Medically approved app to help back pain launches
By Sophie Nutt | 13 September 2019 | News, Products & Treatments
Digital therapy company, Kaia Health, has launched the first medically approved back pain app in the EU and UK aiming to end the epidemic of work-induced back pain.
According to WHO, back pain is the leading global cause of disability worldwide. Meanwhile, in the UK, an estimated one-third of the adult population are affected by back issues each year. As well as this, according to the Office for National Statistics, back pain accounts for almost 31 millions days of work lost annually, costing the UK economy £14 billion a year.
The Kaia back pain app was developed by digital therapy company Kaia Health in conjunction with physiotherapists, orthopaedic surgeons and clinical psychologists. The app offers video exercises with education, physiotherapy and psychological strategies. Users can chat online with a physiotherapist or sports scientist for motivation and exercise-related questions.
In an independent clinical study published in NPJ Digital Medicine, patients using Kaia reported significantly lower pain levels compared to the control group being treated with physiotherapy and online education.
“The core problem is our modern, sedentary working life,” says Stephan Huber, chief medical officer at Kaia Health. “We’re hunched at desks all day and this puts a strain on our back. We’re encouraging UK employers to adopt a holistic approach to tackling back pain in and out of the workplace – this could include increased access to exercise and relaxation like the Kaia app offers. Implementing these measures systematically for workers could lead to a more active way of dealing with the condition – and this will help to alleviate back pain and reduce the strain on the NHS.”
Kaia can be downloaded via the App Store and Google Play with a seven-day free trial.