Apps relating to pain management

Apps for phone, tablets and computers can be useful to complement the pain management strategy that has been created by your team here at Waitemata Pain Services.  There are literally thousands of programmes available- many can be used for sleep, activity planning, mindfulness and relaxation and general pain management applications.

Opioid Risk Tool.  This App based on a well known and validated tool can be a useful adjunct to assess risk of potential substance dependence.  It is not aimed to prohibit opioid use but as a method to assess risk benefit. 



SleepMany apps or devices use relaxation music or monitor sleep quality from their inbuilt accelerometer.  Few actually work on the causes for poor sleep.

Deep Sleep with Andrew Johnson.  (deepsleep.com) Put on your headphones and drift to sleep with this relaxing guided meditation intended to clear your mind and enable you to get deep restful sleep. Thousands of people have used Andrew Johnson's apps on the iPhone and Android to improve and enhance their lives. Try this app to beat insomnia and get a good night's rest.

Pzizz. Android/iOS: Pzizz helps you get to sleep faster and get more restful sleep with a combination of soothing sounds and voice cues aimed at helping you relax, destress, and get to sleep.

  

 Sleepio.  (Sleepio.com) This is a CBT oriented programme which has probably the most research data to support its use.  Whilst not an app, it takes participants through a course.  It is relatively expensive but has been supported by a wide number of high profile NZ Sleep Specialists.



Activity


Flexible pain response/Mindfulness


General Pain Management. 

There are many general pain management Apps, most of which have been developed without any healthcare intervention or with very limited objective assessment. At this time, no App can be recommended as the majority are educational only or track symptoms and drugs but really fail to complement ongoing self management. A recent review of Pain Apps- and these were US based only rated 2 that they indicated potentially useful. MyPainDiary is just that - an electronic diary that accurately logs symptoms.  This may be useful at some stages of pain management but not for long term.  The second- CatchMyPain- adds the feature of being open to other pain forums.  It is recognised that sharing symptoms may be useful at times-this may be US focussed but worth a trial.

 Catch My Pain

In order to treat pain effectively, experts recommend you keep a diary. CatchMyPain helps you to express your pain, explain it to others and observe the success of your treatment. On top of all this, you can connect with similar patients and support the fight against pain.

My Pain Diary