Low Back Pain Self-management Mobile Applications: a Systematic Review on Digital Platforms

Overview

Journal Rev Esc Enferm USP

Specialties Medical Education
Nursing

Date 2024 Jun 14

PMID 38875500

Authors

Zulamar Aguiar Cargnin

Dulcineia Ghizoni Schneider

Michelle Goncalves de Souza

Mara Ambrosina de Oliveira Vargas

Francis Solange Vieira Tourinho

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objective: To identify and analyze the features and quality of self-management support of mobile applications available in Brazil for chronic low back pain in adults.

Method: A systematic review on the Apple Store® and Google Play® digital platforms. The Self-Management Support Assessment Tool scale was used to assess self-management support and the Institute for Healthcare Informatics Functionality Score scale was used to assess functionality.

Results: Seventeen applications were selected, which included around seven self-management skills. The applications that met the majority of self-management support skills were Pathways, Branch, Pancea, Pain Navigator, and Curable. The Curable, Branch and MoovButh applications had the highest scores, with ten features on the functionality scale.

Conclusion: Some applications have the potential to complement in-person treatment in terms of validity, acceptability and clinical usefulness in pain management. However, barriers such as lack of partnership between healthcare providers and patients, limited evidence-based content, social support, cultural relevance, cost, language, security and privacy can limit their sustained use. PROSPERO Registration: CRD42022382686.

Citing Articles

A scoping review of the reporting quality of reviews of commercially and publicly available mobile health apps.

Gasteiger N, Norman G, Grainger R, van der Veer S, McGarrigle L, Jones D JAMIA Open. 2025; 8(1):ooae159.

PMID: 39810923 PMC: 11729727. DOI: 10.1093/jamiaopen/ooae159.

References

Cashin A, Booth J, McAuley J, Jones M, Hubscher M, Traeger A . Making exercise count: Considerations for the role of exercise in back pain treatment. Musculoskeletal Care. 2021; 20(2):259-270. DOI: 10.1002/msc.1597. View

Song Y, Chen H . Evaluating Chinese Mobile Health Apps for Ankylosing Spondylitis Management: Systematic App Search. JMIR Mhealth Uhealth. 2021; 9(7):e27234. PMC: 8319772. DOI: 10.2196/27234. View

Coe-OBrien R, Joseph L, Kuisma R, Paungmali A, Sitilertpisan P, Pirunsan U . Outcome measures used in the smartphone applications for the management of low back pain: a systematic scoping review. Health Inf Sci Syst. 2020; 8(1):5. PMC: 6940412. DOI: 10.1007/s13755-019-0097-x. View

Rintala A, Rantalainen R, Kaksonen A, Luomajoki H, Kauranen K . mHealth Apps for Low Back Pain Self-management: Scoping Review. JMIR Mhealth Uhealth. 2022; 10(8):e39682. PMC: 9463614. DOI: 10.2196/39682. View

Vo V, Auroy L, Sarradon-Eck A . Patients' Perceptions of mHealth Apps: Meta-Ethnographic Review of Qualitative Studies. JMIR Mhealth Uhealth. 2019; 7(7):e13817. PMC: 6652126. DOI: 10.2196/13817. View

Kheirinejad S, Visuri A, Suryanarayana S, Hosio S . Exploring mHealth applications for self-management of chronic low back pain: A survey of features and benefits. Heliyon. 2023; 9(6):e16586. PMC: 10279785. DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e16586. View

Zhao P, Yoo I, Lancey R, Varghese E . Mobile applications for pain management: an app analysis for clinical usage. BMC Med Inform Decis Mak. 2019; 19(1):106. PMC: 6543581. DOI: 10.1186/s12911-019-0827-7. View

Itoh N, Mishima H, Yoshida Y, Yoshida M, Oka H, Matsudaira K . Evaluation of the Effect of Patient Education and Strengthening Exercise Therapy Using a Mobile Messaging App on Work Productivity in Japanese Patients With Chronic Low Back Pain: Open-Label, Randomized, Parallel-Group Trial. JMIR Mhealth Uhealth. 2022; 10(5):e35867. PMC: 9152720. DOI: 10.2196/35867. View

Page M, McKenzie J, Bossuyt P, Boutron I, Hoffmann T, Mulrow C . Mapping of reporting guidance for systematic reviews and meta-analyses generated a comprehensive item bank for future reporting guidelines. J Clin Epidemiol. 2019; 118:60-68. DOI: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2019.11.010. View

10.

Landis J, Koch G . The measurement of observer agreement for categorical data. Biometrics. 1977; 33(1):159-74. View

11.

Devan H, Farmery D, Peebles L, Grainger R . Evaluation of Self-Management Support Functions in Apps for People With Persistent Pain: Systematic Review. JMIR Mhealth Uhealth. 2019; 7(2):e13080. PMC: 6390192. DOI: 10.2196/13080. View

12.

Carvalho C, Prando B, Dantas L, Serrao P . Mobile health technologies for the management of spine disorders: A systematic review of mHealth applications in Brazil. Musculoskelet Sci Pract. 2022; 60:102562. DOI: 10.1016/j.msksp.2022.102562. View

13.

Browne J, Vaninetti M, Giard D, Kostas K, Dave A . An Evaluation of a Mobile App for Chronic Low Back Pain Management: Prospective Pilot Study. JMIR Form Res. 2022; 6(10):e40869. PMC: 9614628. DOI: 10.2196/40869. View

14.

Llorens-Vernet P, Miro J . Standards for Mobile Health-Related Apps: Systematic Review and Development of a Guide. JMIR Mhealth Uhealth. 2020; 8(3):e13057. PMC: 7078629. DOI: 10.2196/13057. View

15.

MacPherson M, Bakker A, Anderson K, Holtzman S . Do pain management apps use evidence-based psychological components? A systematic review of app content and quality. Can J Pain. 2022; 6(1):33-44. PMC: 9176230. DOI: 10.1080/24740527.2022.2030212. View

16.

Salazar A, De Sola H, Failde I, Moral-Munoz J . Measuring the Quality of Mobile Apps for the Management of Pain: Systematic Search and Evaluation Using the Mobile App Rating Scale. JMIR Mhealth Uhealth. 2018; 6(10):e10718. PMC: 6231783. DOI: 10.2196/10718. View

17.

Mbada C, Olaoye M, Dada O, Ayanniyi O, Johnson O, Odole A . Comparative Efficacy of Clinic-Based and Telerehabilitation Application of Mckenzie Therapy in Chronic Low-Back Pain. Int J Telerehabil. 2019; 11(1):41-58. PMC: 6597146. DOI: 10.5195/ijt.2019.6260. View

18.

Sandal L, Bach K, Overas C, Svendsen M, Dalager T, Jensen J . Effectiveness of App-Delivered, Tailored Self-management Support for Adults With Lower Back Pain-Related Disability: A selfBACK Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Intern Med. 2021; 181(10):1288-1296. PMC: 8329791. DOI: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2021.4097. View

19.

Martin C, Bakker C, Breth M, Gao G, Lee K, Lee M . The efficacy of mobile health interventions used to manage acute or chronic pain: A systematic review. Res Nurs Health. 2020; 44(1):111-128. DOI: 10.1002/nur.22097. View

20.

Fernandez M, Young A, Kongsted A, Hartvigsen J, Barton C, Wallis J . GLA:D® Back Australia: a mixed methods feasibility study for implementation. Chiropr Man Therap. 2022; 30(1):17. PMC: 8989099. DOI: 10.1186/s12998-022-00427-3. View