Wearable Pain Management System for Knee Osteoarthritis

Abstract

Osteoarthritis causes chronic knee pain. This type of knee pain is incurable and can only be managed. For the management of pain, a faster and easy mode is needed. Physical therapies are used for management of pain. This method of treatment emphasizes the combination of physical therapy for pain management. The acupressure therapy, heat and cold therapy is used along with the assistance of smartphone application. This provides easy access to the elderly people and can be self-applicable. The level of vibrational intensities used in the acupressure therapy can be varied according to the level of pain the person is experiencing. The data regarding the level of pain and some physiological parameters of the people are acquired. From the acquired data, an analysis is made regarding the human acceptable range of parameters such as vibrational levels and temperature. Based on the analysis of those data, a standard range of parameters can be set. The pain assessment scale is integrated into the application and the level of parameters are provided respective to the pain scale level. 30 people with and without arthritis were tested using this system and the accurate level of parameters are identified. The main challenge faced was the conversion of external power supply to battery. When it is converted to a rechargeable battery, people can use it along with their daily activities. The only disadvantage of the system is that it is not battery operated rather it requires a constant power supply. From the results obtained, this system significantly reduces pain by the combinational effect of physical therapies.