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The opioid epidemic is one of the most significant health crises of the 21st century. A key factor fueling this crisis? The lack of effective tools to track pain in real time.
For clinicians, managing pain often relies on subjective and inconsistent patient-reported scales. Imagine being a physician tasked with determining when a patient should discontinue pain medication. A "6 out of 10" pain score can mean different things to different patients, leaving room for misjudgment. Without the ability to track pain accurately, clinicians often turn to painkillers as the default solution. This leads to unnecessary prescriptions, prolonged use, and, tragically, preventable deaths.
What if there was a way to objectively monitor pain levels, reduce reliance on opioids, and improve clinical outcomes?
In a recently published study, OneStep presents groundbreaking research demonstrating a clear correlation between patient-reported pain levels and real-life gait patterns. Based on a population of patients with acute low back pain, this study found that key aspects of walking, such as gait speed and stride length, hold strong correlations with pain and disability scores like the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI).
Key findings from OneStep’s study
OneStep's smartphone-based technology leverages the built-in sensors of smartphones to passively monitor multiple gait parameters during day-to-day activities. Here’s what the study uncovered:
- Gait speed and stride length showed the strongest negative correlations with ODI scores, emphasizing that patients with higher levels of disability walked slower with shorter steps.
- Double support time (the amount of time both feet are on the ground) demonstrated a positive correlation with ODI – suggesting that as disability increases, so does instability with walking.
- Measurements such as walk score, which is a composite metric developed by OneStep, are also closely aligned with patient-reported outcomes.
This means clinicians can now track subtle changes in mobility over time, even before patients themselves may recognize improvements.
Transforming patient care with passive monitoring
By combining subjective tools like the ODI with objective mobility data, OneStep offers clinicians a more comprehensive way to assess pain and function. Here’s how this innovation is transforming healthcare delivery:
Track pain without patient bias
Patients won’t always recognize or accurately report pain level changes. Gait analysis bypasses that subjectivity, providing measurable insights into their recovery.
Enable remote monitoring
With OneStep’s mobile app, clinicians can monitor patients’ progress in real-world settings. There’s no need for specialized equipment or lab visits, making it a scalable solution for remote care.
Early detection of changes
Functional decline or recovery is often gradual, making it easy to miss. Passive monitoring ensures any changes in pain or mobility are detected early, allowing clinicians to take timely action.
Reduce reliance on opioids
With concrete data on movement and recovery, clinicians can make more informed decisions about pain management, potentially reducing the over-prescription of painkillers.
A future-forward approach to pain management
Quoting Dr. Omri Lubovsky, Head of the Orthopedic Department at Barzilai Medical Center, "We need tools that objectively show how our patients are moving so we can determine, with confidence, when they no longer need painkillers."
OneStep delivers precisely that. By passively tracking several important gait parameters, OneStep bridges the gap between subjective pain scales and actionable clinical insights. It’s not just a technological milestone; it’s a pivotal advancement in supporting more accurate, personalized care.
The data at a glance:
Participants: 28 patients with acute low back pain, aged 30-99.
Gait parameters correlated with ODI:
- Stride length (r = -0.76)
- Walk score (r = -0.75)
- Gait speed (r = -0.72)
- Double support time (r = 0.63)
These robust correlations highlight OneStep’s clinically relevant ability to provide continuous pain and mobility monitoring, driving better outcomes in patient care.
The future of mobility and pain assessment
For healthcare providers, integrating AI-driven gait analysis into standard clinical workflows offers a proactive approach to pain management. No longer reliant solely on patient-reported metrics, clinicians can now base decisions on real-world, data-backed insights.
With over one million gait cycles analyzed daily, OneStep is leading the charge in transforming how we monitor, assess, and respond to patient mobility. For clinicians and patients alike, this combination of advanced technology and clinical expertise is paving the way for better care and reduced reliance on opioids.
The future of healthcare includes tools like OneStep for smarter, more comprehensive treatment strategies.
