A new app powered by artificial intelligence that has been used to treat back pain in Germany has launched in the UK.
The Kaia: Back Pain Relief at Home app has already been a part of clinical studies which showed it could reduce low back pain by 40% among users.
It works by using a mixture of 120 guided physiotherapy exercises and psychological strategies such as mindfulness and muscle relaxation techniques.
Digital health firm Kaia, which created the app alongside physiotherapists, pain management physicians, orthopaedic surgeons and clinical psychologists says the AI built into it tailors the treatment offered to each user and their individual complaints.
It also features a chat feature to connect users with a physiotherapist or sport scientist for any extra information.
The app is free to download and use for the first seven days, however then requires a subscription for continued full functionality, with prices ranging from £34.99 for three months, £54.99 for six and £69.99 for a year.
Konstantin Mehl, the founder and chief executive of Kaia Health said the app’s way of “digitising therapy” for back pain can help more people get access to treatment.
“A holistic, multidisciplinary treatment of LBP using education and exercise has always been an expensive, resource-intense undertaking which makes it hard to integrate in health systems such as the NHS,” he said.
“By digitising therapy we’re democratising access to effective treatment of LBP. This empowers and motivates individuals to take control, and self-manage their condition with evidenced-based, non-pharmacological, cost-effective alternatives that could save the UK economy billions each year.
“The Kaia app, and advances in technology, demonstrates why we need to rethink how we treat diseases, and make digital self-management a more realistic part of treatment.”
The app has already organised deals with several insurance firms in Germany to ensure it is available to up to 20 million people in the country, and the firm says it hopes to repeat that in the UK.
Kaia has also previously launched the Perfect Squat Challenge app, which is designed to turn a user’s smartphone into an AI personal trainer by using motion tracking technology to monitor squat motion and offer real-time feedback.
