Fabian Pfeiffer, PhD

Work at ZHAW

Position

• Head of Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy Master Programs
• Lecturer with focus on musculoskeletal physiotherapy (Bachelor of Science, Master of Science and Continuing Education)
• Physiotherapist (clinical practice) at Thetriz

Focus

• Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy
• Acute and chronic pain
• Communication
• Patient-centered Physiotherapy
• Patient education

Teaching

• MSc muskuloskeletal
• MAS Musculoskelettal Physiotherapy
• CAS Vertiefung in Muskuloskelettaler Physiotherapie
• CAS Klinische Expertise in Muskuloskelettaler Physiotherapie
• Mastermodul Forschungsprojekt
• BSc Physiotherapy

Experience

• Head of Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy Master Programs
  Institute of Physiotherapy, ZHAW
  08 / 2022 - today
• Lecturer
  Institute of Physiotherapy, ZHAW
  10 / 2020 - today
• Research Associate
  Institute of Physiotherapy, ZHAW
  10 / 2017 - 09 / 2020
• Clinical work as physiotherapist (outpatient setting)
  Medbase Physioscience Winterthur
  09 / 2013 - 09 / 2020
• Clinical work as physiotherapist (outpatient setting)
  Physiotraining Buchs
  12 / 2010 - 08 / 2013

Education and Continuing education

Education

• Master of Science / Physiotherapy
  Zurich University of Applied Sciences, ZHAW
  09 / 2014 - 11 / 2017
• Physiotherapist
  School of Physiotherapy, Konstanz
  10 / 2007 - 10 / 2010

Continuing Education

• Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS): Higher & Professional Education
  Zurich University of Applied Sciences, ZHAW
  01 / 2022
• Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS): Clinical Expertise in Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy
  Zurich University of Applied Sciences, ZHAW
  11 / 2014

Network

ORCID digital identifier

ORCID ID: 0000-0002-1819-8938

Social media

• LinkedIn
• X

Projects

• RESOLVE Swiss: a new treatment approach in patients with low back pain / Team member / ongoing
• Translation of the Back Pain Attitude Questionnaire (Back-PAQ) and review of its psychometric properties / Project leader / completed
• Bi-directional interactions of sensory perception, motor performance and fear of movement in the development of persistent low back pain / Team member / completed

Publications

Articles in scientific journal, peer-reviewed

• Zürcher, J. et al. (2024) 'Construct validity and test-retest reliability of the Modified Agility T-Test in healthy adults', Physioscience, 20(4), pp. 163–169. doi: 10.1055/a-2218-1201.
• Hotz Boendermaker, S. et al. (2024) 'Persistence, not avoidance, is associated with low back pain : an observational cohort study', European Journal of Pain. doi: 10.1002/ejp.4728.
• Pfeiffer, F. et al. (2024) 'The course of acute low back pain : a community-based inception cohort study', Pain Reports, 9(3), p. e1152. doi: 10.1097/PR9.0000000000001152.
• Luomajoki, H., Pfeiffer, F. and Hotz Boendermaker, S. (2023) 'Psychologische Faktoren im Fokus : Fragen als Schlüssel zum Behandlungserfolg', MSK – Muskuloskelettale Physiotherapie, 27(4), pp. 217–222. doi: 10.1055/a-2125-8078.
• Bucher, T. et al. (2023) 'Musculoskeletal pain in health professionals at the end of their studies and 1 year after entry into the profession : a multi-center longitudinal questionnaire study from Switzerland', BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, 24(1), p. 518. doi: 10.1186/s12891-023-06635-z.
• Pfeiffer, F. (2023) 'Words matter : Kommunikation im klinischen Alltag', MSK – Muskuloskelettale Physiotherapie, 27(05), pp. 273–278. doi: 10.1055/a-2140-6287.
• Stehrenberger, A. and Pfeiffer, F. (2023) 'Beobachtung, Bauchgefühl & Beharrlichkeit : Intuition im Clinical-Reasoning-Prozess', physiopraxis, 21(11/12), pp. 24–27. doi: 10.1055/a-2184-2812.
• 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.
• Morf, R. and Pfeiffer, F. (2022) 'Verhaltensänderung bei chronischen Schmerzen : eine Medaille mit zwei Seiten', pt Zeitschrift für Physiotherapeuten , 74(1), pp. 23–28. doi: 10.21256/zhaw-24537.
• Morf, R. et al. (2021) 'Prediction and trend of tactile acuity, pain and disability in acute LBP : a six-month prospective cohort study', BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, 22(666). doi: 10.1186/s12891-021-04530-z.
• Meier, R. et al. (2021) 'Sensorimotor and body perception assessments of nonspecific chronic low back pain : a cross-sectional study', BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, 22(391). doi: 10.1186/s12891-021-04269-7.
• Pfeiffer, F. (2018) 'Alles immer nur zentral? : Sensibilisierungsprozesse bei persistierenden Schmerzen', pt Zeitschrift für Physiotherapeuten, 70(12), pp. 36–40. doi: 10.21256/zhaw-18865.
• Pfeiffer, F. (2018) 'Damit Schmerzen verstanden werden : richtig kommunizieren', physiopraxis, 16(6), pp. 24–28. doi: 10.1055/a-0587-8030.
• Pfeiffer, F. and Luomajoki, H. (2015) 'The pain is in the brain : die Rolle des Gehirns bei chronischen Rückenschmerzen', pt Zeitschrift für Physiotherapeuten, 67(10), pp. 30–38. doi: 10.21256/zhaw-4844.

