Top Apps for Managing Chronic Pain: A Guide

Living with the chronic pain that often accompanies lupus can be a daily struggle. It can be difficult to manage pain while maintaining a normal life. In fact, in a recent Lupus LA survey, it was found that over 90% of lupus patients reported seeing a pain specialist to manage their symptoms.

Pain management is an essential aspect of living with a chronic illness like lupus. It can be challenging to remember your symptoms, medication timings, and the effectiveness of various treatments over time. Technology has made managing this aspect of life a bit easier. There are several mobile applications available that can help you track and manage your pain. Here are some top-rated pain management apps specifically designed to make living with lupus (or similar chronic illnesses) a bit more manageable.

Disclaimer: While these apps can help in tracking symptoms and providing pain management tips, they are not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

1️⃣ My Pain Diary & Symptom Tracker: This app allows users to track their pain levels, mood, medications, and more. It also provides detailed reports to help users better understand their pain and its triggers.

2️⃣ Chronic Pain Tracker: This app allows users to track pain levels, medications, sleep patterns, and more. It also includes a journal feature for recording thoughts and emotions related to chronic pain.

3️⃣ PainScale: This app provides a pain assessment tool that helps users identify their pain level and location. It also includes articles and resources for managing chronic pain.

4️⃣ Flaredown: This app allows users to track symptoms, triggers, and treatments. It also provides insights and trends to help users better understand their condition.

5️⃣ Calm: While not specifically designed for chronic pain, this meditation app can be helpful for managing stress and anxiety, which can exacerbate chronic pain symptoms.

6️⃣ Headspace: Similar to Calm, this app provides guided meditations and mindfulness exercises to help users manage stress and anxiety.

7️⃣ TENS Pain Management: This app provides guidance on the use of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) devices for pain management.

8️⃣ Curable: Curable approaches pain from a biopsychosocial perspective, providing users with pain science education and mind-body techniques to address the mental and emotional aspects of chronic pain. This app is especially beneficial for lupus patients seeking a multi-faceted approach to pain management.

9️⃣ Manage My Pain App: This app provides educational resources and treatment options for those with chronic pain.

🔟 Wave: Wave is a health app designed to help chronic illness patients track their symptoms, sleep, steps, medications, and other activities. The app leverages artificial intelligence (AI) to generate real-time personal insights based on the user’s experiences, which helps to identify how their actions correlate to their symptoms.

Managing chronic pain can be challenging, but selecting the best tools that work for YOU can help make the journey a bit easier to manage. These apps provide a wide array of features for pain tracking, symptom monitoring, and community support. Choose one that best fits your needs and lifestyle, and remember that effective pain management is a collaborative effort between you and your healthcare provider.

Before making any changes to your pain management strategy, always consult with a medical professional. Any new pain management approach should be discussed with a healthcare professional to ensure it aligns with your specific needs and medical history.

Do you have pain management app that has worked best for you? Share it with us on social media @LupusLA!