Not all back pain apps are built the same
There are hundreds of back pain apps. At the 12th World Congress on Low Back & Pelvic Girdle Pain (Porto, November 2026), researchers from the University of Sydney presented a review of 402 of them. Most were poor quality and not backed by evidence. On their own, apps gave only small, short-lived improvements in pain.
They also presented their own research app, My Back Exercise: a carefully designed, automated six-week programme of education, reminders, exercise, sleep and diet advice. It’s good work, and it shows clearly where an app on its own reaches its limits.
What this one-page guide covers
- A side-by-side comparison of two different approaches: who supports you, community, programme length, nervous-system work and the whole-person picture
- What we know works: staying engaged, giving it time, exercise with expert guidance, and lifestyle change
- What we know doesn’t work well: quick fixes on their own, one-size-fits-all programmes, and apps used alone
Why Back Pain Systems™ is built differently
Back pain is rarely just one thing. Back Pain Systems™, inside the Dr Jo Abbott Systems™ App, is built around real people: trained RESET Coach™ support, a community working through the same pathway, and a structured 12-week RESET™ pathway that calms the nervous system before building strength. It’s designed by Dr Jo Abbott, PhD, a clinical biomechanist with more than 20 years of clinical and research experience.
Who it’s for
Anyone living with persistent or recurring back pain who has tried apps, exercises or quick fixes and wants to understand what actually helps. Clinicians may also find it a useful conversation starter with patients.
Back Pain Systems™ is a supported self-management pathway. It complements, and does not replace, medical assessment or care. My Back Exercise is a University of Sydney research programme. This guide is not affiliated with or endorsed by the University of Sydney.
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