Telehealth platforms and mHealth devices targeting pain relief may play a significant role in the National Institutes for Health’s new initiative to combat opioid abuse.

Our brain controls how much pain we experience, but why and how this happens is still largely a mystery. A clearer understanding of the brain’s in-built pain regulation capability could open doors to developing alternatives to addictive drugs like opioids. Dr. Ben Seymour of Cambridge University and his research team just published a study that sheds light on the topic.

Psychologists at The University of Alabama found adapting cognitive behavioral therapy and group pain education for patients of low socioeconomic status can improve their chronic pain. The study involved 290 participants and was conducted in mostly rural areas of Alabama. After participating in the modified cognitive behavioral therapy or pain education groups, the participants reported reductions in pain intensity coupled with an increase in physical function and lower depression. The study was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.