Low back pain self-management mobile applications: a systematic review on digital platforms.
Zulamar Aguiar Cargnin, Dulcinéia Ghizoni Schneider, Michelle Gonçalves de Souza and 2 others
PMID 38875500WHAT IT FOUND
Back pain apps available in Brazil had some exercise and self-management features, but only two had been tested in clinical research.
They are not proven treatments, so suggest them only as an adjunct with safety advice.
Key findings
01Only 17 of 348 potentially relevant apps were eligible for assessment.
02The apps scored 6.9 of 14 self-management items on average.
03Only two apps had been tested in clinical research, and no app provided culturally relevant information.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The review looked only at apps available in Brazil, so it does not tell you about apps in other countries. The app market changes quickly, and the results may not reflect newer updates or apps released after May and June 2023. The assessment tools had not been validated in Brazil, and SMS-14 only scored whether a feature was present, not how good it was. Apps without the word pain in the title or description may have been missed. Only two apps had been tested in clinical research, so the review cannot show that any app improves pain or function.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as proof that a back pain app works. The review assessed app features and quality, not patient outcomes, and only two apps had been tested in clinical research.