As the saying goes, “Mind over matter; if you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.” It’s an admirable sentiment, but difficult to put into practice when you’re trying to cope with chronic pain. As a result, people in the U.S. often rely on pain medication from aspirin to opioids. Many would prefer to deal with the problem without the use of drugs, however. A new online program is designed to help them achieve this goal.
Curable is an online system that you can access from just about any browser: computer, tablet, or smartphone. You interact with “Clara,” a virtual pain coach who provides lessons and exercises. Each session is designed to take from five to 20 minutes, and the expectation is to do one session on each of three days in a week. Once you start experiencing pain relief, you can can do the sessions less often if you want. According to the company, some patients experience complete relief in as little as three weeks, while others see a gradual decline in pain over a period of months. The company reports that among early users, 75% report some degree of pain relief, and more than one third feeling “much better” or pain free.
The program is available with a free trial, and the subscription fee is $13 a month or $60 for an annual subscription. The system is based on scientific research and clinical studies that use “biopsychosocial” principles, and you can find links to relevant literature on the website. While it can’t solve pain problems for all patients, it may offer a path to reduced pain for some.
