The selfBACK app may be the solution to your back pains. The app is said to help you understand more about your condition, and it also provides helpful tips that can relieve the pain.
selfBACK App to Relieve Back Pain
One of the most common causes of sick leave is back issues. Every year, one in 15 adults sees a physiotherapist because of severe pain in their lower back. Back pain is also one of the causes of disability around the world.
Many people are hesitant to be physically active when they have back pains. They believe it may do more harm than good, but reducing the activity level usually prolongs or aggravates the condition.
Paul Jarle Mork, a professor at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, said that exercise and lifestyle changes could fix back pain.
Understanding the causes of back pains can let you deal with it better, according to European Scientists.
Self-management can be challenging to implement without any support or help, which is why Mork and Kerstin Bach, an associate professor at the Norwegian University of Science, developed the app called selfBACK.
The app will help more people to deal with the back pain that they feel everyday, according to UPI.
Tailored to Your Back Problems
Hundreds of health apps are already available, but the selfBACK app is different because it is based on scientific evidence backed by extensive research.
The selfBACK app is available for both iOS and Android phones. Once you open the app, it will explain what back pain is, and it tailors advice to actions that you can take to deal with your back pain, including exercise, yoga, and other physical activities.
Every week the app will share with you a customized plan that you can follow.
The app uses artificial intelligence and uses the recorded responses of other users regarding their back pains so it can generate advice for you.
You will need to answer some personal questions before you can launch the app. It will ask you about your sitting position, your lifestyle, and your back problems.
The app will compare your answers to those of other users and their results using the app.
The researchers conducted a controlled trial with 461 patients with back pain to evaluate the app's effect. Half of the participants received the standard back treatment from their respective health providers. The other half received the standard treatment, and they used the app.
The participants reported their progress every quarter. After the first three months of using the app, 52% of the app participants reported feeling better.
This means that the chances of significant improvement were higher for those who use the selfBACK app.
The work of creating and developing the app took five years, according to Mork. Using the app as an alternative to regular treatment showed positive results for those who want to relieve their back pain.
Due to the app's success, the EU has supported it with 5 million euros or $6 million. The trial of the app was published in JAMA Internal Medicine.
