Using an App to Manage Your Pain

Some Recommended Pain Management Apps

With hundreds of pain management apps available, deciding which one to go with could be overwhelming. Some apps are free, some vary in price, and others offer a free trial. Finding the right app that best meets your needs and budget requires some research. Fortunately, we did the homework for you. Below are some of the most popular pain management apps.

Branch App

As the main patient app for the U.S. Pain Foundation, Branch is recognized by doctors at Weill Cornell Medical Center, Stanford Health, and NYU Langone. It was designed to get feedback from specialists and doctors.

According to its website, 83 percent of people feel more in control of their pain after one month of using the app, and 89 percent are more likely to try a new pain treatment.

The Branch app offers tools and techniques to help engage those with chronic pain, including pain and medication tracking, cognitive behavioral therapy, and clinical integration. It also provides an online forum that encourages support and empowerment.

Availability: iPhones and Androids

Price: Free

Curable App

Curable embraces a biopsychosocial approach to pain management. The biopsychosocial model examines the interconnection between psychology, biology, and social-environmental factors. It is designed to help those with chronic pain reduce their symptoms and calm their nerves.

The app provides audio lessons on different subjects related to pain science, such as somatic tracking, guided meditations, graded motor imagery, pain reduction visualizations, and cognitive behavioral therapy techniques.

A unique app feature is a virtual pain therapist named Clara, who asks questions and makes recommendations based on specific responses.

Availability: Online, iPhones, and Androids

Price: Free and subscription-based at $9.99 a month

Pathways App

The Pathways app is also developed around a biopsychosocial approach to pain relief. The app was created by someone who suffered from chronic pain and could manage his pain successfully using mind and body techniques.

The app includes access to masterclasses, such as meditations designed for pain relief. It also provides access to exercise routines and yoga for all fitness levels.

Availability: iPhones and Androids

Price: $14.99 monthly, $69.99 annually, or $299 lifetime

Flowly App

Flowly addresses not only physical pain but also depression, anxiety, and social isolation that comes with it. The app is unique as it incorporates virtual reality technology in its engagement. The app engages users through interactive experiences in biofeedback training. This teaches them to monitor and adjust their breathing patterns to control their nervous systems better.

Flowly’s interactive and content experiences are based on over 30 years of clinical studies.

Availability: Only on iPhones

Price: $15 a month and includes a VR headset kit

Lin App

Lin takes a “brain-first” approach to chronic pain recovery. The app was created to address our feelings, thinking, and behavioral patterns so we can retrain our brains to change our experiences of pain.

Lin users can access a team of experts such as doctors, pain specialists, and psychologists.

The app provides a health coach who works with the patient to customize a care plan that addresses many facets of daily life, such as stress, sleep, nutrition, and mood management.

Availability: Web-based

Price:  Month-to-month ($129 a month), 6-month subscription ($109 a month) or full-year subscription ($82 a month)

Migraine Monitor

Recommended by the National Headache Foundation, the Migraine Monitor app is designed for those who suffer from chronic migraines. It has received positive reviews from the Association of Migraine Disorders and the Migraine Research Foundation.

Users can track the symptoms, severity, and duration of their migraines, and it can also track triggers like the weather.

The app provides access to an online community of others suffering from migraines.

Availability: iPhones and Androids

Price: Free

Research on Pain Management Apps

According to an article from the National Library of Medicine, 15 studies that included 1962 patients found beneficial effects of using a pain app. The studies show that:

• The severity of pain decreased in most people using an app compared with those not using one.
• Outcomes like the quality of life or worse pain improved in those using an app.
• Pain management apps are beneficial for the self-management of pain.
• Patients said pain management apps are easy to use and well-liked.

In another study, 246 patients with chronic pain were recruited to use and report on the app Manage My Pain. Compared to the non-app users, the study found that:

•  There is a significant decrease in pain and anxiety.
•  Those who used the app showed a considerable anxiety reduction.
•  Participants showed significantly reduced levels of pain.

Watch YouTube Video: App Could Help You Manage Your Pain. The video below discusses a new pain management app with a program designed to help you understand your body and make your pain more bearable.