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.
• Luomajoki, H. and Pfeiffer, F. (eds) (2023) Schmerzbuch Physiotherapie. 1. Auflage. München: Elsevier.
• Luomajoki, H. et al. (2022) Fallbuch Physiotherapie : muskuloskelettales System. 2. Auflage. Edited by H. Luomajoki and F. Pfeiffer. München: Elsevier.
• Luomajoki, H. et al. (2018) Fallbuch Physiotherapie : muskuloskelettales System. 1. Auflage. Edited by H. Luomajoki and F. Pfeiffer. Elsevier.

Book chapters, peer-reviewed

Pfeiffer, F. (2025) 'Physiotherapeutische Kommunikationsstrategien und Patient*innenedukation', in Luomajoki, H. and Schwertfellner, C. (eds) Hands-off in der Physiotherapie. Stuttgart: Thieme, pp. 110–117. doi: 10.1055/f-0002-0002-b000000892.

Written conference contributions, peer-reviewed

• Mohler, M. et al. (2024) 'Cross-cultural translation and face validity of the Back Pain Attitudes Questionnaire', in IFOMPT 2024, Basel, Switzerland, 4-6 July 2024.
• Zürcher, J. et al. (2024) 'Construct validity and absolute and relative test-retest reliability of the modified agility T-test in healthy adults', in IFOMPT 2024, Basel, Switzerland, 4-6 July 2024.
• Pfeiffer, F. et al. (2024) 'Longitudinal analysis of determinants influencing the course of acute low back pain : insights from an inception cohort', in IFOMPT 2024, Basel, Switzerland, 4-6 July 2024.
• Pfeiffer, F. et al. (2023) 'The natural course of acute low back pain in the general population : an inception cohort study', in 13th Congress of the European Pain Federation EFIC, Budapest, Hungary, 20-22 September 2023. Available at: https://europeanpainfederation.eu/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/ABSTRACT_BOOK_T-2023.pdf.
• Hotz Boendermaker, S. et al. (2023) 'Overactivity, not avoidance behavior, is associated with persistent low back pain : an observational cohort study', in 13th Congress of the European Pain Federation (EFIC), Budapest, Hungary, 20-22 September 2023. Winterthur: ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences. doi: 10.21256/zhaw-30152.

