A three-day intensive training program for Ukrainian doctors and rehabilitation professionals was held in Lviv. This program was organized by Danylo Halytsky Lviv National Medical University in collaboration with Austrian Professor Burkhard Gustorff and the Superhumans Center for war trauma.
Over 40 specialists from across Ukraine participated in the program, including anesthesiologists, physical therapists, physiatrists, psychologists, and neurologists. These professionals work daily with patients experiencing pain from injuries and amputations.
Зміст
Why Does This Matter?
Pain is more than just a symptom — it significantly impacts a patient’s quality of life. In times of war, with an increasing number of individuals suffering from severe injuries, phantom pain, and chronic trauma, effective pain management becomes essential for human dignity, functional recovery, and reintegration into everyday life.
However, many Ukrainian professionals still lack systematic training in this field. This is why multidisciplinary programs like this are not just relevant; they are critically necessary.
Theoretical Module Highlights
Participants explored key topics, including:
- The physiology of nociception and pain inhibition mechanisms
- Pain classification: acute, chronic, neuropathic, and phantom pain
- The relationship between pain and post-traumatic stress
- Modern treatment strategies for phantom limb pain after amputations
- Differential diagnosis of headaches following trauma
- Interdisciplinary approaches to complex pain treatment
Practical Module (Superhumans Center)
At the state-of-the-art Superhumans Center, participants engaged in small-group workshops focused on:
- Assessing pain in various clinical contexts
- Selecting appropriate treatment strategies
- Techniques such as mirror therapy, visualization, and exercises for phantom pain
- Physical and manual therapy methods
- Psychological interventions for chronic pain
- Working with military patients
- The importance of communication in pain management
Event Partners
- Sigmund Freud Private University (Austria)
- Ottakring Clinic, Vienna
- Embassy of the Republic of Austria in Ukraine
- Austrian Cooperation Office in Lviv
What’s Next?
This school is just the beginning. In 2025–2026, the Superhumans Center and Lviv National Medical University plan to hold similar training sessions at least twice a year, engaging professionals from various disciplines, including physiatrists, rehabilitation experts, anesthesiologists, neurologists, and others.
Our goal is to establish a sustainable national pain management system grounded in a multidisciplinary approach and aligned with European clinical protocols.
