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Doctor, could using the Curable app reduce my chronic pain?

People who used the Curable mobile app (Curable, Inc., www.curablehealth.com) reported a greater reduction in chronic pain not due to cancer (by a small amount) compared to people on the wait list to use the app. Please note that the Curable mobile app is US-based and requires a paid subscription.

What is the evidence?

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS

Curable mobile app vs wait list

OutcomeEffect
Pain severity*Pain decreased by a small amount more for people who used the app compared to those on the wait list
Pain interference**Pain interfered in activities by a small amount less for people who used the app compared to those on the wait list

*using the Brief Pain Inventory Severity score which is a questionnaire about pain over the past 24 hours

**using the Brief Pain Inventory Interference score which is a questionnaire about how much pain interferes with activities of daily living

What kind of study was this?

This was a randomized controlled trial.

Who? This study included 198 adults (average age 47; 82% female) who had chronic pain at least every other day for at least 6 months (average duration of pain 13.6 years). People with pain due to cancer, rheumatoid arthritis or psychological illness were excluded.

What? The study compared use of the Curable mobile app with being on the wait list.

Curable mobile app

vs

Wait list

Free trial of an online US-based app for 6 weeks

Participants were asked to use the app a minimum of 4 times per week (but were encouraged to use it daily). They could choose to try any or all of the following activities:

Education: audio lessons on the neuroscience of pain

Brain training: cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT)-based lessons on how to reset how their brain responds to pain

Meditation: audio-guided meditation specific for pain

Writing: exercises that encouraged writing about pain in relation to situations and relationships

Participants also had access to 2 podcasts connected to the app and a special feature for coping with pain in the moment by offering cues like focusing on breathing or meditating or a pep talk.



Participants continued their usual care for their pain for 6 weeks before they were given access to the Curable mobile app.



Why was this research done?

Chronic pain is controlled by biological factors (e.g., brain function), psychosocial factors (e.g., mood, stress) and social factors (e.g., culture, social supports). Some people can reduce their pain by learning how to control one of more of these factors. Pain clinics often use talk therapies like Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) to teach people how to control these factors, but it can take a long time to be seen at one of these clinics.

The researchers wanted to know if an online mobile app (Curable) that uses CBT could teach people strategies for reducing their chronic pain. They found that people using the app had less pain and less interference from pain in their activities of daily living by a small amount compared to people on the wait list. Concerns about this study include the short duration (6 weeks) and reliance on participants to accurately report how often they used the app. The app is available online (www.curablehealth.com) at the time of publication of this evidence summary, but please note that it is a US-based app that requires a subscription.

This Evidence Summary is based on the following article:

Thomson CJ, Pahl H, Giles LV. Randomized controlled trial investigating the effectiveness of a multimodal mobile application for the treatment of chronic pain. Can J Pain. 2024 Aug 19;8(1):2352399. doi: 10.1080/24740527.2024.2352399. eCollection 2024. PubMed

Published: Monday, November 25, 2024

Please note that the information contained herein is not to be interpreted as an alternative to medical advice from a professional healthcare provider. If you have any questions about any medical matter, you should consult your professional healthcare providers, and should never delay seeking medical advice, disregard medical advice or discontinue medication based on information provided here.

This Evidence Summary was printed from the PAIN+ CPN website on 2024/12/03.

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