selfBACK · Project

AI-Powered Smartphone App That Helps Employees Manage Low Back Pain Themselves

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Low back pain is the number one cause of disability in Europe, and most of the time doctors can't pin it on a specific injury — it's just chronic pain. The best treatment is staying active and doing the right exercises, but people struggle to stick with it on their own. This project built a smartphone app paired with a fitness wristband that acts like a personal coach: it tracks what you do, learns your pain patterns, and tells you exactly which exercises to do today. They tested it in a proper clinical trial aiming for a 20% drop in pain-related disability after nine months.

By the numbers

85%

of low back pain cases are non-specific and suitable for self-management

4th

most common diagnosis seen in primary care

20%

targeted reduction in pain-related disability at 9 months

9 months

follow-up period in the randomized controlled trial

consortium partners across 5 countries

SMEs in the consortium

demonstration deliverables produced

The business problem

What needed solving

Low back pain is the leading cause of disability in Europe and the 4th most common reason people visit their doctor. Over 85% of these cases have no specific medical cause — the best treatment is physical activity and exercise, but patients struggle to follow through without guidance. Employers, insurers, and health providers all pay the price through absenteeism, repeat consultations, and long-term disability claims.

The solution

What was built

A complete mobile health platform: smartphone app for iOS and Android with personalized exercise recommendations, a physical activity recognition system using wearable wristband data, a web-based clinician dashboard for monitoring patients remotely, multi-language localization, and a web-based patient questionnaire system. All components were demonstrated and the full system was tested in a randomized controlled trial.

Audience

Who needs this

Corporate wellness providers managing musculoskeletal absenteeismHealth insurers looking to reduce chronic back pain claim costsDigital health companies building physiotherapy or chronic pain appsOccupational health services for industries with high back injury ratesPrimary care networks seeking scalable self-management tools

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Corporate Wellness & Occupational Health

enterprise

Target: Corporate wellness providers or large employers with high musculoskeletal absenteeism

If you are a corporate wellness provider dealing with employee absenteeism from back pain — this project developed a smartphone app with wearable integration that delivers personalized self-management plans for low back pain. With over 85% of back pain cases being non-specific and manageable through exercise, this tool could reduce sick days by keeping employees active with tailored daily advice. The system was tested in a randomized controlled trial targeting a 20% reduction in pain-related disability at 9 months.

Digital Health & mHealth

SME

Target: Health tech companies building chronic pain or physiotherapy platforms

If you are a digital health company looking to expand into musculoskeletal care — this project built a complete mobile platform (iOS and Android) with machine learning-based physical activity recognition from wearable devices, a clinician dashboard, and multi-language localization. The system was validated through a clinical trial and comes with a commercialization strategy already developed. With low back pain being the 4th most common diagnosis in primary care, the addressable market is massive.

Health Insurance

enterprise

Target: Health insurers seeking to reduce claims from musculoskeletal disorders

If you are a health insurer struggling with rising costs from chronic back pain claims — this project created a decision support system that empowers patients to self-manage after a single primary care visit. The app uses wristband data and symptom tracking to personalize exercise recommendations, targeting a 20% reduction in pain-related disability at 9 months. Fewer recurring consultations and reduced disability duration translate directly into lower claim costs.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to license or deploy this technology?

The project developed a business plan with a targeted commercialization strategy, but specific pricing is not disclosed in the available data. Given the technology includes a smartphone app, wearable integration, and clinician dashboard, licensing terms would need to be negotiated directly with the consortium.

Can this scale to thousands of employees across multiple countries?

Yes, the system was built with scalability in mind. The app runs on both iOS and Android, includes multi-language localization (demonstrated in deliverables), and uses a web-based clinician dashboard for remote monitoring. The consortium spans 5 countries, suggesting cross-border deployment was part of the design.

Who owns the intellectual property and how can I license it?

The IP is held by the consortium of 8 partners led by NTNU (Norwegian University of Science and Technology). With 3 SMEs and 3 industry partners in the consortium (38% industry ratio), there are likely commercial licensing pathways already defined in their business plan. Contact the coordinator through SciTransfer for licensing discussions.

Was this actually tested with real patients or just in a lab?

The project conducted a full randomized controlled trial with pain-related disability as the primary outcome, measuring results at 9 months follow-up. They also ran process evaluation to document implementation quality and patient satisfaction. This is clinical-grade evidence, not a lab prototype.

How does it integrate with existing health IT systems?

The system includes a web-based clinician dashboard that connects to the patient's mobile app and wearable device data. Based on available project data, the architecture uses web and mobile software interacting with connected devices such as activity-monitoring wristbands. Specific EHR integration details would need to be discussed with the development team.

Is it compliant with health data regulations like GDPR?

The project ran across 5 European countries including France, Netherlands, and Norway, so GDPR compliance was a requirement during the trial phase. Based on available project data, specific certifications as a medical device (CE marking) would need to be confirmed with the consortium.

What ongoing support or maintenance is needed?

The app requires activity recognition algorithms to be maintained and the clinician dashboard to be hosted. With physical activity recognition software as a standalone component and multi-platform support (iOS and Android), ongoing updates for OS compatibility would be expected. The consortium includes technical partners capable of providing support.

Consortium

Who built it

The selfBACK consortium brings together 8 partners from 5 countries (Denmark, France, Netherlands, Norway, UK), led by NTNU — one of Scandinavia's top technical universities. The mix is well-balanced for commercialization: 4 universities provide clinical and AI research depth, while 3 industry partners (all SMEs) bring software development and market access. With a 38% industry ratio and 3 SMEs directly involved, the project was designed with commercial transfer in mind from the start. The geographic spread across Northern and Western Europe suggests the solution was built for cross-border deployment in diverse healthcare systems.

NORGES TEKNISK-NATURVITENSKAPELIGE UNIVERSITET NTNUCoordinator · NO
ROBERT GORDON UNIVERSITYparticipant · UK
HEALTH LEADS BVparticipant · NL
SYDDANSK UNIVERSITETparticipant · DK
UNIVERSITY OF GLASGOWparticipant · UK
DET NATIONALE FORSKNINGSCENTER FOR ARBEJDSMILJØparticipant · DK

How to reach the team

NTNU (Norwegian University of Science and Technology) — SciTransfer can facilitate a direct introduction to the project coordinator.

Order a report on this consortium See NORGES TEKNISK-NATURVITENSKAPELIGE UNIVERSITET NTNU profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to license selfBACK for your workforce or health platform? SciTransfer connects you directly with the research team. Contact us for a one-page technology brief and introduction.

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