. Physioscience, 18(03), 110–116. https://doi.org/10.1055/a-1460-2339
- Boendermaker, B., Buechler, R., Michels, L., Nijs, J., Coppieters, I., & Hotz-Boendermaker, S. (2022). Adaptive changes in sensorimotor processing in patients with acute low back pain. Scientific Reports, 12(1), 21741. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-26174-2
- Morf, R., Pfeiffer, F., Hotz Boendermaker, S., Meichtry, A., & Luomajoki, H. (2021). Prediction and trend of tactile acuity, pain and disability in acute LBP : a six-month prospective cohort study. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, 22(666). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12891-021-04530-z
Written conference contributions, peer-reviewed
- Hotz, S., Boendermaker, B., Buechler, R., & Michels, L. (2025, April 24). Neural networking : investigating brain communication and wind-up phenomenon in acute low back pain patients. 14th Congress of the European Pain Federation EFIC, Lyon, France, 24-26 April 2025.
- Dietrich, N., Luomajoki, H., & Hotz-Boendermaker, S. (2024, July). Mechanical temporal summation and state anxiety in acute low back pain : predictors for pain persistence? IFOMPT 2024, Basel, Switzerland, 4-6 July 2024. https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-31499
- Pfeiffer, F., Luomajoki, H., Degenfellner, J., & Hotz Boendermaker, S. (2024, July). Longitudinal analysis of determinants influencing the course of acute low back pain : insights from an inception cohort. IFOMPT 2024, Basel, Switzerland, 4-6 July 2024.
- Pfeiffer, F., Meichtry, A., Luomajoki, H., & Hotz Boendermaker, S. (2023, October). The natural course of acute low back pain in the general population : an inception cohort study. 13th Congress of the European Pain Federation EFIC, Budapest, Hungary, 20-22 September 2023. https://europeanpainfederation.eu/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/ABSTRACT_BOOK_T-2023.pdf
- Hotz Boendermaker, S., Surbeck, U., Morf, R., & Pfeiffer, F. (2023, September). Overactivity, not avoidance behavior, is associated with persistent low back pain : an observational cohort study. 13th Congress of the European Pain Federation (EFIC), Budapest, Hungary, 20-22 September 2023. https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-30152
Other publications
- Morf, R., Reicherzer, L., Degenfellner, J., Hasenbring, M., Erat, A., & Hotz Boendermaker, S. (2025, April 25). Frequencies of persistence, activity pacing, avoidance behaviour and general stress in acute neck pain. 14th Congress of the European Pain Federation EFIC, Lyon, France, 24-26 April 2025.
- Morf, R., Reicherzer, L., Degenfellner, J., Ernst, M., Pfeiffer, F., Luomajoki, H., Hasenbring, M., & Hotz-Boendermaker, S. (2024). Study protocol: Activity patterns and stress – prognostic factors for pain persistence and disability in acute neck pain. A one year prospective inception cohort study. OSF. https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/DFY2J
- Morf, R., Reicherzer, L., Degenfellner, J., Ernst, M., Pfeiffer, F., Luomajoki, H., Hasenbring, M., & Hotz Boendermaker, S. (2024, July 5). Study protocol: Activity patterns and stress – a one year inception cohort study in people with acute neck pain. IFOMPT 2024, Basel, Switzerland, 4-6 July 2024. https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-34915
- Hotz Boendermaker, S. (2022). Das „Menschlein“ im Laufe der Zeit – Homunkulus. Ergopraxis, 15(01), 32–37. https://doi.org/10.1055/a-1660-9749
- Hotz Boendermaker, S. (2021). Ein Hoch auf das Menschlein : der Homunkulus damals und heute. physiopraxis, 19(07/08), 28–33. https://doi.org/10.1055/a-1494-1818
Oral conference contributions and abstracts
Pfeiffer, F., Luomajoki, H., Meichtry, A., & Hotz Boendermaker, S. (2025). From acute onset to persistence : trajectories and biopsychosocial factors in LBP [Conference presentation]. Physioscience, 21(S 03), S5. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0045-1812356