Alberta Chiropractic SelfBack Study to Evaluate the Feasibility of Using the SelfBack App for Chronic Low Back Pain

What this Trial Is About

Chronic low back pain (LBP) is a significant health issue in Canada, causing pain, disability, and economic burden. Many Canadians lack access to publicly funded education and exercise programs for LBP, leading to reliance on less effective and sometimes harmful treatments. This research aims to evaluate the feasibility of distributing the SelfBack app through chiropractors in Alberta to support self-management of persistent and recurrent LBP using tailored advice on physical activity, exercises, and education. The SelfBack app uses artificial intelligence to customize self-management plans for individuals with LBP. Chiropractors enrolled in the study will be trained to use the app and identify eligible patients with chronic LBP in their practice. Participating patients will receive the app on their smartphones, which collects baseline and ongoing data to offer personalized guidance. The study will run for about eight months, during which clinicians and patients will use the app, and data will be regularly collected and analyzed. Participants will download and use the SelfBack app, which will ask baseline questions and periodically check progress and ability to engage in recommended exercises and education. The app collects demographic and health outcome data at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months. Chiropractors can monitor patient data via a real-time dashboard to support follow-up as needed. The main outcome is the percentage of patients who actively use the app over the study period. Secondary outcomes include clinician participation rates and attitudes toward the app.

Alberta Chiropractic SelfBack Study