Technology's Role in Wearable Pain and Stress Monitoring Devices

Alex D'souza, Medical Tech Outlook | Tuesday, February 02, 2021

By closing the loop between detecting stress signs and delivering personalized, real-time guidance, firms can motivate people to take steps to manage levels of unhealthful stress.

FREMONT, CA: Nagging headache, raging pulse, sweating palms? The body has a lot of ways to let one know that it is under threat. Some of these signals can be assessed, and the prospect of objective stress monitoring can be opened up.

Stress monitoring will lead to insightful findings in a lab environment. But what if one could take accurate long-term measurements as a person goes about their everyday life? This aspect will take stress analysis to a different stage, connecting physiological stress signs to contextual factors such as meaning and location.

In comparison, the road to constructive stress control will be simple. By closing the loop between detecting stress signs and delivering personalized, real-time guidance, firms can motivate people to take steps to manage levels of unhealthful stress. It could avoid constant depression and other mental health issues. Similarly, objective pain control helps to determine the effects of both opioid and drug-free pain relief. And it may be an essential factor in the automated administration of pain relief.

Non-Obtrusive Sensing and A Specialized Algorithm

Physiological signs of stress and discomfort include:

• Heart rate and variability in heart rate.

• Blood pressure

• Skin conductivity

• