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.