TULSA — Researchers from the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University-Tulsa are spending the next five years developing an app to help Native Americans manage chronic pain.
The research and development for the app will be funded by a $3.4 million grant from the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities.
Chronic pain is defined as pain lasting longer than three to six months, or that lasts longer than the typical healing time for an injury or illness. Native Americans experience chronic pain at a higher rate than any other demographic in the United States, with nearly one-third of Native Americans suffering from chronic pain according to the Journal of the International Association for the Study of Pain.
Dr. Joanna Shadlow (Osage), an OSU-Tulsa teaching professor of psychology, is leading the research alongside Dr. Jamie Rhudy, an OU professor. Shadlow is serving as the Native American lead on the project to ensure the app is tailored to the lived experiences of Native Americans. Shadlow will also work directly with an Indigenous Advisory Council and Native community members.
“We found that cultural connectedness is a buffer to the impact of chronic pain. We’re going to be reaching out to Native Americans in the community to figure out how to best shape this intervention from the very beginning, rather than adding an Indigenous perspective after the fact,” said Shadlow.
The project, called “Tailored Mobile Health Technology to Address Native American Chronic Pain,” will use smartphones to combat harmful pain management strategies by lowering barriers to access safe, effective treatment.
Native Americans suffering from chronic pain can turn to substances in an effort to self-medicate. “We have a huge opioid epidemic that is just devastating to people’s lives. If we can integrate an evidence-based approach that infuses culture and decreases someone’s need or reliance on addictive pain medicines, I would be honored to be a part of that change,” said Shadlow.
Muscogee Nation Department of Health’s Medication Assisted Treatment and Tribal Opioid Response team has seen firsthand the fallout from substance abuse tied to chronic pain. MAT/TOR addresses the opioid crisis with a similar culturally grounded approach that Shadlow and Rhudy hope to use within the app.
“I have seen how often chronic pain becomes the starting point for opioid use. For many people, it is not about seeking out opioids. They are simply trying to manage their pain, keep working, take care of their families, and get through the day,” said MAT/TOR Program Director Sarah Cowett.
“A digital health platform like this could make a meaningful difference. Giving people access to evidence-based pain management tools where they live removes some of the barriers that we see communities struggle with every day,” said Cowett.
“If we can give people practical tools to manage their pain earlier and in ways that fit their lives, we may also be able to reduce the likelihood that opioids become their only realistic option.”
This project is not the first time Shadlow and Rhudy have worked together to combat chronic pain among Native Americans. From 2013 to 2018, the researchers worked on a project called the Oklahoma Study of Native American Pain Risk. That study found that factors like discrimination, stress, high blood pressure, and sleep disturbances can affect how pain is processed in the brain. The app will target stress management, anxiety, sleep hygiene, physical health, and diet to mitigate some of these factors.
Existing chronic pain management apps, such as Curable and Pain Coach, guide users in self-help practices. Pain management apps can include instructions for self-acupressure, calming music, supportive messages, guided meditation, instructions for physiotherapy exercises, and options to chat with moderated support groups. Some apps also include pain level trackers so users can log their chronic pain episodes and symptoms.
Currently, there are no conclusive studies on the effectiveness of chronic pain management apps, but a 2020 research paper shows that these apps tend to have a positive effect on patients with chronic pain. The paper concludes that there is “emerging evidence” that apps can be useful in reducing chronic pain.
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