Estratégias distrativas na dor crónica: potencialidades das tecnologias digitais

Abstract

Chronic pain is a limiting phenomenon worldwide, characterized by constant and distressing pain. Scientific research and the advancement of digital technologies have focused on the study of the reduction of discomfort felt through the use of smartphones, tablets, and other portable devices. Objectives: To apply a technological resource, validate the proof of concept of the pain distraction strategy, check whether there was a change in pain perception following this distraction strategy and, finally, check whether a preferential choice was made for one of the alternatives proposed in the application (game or walk around in a virtual scenario). Method: Four adult participants, aged between 54 and 59 years, with a medical diagnosis of chronic pain and with access to a smartphone compatible with the application, participated in this exploratory study. The participants made use of the Chronic Pain Relief app over the course of 10 weeks, for a total of 16 sessions. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to obtain a qualitative evaluation of the application. Content analysis was used to analyze the results qualitatively. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential analysis. Results: After completing the sessions, 3 of the participants reported a decrease in pain perception during the use of the application, but no statistically significant differences were observed in the perception of pain intensity after using the application. No adverse effects were reported when using the application. Conclusion: It was possible to verify a decrease in pain perception in subjective terms (feedback requested from the participants). The effect of the app on changing pain perception varies from participant to participant. Of the 4 participants in the study, 3 reported a decrease in pain perception and 1 reported no change in pain perception when using the app. Keywords: adults, chronic pain, distractive strategies, digital technologies, smartphone, exploratory study

Date of Award	2022
Original language	Portuguese
Supervisor	Maria Teresa Soares Souto (Supervisor)