Chronic pain is not a useful alarm signal for physical damage (e.g. injury, acute inflammation), but a disease in its own right. Chronic pain can also lead to a variety of secondary symptoms (e.g. accompanying psychiatric illnesses and/or social consequences), which have a negative impact on the individual life situation of those affected.
The International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) has defined pain as follows: “Pain is an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with acute or potential tissue damage or described in terms of such damage.”
This means that the treatment of chronic pain, due to its complexity, should always be carried out in an interdisciplinary context and with the – often simultaneous – use of various therapeutic procedures (multimodal).
At the USZ, we therefore offer an individually tailored diagnostic and therapeutic program for people suffering from chronic pain of various causes (e.g. chronic back pain, whole-body pain, neuropathic pain). It is important to us to treat not only the actual pain, but also the secondary symptoms of this chronic illness. A team of specially trained doctors from various specialties as well as psychotherapists trained in the treatment of pain patients are at your disposal.
We would like to support you in getting your pain “under control” and reducing the pain-related impairments to your quality of life.
Pain medicine has changed considerably in recent years. On the one hand, our knowledge of the mechanisms of pain development is increasing rapidly, on the other hand, new diagnostic and therapeutic procedures and techniques allow us to objectify and treat these mechanisms in a targeted manner.
The Interdisciplinary Pain Outpatient Clinic at the USZ works at the interface between research and clinical practice and can therefore guarantee that patients are treated according to the latest findings in the field of pain medicine. We work closely with all medical disciplines that are confronted with pain patients. The coordination function for pain patients is performed by the Department of Anesthesia in both the inpatient and outpatient areas.
The initial assessment is carried out by the Pain Outpatient Clinic of the Department of Anesthesia. If indicated, the pain team at the Clinic for Psychosomatics and Consultant Psychiatry will be consulted for further clarification or treatment. There is a regular exchange between the various specialist disciplines to discuss patients.
The cognitive-behavioral therapy group for dealing with pain incorporates treatment elements that have been proven in extensive scientific studies. Participants receive information about the disease and its treatment options and learn coping strategies for everyday life. The inclusion criterion is the presence of a chronic pain disorder. Exclusion criteria are action-relevant suicidal tendencies, psychotic illnesses and active substance dependence.
As a patient, you cannot register directly for a consultation. Please get a referral from your primary care physician, specialist.
For our referring physicians, the pain outpatient clinic (Department of Anesthesia) is the main point of contact for patients with pain problems of all causes. If various assessments have already been carried out, or if therapy with a psychosomatic focus is required, patients can also be referred directly to the Clinic for Psychosomatic Medicine and Consultation Therapy.
This offer is aimed at people between the ages of 18 and 65.