Pain management apps

There is an ever-growing catalogue of pain management apps and programs available for use on smartphones, tablets, PC and Mac. Some are available at no cost while others will demand a fee, be that in the form of a one-off charge, subscription or a series of in-app purchases.

Each application will differ in terms of content, look and feel and the methods they use. Many are focused on helping people manage the impact of pain using known methods, such as mindfulness and breathing techniques. Some applications allow the user to track their pain, so can be used as an electronic pain diary, which can be helpful when looking to identify any trends that could be useful when explaining how pain is affecting you, for example during medical consultations.

Given the wide variety of choice, it is impossible to offer a summary of every available option within the limitations of a website blog. Therefore, below we take a look at 5 examples that offer a snapshot of the types of pain management programs currently available.

painTRAINER

Initially developed by health professionals and research scientists in the USA and Australia, painTRAINER is a free online tool that teaches effective pain management strategies based on the principles of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).

Users access a series of 8 x 30–45-minute interactive lessons designed to help teach them the relationship of pain to their thoughts, feeling and behaviours.

Studies have shown painTRAINER to be an effective tool in helping people manage the impact of pain, including this 60 participant study that was undertaken in 2019, which concluded users affected by pain reported meaningful improvements in multiple physical and psychological outcomes.

The painTRAINER program is not currently available as a smartphone app, but is accessible online via desktop, tablet or smartphone that has connectivity to the internet.

Find out more – www.paintrainer.org/login-to-paintrainer

Curable

Curable is an app and online program that was co-founded by three people who themselves experienced issues with chronic pain. Curable is designed to help people manage the impact of persistent pain and uses a wide range of techniques to help you achieve this, these include CBT, guided meditations, expressive writing and much more.

In addition to the app, Curable offers access to online bootcamps, groups and workshops, all of which are designed to help users manage the impact of chronic pain.

A recent study of 19 smartphone apps designed to help people manage the impact of chronic pain, concluded that Curable scored highest for the number of self and core management support skills offered to users. It also stated that Curable provided comprehensive pain neuroscience education and guided relaxation for pain management.

Curable is a paid for program available to use on smartphones via their android and iOS apps.

Find out more – www.curablehealth.com

Pathways

Pathways is an online tool that offers a guided pain relief program, combining mind and body therapies to train your brain away from pain. It has been designed to benefit those who have been affected by chronic pain for at least 3 months and uses an evidence-based biopsychosocial approach to pain relief.

Techniques used include CBT, meditations, mindfulness, yoga, exercise and physiotherapy practices, often delivered via masterclasses that are specifically developed to help you manage pain tolerance.

The program is broken down into different areas, such as ‘mind’ and ‘body’ which allows you the freedom to choose the type of pain management technique that works for you.

Pathways is a paid for program and is not available as a smartphone app, but is accessible online via desktop, tablet or smartphone that has connectivity to the internet.

Find out more – www.pathways.health

Manage My Pain

Manage My Pain differs from the programs that we have looked at so far in that it is a feature packed pain tracking tool.

It is more than just a pain dairy as it helps you to illustrate the impact of persistent pain by highlighting trends such as pain severity, parts of the body in which pain is affecting you most, what works and doesn’t work regarding pain management and much more.

You can even summarise your overall pain experience using reports, designed by clinicians, that will help you to explain how pain is affecting you, during medical consultations.

Manage My Pain is free to subscribe to with limited features, with payment required to access more advanced elements. It is accessible online via a web app and on smartphones via their android and iOS apps.

Find out more – www.managemypainapp.com

Nanolume

This is an advanced pain tracking app that was developed by pain management physicians with a focus on making pain tracking and reporting a simple yet effective process.

Nanolume allows the user to track many different types of pain, taking into account variables such as frequency, intensity and the part of the body which is being affected. It produces easy to digest reports that combine visuals and data, designed and presented in ways that both the user and medical professionals can understand.

The app contains smart features which help the user to track their pain more succinctly, ensuring that the results reflect their pain experiences as accurately as possible.

Nanolume is available only on smartphone via their android and iOS apps.

Find out more – www.nanolume.com

A few things to think about when looking for a pain management tool

Pain management tools can offer invaluable support for people living with chronic pain. If you are considering shopping around for one that suits your needs, it may be wise to consider the following factors:

• Features What features are important to you? Do you need a tool that allows you to track specific symptoms, treatments, or other factors? What methods of pain management are used by the tool – e.g., CBT, mindfulness?

Access Is the tool available via your preferred method, be that android, iOS, PC/Mac desktop? Is there an offline option that allows you to access the tool without internet access?

Try before you buy Is there a free trial available before committing to purchase?

Ease of use: Does the tool seem easy to use and navigate?

User support: Is there reliable user support available, be that via online resources such as a user guide, user articles, live chat?

Privacy How does the tool protect your privacy? For example, is any data you enter shared with third parties? Every tool should denote how they treat your data as a rule.

Cost Is the tool free or paid? If paid, is this cost effective for you?

User reviews What do other users say? You can usually find independent reviews of most pain management tools online – for example on Google Play and Apple marketplaces.

Hopefully the above information will help you to find a pain management tool that is best suited to your requirements. Remember, as with most things new, always read the program instructions or guidance before use, as this will help you hit the ground running and use it effectively, out of the box.