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.

Facts & figures
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