Back pain is a fairly common ailment. In fact, one-half of American adults report experiencing some degree of back pain at various times throughout a given year.
It’s important to consult with a physician if your back pain is particularly severe. Your pain may be the result of an underlying medical condition which requires treatment. Additionally, you should take other basic steps to address and potentially guard against back pain, such as wearing a back brace.
That said, you can also use various apps to help reduce or manage back pain. Options the U.S. Pain Foundation recommends include the following:
Pathways Pain Relief
This app is designed to be a comprehensive resource and tool for anyone struggling with chronic pain. It offers educational content, has a section for pain therapy, provides exercise advice, and more. Its usefulness has earned it a reputation for being one of the top pain apps available.
However, it’s important to be aware that there is a membership fee for the app. You can choose to get a one-month membership for $14.99, or a lifetime membership for $89.99.
Curable
Curable’s purpose is to serve as a sort of pain therapy program in app form. When you begin using the app, a virtual coach (not a real person) asks you a series of questions to get insights into your pain. Once you’ve answered all the questions, they provide you with various exercises, such as meditations and visualizations, that can help you manage your pain more effectively.
Bearable
When you struggle with back pain or any other form of chronic pain, it’s often helpful to keep track of various health data points, as well as information about your diet, lifestyle, and other factors. Keeping track of this data can help you identify factors that may exacerbate or trigger your pain. Bearable is an app that allows you to track all this important information in one place.
It may be particularly useful if you see a doctor for your pain. Together, you can both review the data you’ve tracked to come up with a treatment plan.
Flowly
Flowly provides users with biofeedback training. By using Flowly, you can learn how to monitor your breathing, adjust your focus, and take other such steps to minimize the severity of your pain. Although it likely isn’t as effective as a thorough biofeedback program, it can be a useful introduction to one of the most effective pain relief methods. Additionally, you can use the app with a VR headset.
Wave
Wave began as an app for cancer patients. It’s since become a general app for anyone struggling with health conditions. Wave uses AI to help users track information related to their condition, analyze the data, and generate insights based on said analysis. For example, it can potentially help you identify activities that trigger your pain.
Again, none of this is meant to suggest that an app can replace going to the doctor if your pain is severe. That said, if you do struggle with back pain, these apps can be valuable.
Featured image by Joyce McCown on Unsplash
