Guide # Back pain apps compared: which one fits your situation The right back pain app depends less on features and more on your situation: whether your employer covers one, whether you want a care team, and what you are willing to pay. By [the Remedy team](https://remedyrecoveries.com/about#editorial) · Published October 23, 2026 · 3 min read · 3 sources On this page - [At a glance](#at-a-glance) - [Employer-covered digital PT: Hinge Health and Sword](#employer-programs) - [Pain education apps: Curable](#mind-body) - [Free videos](#free-video) - [In-person physical therapy](#physical-therapy) - [Remedy](#remedy) - [How to choose](#how-to-choose) - [Questions](#questions) - [Sources](#sources) We make Remedy, so we are not neutral. We have tried to describe every option accurately and say plainly when another one is the better fit. Check each provider’s own site for current details. Key takeaways - If your employer or health plan offers Hinge Health or Sword for free, check that first. - If you need a diagnosis or have warning signs, see a clinician before any app. - If you want a structured exercise plan you can buy yourself on iPhone, that is what Remedy is for. ## At a glance | Option | What it is | How you get it | Best if | | Hinge Health | Digital physical therapy and exercise program with a care team | Usually through an employer or health plan | Your benefits cover it | | Sword (Sword Health, including Kaia) | Digital physical therapy with motion-guided exercise and clinical oversight | Usually through an employer or health plan | Your benefits cover it | | Curable | Pain-education and mind-body program, not an exercise app | Consumer subscription | You want to work on the psychological side of chronic pain | | YouTube and social video | Free individual videos, no program | Free | You already know what to do and will stick with it | | In-person physical therapy | Licensed clinical assessment and treatment | Referral or direct booking, often insurance | You need an assessment, have warning signs, or are not improving | | Remedy | Structured, video-guided back fitness program on iPhone | App Store, free download with a subscription | You want a plan you can buy yourself, without an employer | ## Employer-covered digital PT: Hinge Health and Sword [Hinge Health](https://www.hingehealth.com/) and [Sword Health](https://sword.com/) (now branded simply Sword) are the two largest digital musculoskeletal programs in the US. Both pair app-based exercise therapy with clinical support, and both are usually offered as a benefit through employers and health plans rather than sold directly to individuals. Sword [acquired Kaia Health](https://sword.com/newsroom/sword-acquires-kaia-health) in January 2026. If your job or plan offers either at no cost, it is worth checking first. You get a care team that Remedy does not have. If you don’t have access, they generally aren’t something you can just download and buy. ## Pain education apps: Curable [Curable](https://www.curablehealth.com/) takes a different approach: pain science education, meditation, and other mind-body techniques for chronic pain. It is a self-guided subscription app. It is less about exercise and more about how the nervous system processes pain, so it can sit alongside an exercise program rather than replace one. ## Free videos There are good back exercise videos online for free. What they don’t give you is a plan: what to do today, what to do next week, and when to make it harder. Most people who start with a playlist stop within a couple of weeks, which matters because exercise for back pain works over weeks, not days [1]. ## In-person physical therapy A physical therapist can examine you, which no app can. If you have [warning signs](https://remedyrecoveries.com/guides/when-to-see-a-doctor-for-back-pain), aren’t improving after a few weeks, or simply want a professional assessment, in-person care is the right call. ## Remedy Remedy is a consumer iPhone app. You answer a short onboarding about your back, get a multi-week program built from your answers, and follow short sessions with a demonstration video for every exercise. You check in on your pain before and after each session so you can see the trend. It is free to download; full access is a subscription of $4.99 a week, $12.99 a month, or $79.99 a year, with a free trial where offered. [Pricing details](https://remedyrecoveries.com/pricing). What it isn’t: physical therapy, a diagnosis, or a care team. There are no live coaches, no motion sensors, and no Android app yet. ## How to choose - **Warning signs, or a new injury?** See a clinician first. - **Covered by work or insurance?** Try Hinge Health or Sword. - **Chronic pain where stress and worry play a big part?** Curable may be a useful addition. - **Want a structured exercise plan you can start today on iPhone?** [The Remedy app](https://remedyrecoveries.com/back-pain-app). Whatever you choose, exercise is one of the best-supported non-drug options for chronic low back pain [2][3](#ref-3). The best program is the one you will actually do for six weeks. ## Questions ### What is the best app for back pain? It depends on access. If your employer or health plan covers a digital physical therapy program, that is usually the best first choice. If not, a consumer exercise app with a structured, progressive program is the closest self-pay option. ### Is there a back pain app I can use without insurance or an employer? Yes. Remedy is available to anyone with an iPhone on the App Store. It is free to download, and full access is a subscription. ### Do back pain apps actually work? Exercise is one of the best-supported options for chronic low back pain, and apps are one way to deliver it. Results depend mostly on whether you keep doing the program for several weeks. ## When to see someone instead of using an app Get medical care, not an exercise routine, if you have back pain with any of these: - Numbness or tingling around your genitals or buttocks - Trouble peeing, or loss of bladder or bowel control - Numbness, tingling, or weakness in one or both legs that is getting worse - Back pain after a fall, car accident, or other injury - A fever, or feeling unwell, along with back pain - Unexplained weight loss, or a history of cancer - Pain that is severe, constant, and gets worse at night or when lying down - Pain that keeps getting worse over several weeks instead of better [More on the warning signs](https://remedyrecoveries.com/guides/when-to-see-a-doctor-for-back-pain) ## Sources - Hayden JA, et al. [Exercise therapy for chronic low back pain](https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD009790.pub2). *Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews*. 2021;CD009790. - Qaseem A, et al. [Noninvasive treatments for acute, subacute, and chronic low back pain: a clinical practice guideline from the American College of Physicians](https://doi.org/10.7326/M16-2367). *Annals of Internal Medicine*. 2017;166(7):514-530. - [Low back pain and sciatica in over 16s: assessment and management (NG59)](https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng59). National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, 2016, updated 2020. This guide is general fitness information, not medical advice. [How we write our guides](https://remedyrecoveries.com/about#editorial). Keep reading ## Related guides [Guide ### Lower back pain exercises The kinds of exercise that help a sore lower back, with a simple routine to start.Read the guide](https://remedyrecoveries.com/guides/lower-back-pain-exercises)[Guide ### When to see a doctor The warning signs that mean you need medical care, not an exercise routine.Read the guide](https://remedyrecoveries.com/guides/when-to-see-a-doctor-for-back-pain)[Guide ### How long to stick with a routine Why a back routine is measured in weeks, and what progress looks like.Read the guide](https://remedyrecoveries.com/guides/how-long-to-stick-with-a-back-routine) ## Get a back program you can actually keep Free to download on the App Store. Answer a few questions and your first session is ready in minutes. [](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/remedy-back-pain-relief/id6813745106)[Read the guides](https://remedyrecoveries.com/guides/) --- Source: https://remedyrecoveries.com/guides/best-back-pain-apps Remedy is a fitness and wellness app, not medical care.