Pain Medicine

The Pain Medicine Department at Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, began development in 2006. It is an integrated department combining clinical care, medical research, teaching across three clinical disciplines, and a provincial standardized training base. It has four ward units across the Qingchun, Qiantang, Grand Canal, and Shaoxing campuses, with more than 40 approved beds and advanced, fully equipped medical facilities. Building on Zhejiang University, it collaborates with the Pain Center of Stanford University School of Medicine in the United States, Japan's research society for cerebrospinal fluid leak disorders, Okayama University, Toho University, and their pain centers. The department has established three centers and four clinical subspecialty groups and has become a large medical unit known in the province. Its team has a balanced academic structure and strong technical capacity, and aims to become a leading medical, teaching, and research center in China with international recognition.

Technical strengths The department has established three centers and four clinical subspecialty areas.

Centers: China–US Pain Center; China–Japan Joint Research Society for Cerebrospinal Fluid Leak Disorders; Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Intracranial Hypotension.

Clinical subspecialty groups:

Interventional treatment for head and facial pain: minimally invasive interventions for trigeminal neuralgia, repair of cerebrospinal fluid leaks associated with low-pressure headache, and related procedures.

Neuromodulation: surgical treatments including spinal cord stimulation and nerve radiofrequency for diabetic peripheral neuropathic pain, pain or sequelae after herpes zoster, hyperhidrosis/palmar hyperhidrosis, and various neck, shoulder, back, lower-back, and limb pain conditions.

Treatment of fascia-related pain disorders: shock-wave therapy, internal-heat needle therapy, and related methods.

Regenerative medicine: PRP treatment for joint disorders and related applications.

Academic standing A founding organization of the China Alliance for Spinal Cerebrospinal Fluid Leak Repair. Established the China–US Pain Medicine Center with Stanford University Medical Center. Established the China–Japan Joint Research Society for Cerebrospinal Fluid Leak Disorders. Led the development of several Chinese expert consensuses on intracranial hypotension disorders.

Research achievements The department leads or participates in multiple projects of the provincial health commission, the provincial science and technology department, and the National Natural Science Foundation of China. It also participates in a China–Japan joint research project on intracranial hypotension disorders.