Some people suffer from chronic pain, which is characterized by pain symptoms that persist for more than three months. While this may be the result of an underlying condition, it can also occur due to an injury or accident.
Whatever the cause, chronic pain is more than just a nuisance: it can be completely debilitating, preventing you from performing at work, participating fully in social life, getting adequate sleep, and even enjoying the smallest things, like making a cuppa. of tea. When something this serious affects your physical and mental well-being, you can look to state-of-the-art solutions that can help you find relief.
1. Virtual reality for chronic pain
While virtual reality may be the future of everything, it’s still a developing technology. That said, it’s already making a difference in a variety of industries, including healthcare. Virtual reality is used for stress reduction, patient education, medical diagnosis, medical training, robotic surgery training, physical therapy, and even treating chronic pain.
A company, Karuna Laboratories, has developed a hardware and software solution using the Oculus Quest VR headset and HTC Vive to deliver chronic pain management programs. Using consumer virtual reality hardware and the Karuna app, patients can follow routines designed to develop pain-free range of motion through a combination of physical and cognitive retraining during a 12-week program. Patients can do all of this without leaving their living rooms.
Another company using virtual reality to treat chronic pain is BreatheVR. BreatheVR uses Gear VR and Oculus Go to help you train how you breathe by immersing yourself in a virtual environment that responds to your breath. As you progress, you’ll receive a visual reward (represented by pleasant changes in the environment) that encourages you to reach a deeper, more relaxed state of deep breathing.
BreatheVR or one of the many other VR meditation training apps can also help anyone managing anxiety or simply needing an extra dose of calm.
2. Photobiomodulation Therapy
Photobiomodulation (PBM) is a form of low-level laser therapy that uses red and near-infrared light to treat disease and injury. A paper in the newspaper Photomedicine and Laser Surgery argues that PBM therapy can improve patients’ quality of life for a fraction of the cost of many current approaches.
Treatments cited in the study include those for conditions such as glaucoma, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. PBM therapy is now used to reduce inflammation and treat acute and chronic pain. The technology itself may be a lot like a tanning bed, but instead of ultraviolet light affecting your skin pigmentation, PBM aims to use low-level lasers to stimulate your body into healing itself.
Some PBM products, such as Thor portable laser treatment device, have been designed to target specific parts of your body. However, PBM devices are expensive and are not intended for personal use.
3. Treatment of chronic pain with mobile applications
Treatment for chronic pain can be expensive, as PBM sessions at a clinic can cost up to $100 per visit. As a result, a lot of effort has been put into creating affordable and accessible health apps to help people with chronic pain.
roads
pathway pain relief is one such app and uses a biopsychosocial approach to pain mitigation and management. That’s a fancy way of saying that instead of immersing you in a virtual environment or using lasers, Pathways focuses on the mind-body connection and is designed to train your mind and body away from pain.
Pathways claims that its application can help you achieve long-lasting pain relief using safe and effective techniques. Exercises in the app include a pain relief program, a wellness master class, hundreds of meditations designed to relieve pain, as well as physical therapy, yoga, and other fitness routines.
Discharge: Pain Relief Pathways to Android | iOS (Free, subscription available)
Vibe
Other apps on the market, like Wave, aim to help you keep track of symptoms, medications, sleep, and other activities related to your chronic pain. The goal here is to provide you with detailed personal information that will allow you to better manage the symptoms you experience, including working more effectively with doctors.
By following your symptoms more closely, you can discover new causes or triggers for your pain. If you still need more information, Wave includes AI that generates information in real time to help link actions to symptoms. And because chronic pain often leaves people feeling frustrated and powerless, apps like Wave act as a virtual advocate and health companion to accompany you on your journey to wellness.
Discharge: wave stop Android | iOS (Subscription required, free trial available)
Curable
Another promising application in the world of chronic pain management is Curablewhich the developers claim has been developed in consultation with board-certified physicians, pain psychologists, physical therapists, and neuroscientists.
Although it claims to be very different from other apps on the market, Curable takes a similar biopsychosocial approach to pain management. The app will help you learn about the science behind pain and how to apply a wide range of science-backed techniques to reduce symptoms, including somatic tracking, graded motor imagery, cognitive behavioral therapy techniques, guided meditations, and image visualization. pain reduction.
Discharge: curable for Android | iOS (Free, subscription available)
Using technology to manage chronic pain
While consulting with a doctor is always the best solution for serious ailments like chronic pain, this option is not always available. Also, many people struggle to find solutions that work for them, so having a variety of options to experiment with is the best path to finding something that works.
The best thing about using technology to treat chronic pain is that most devices are non-drug (no risk of developing a dependency or experiencing negative side effects), non-invasive, and safe. Also, they are often more affordable and accessible than prescription or outpatient treatments.
So if you suffer from chronic pain and still haven’t found a solution that works for you, consider trying one of these tech solutions.