Annina Schmid

Peripheral entrapment neuropathies such as carpal tunnel syndrome or radiculopathies are common conditions that are caused by compression of a nerve as it travels through narrow anatomical spaces. Symptoms include tingling, numbness and weakness and many patients develop neuropathic pain. The first-line treatment for entrapment neuropathies is non-surgical management including physiotherapy and pharmacology. However, the effects of non-surgical management are often modest. A major road-block to delivering more effective interventions is a lack of understanding of disease mechanisms resulting in inadequate patient stratification. 

My research focusses on advancing our understanding of the pathophysiology of entrapment neuropathies with the ultimate aim to develop precision physiotherapy and improve management for these patients.

My group uses entrapment neuropathies as unique model systems that allow the prospective evaluation of nerve injury and repair in the context of neuropathic pain. We use a range of methodologies including deep clinical phenotyping with quantitative sensory testing and neurophysiological methods. I have also been at the forefront in developing advanced neuroimaging methods to visualise peripheral nerves at ultra-high field strength (MR neurography). In addition, we use a range of technologies (e.g., RNA sequencing, qPCR, specialised histology) to study the cellular and molecular aspects of entrapment neuropathies. This multimodal and innovative approach allows a detailed understanding of the mechanisms underlying entrapment neuropathies and neuropathic pain in general.