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.
• Morf, R. et al. (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. doi: 10.17605/OSF.IO/DFY2J.
• Morf, R. et al. (2024) 'Study protocol: Activity patterns and stress – a one year inception cohort study in people with acute neck pain', in IFOMPT 2024, Basel, Switzerland, 4-6 July 2024. Winterthur: ZHAW Zurich University of Applied Sciences. doi: 10.21256/zhaw-34915.
• Pfeiffer, F. (2022) 'Training trotz Schmerzen : eine Frage der Motivation?', Schmerz.Therapie, 5(2), pp. 80–84. doi: 10.1055/a-1756-9108.
• Luomajoki, H. and Pfeiffer, F. (2020) 'Validierte Evaluation von Angst, Kinesiophobie und Katastrophisierung', Der Schmerzpatient, 3(1), pp. 26–30. doi: 10.1055/a-0969-4215.
• Luomajoki, H. and Pfeiffer, F. (2020) 'Konservative Behandlung von Knieproblemen : Update zur Evidenz', Physioactive, 56(3), pp. 5–10. doi: 10.21256/zhaw-20902.

Oral conference contributions and abstracts

• Mohler, M. et al. (2025) 'Übersetzung, Validität und Reliabilität der deutschen Version des Back Pain Attitudes Questionnaire', in Physioscience. Thieme, pp. S14–S15. doi: 10.1055/s-0045-1812379.
• 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.
• Pfeiffer, F. et al. (2025) 'From acute onset to persistence : trajectories and biopsychosocial factors in LBP', in Physioscience. Thieme, p. S5. doi: 10.1055/s-0045-1812356.
• Pfeiffer, F., Holopainen, R. and Vibe Fersum, K. (2024) 'Transforming musculoskeletal physiotherapy : embracing patient-centred care in curriculum development', in Musculoskeletal Science and Practice. Elsevier, pp. 27–28. doi: 10.1016/j.msksp.2024.103128.
• Vibe Fersum, K. et al. (2024) 'Empowering musculoskeletal physiotherapy : a symposium on patient-centered care and curriculum transformation', in IFOMPT 2024, Basel, Switzerland, 4-6 July 2024.
• Luomajoki, H. et al. (2023) 'Ein Fall für Drei', in 7. MSK Symposium der ZHAW und des SVOMP, Winterthur, Schweiz, 18. März 2023. Available at: https://www.zhaw.ch/de/gesundheit/institute-zentren/ipt/symposien-tagungen/symposium-muskuloskelettale-physiotherapie/msk-symposium-2023/.
• Pfeiffer, F. (2021) 'Words matter : effektive Kommunikation in der physiotherapeutischen Praxis', in Kommunikation in der PT-Praxis, ZHAW Gesundheit, online, 6. April 2021.
• Pfeiffer, F. (2021) 'Risikofaktoren einer Chronifizierung', in 6. Symposium Muskuloskelettale Physiotherapie der ZHAW und des svomp: «Ganz schön nervig – Brennpunkt Neuropathien», online, 13. März 2021.
• Pfeiffer, F. (2020) 'Akute Rückenschmerzen', in pharmaDavos, Davos, Schweiz, 9.-14. Februar 2020.
• Pfeiffer, F. (2019) 'Richtig kommunizieren : Bedeutung im physiotherapeutischen Setting', in pt HOLIdays, Hamburg, Deutschland, 25.-26. Oktober 2019.
• Pfeiffer, F. (2019) 'Richtig kommunizieren, damit Schmerzen verstanden werden', in physiokongress West, Essen, Deutschland, 27.-28. September 2019.
• Pfeiffer, F. (2019) 'Richtig kommunizieren, damit Schmerzen verstanden werden', in 13. physiokongress, Stuttgart, Deutschland, 25.-27. Januar 2019. Available at: https://lp.thieme.de/emag/epaper-programm-physiokongress-2019/#2.

Research data

Bucher, Thomas; Volken, Thomas; Pfeiffer, Fabian; Schaffert, René, 2022. Dataset Musculoskeletal pain in health professionals at the end of their studies and 1 year after entry into the profession: a multi-center longitudinal study. Zenodo. Available from: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7123425

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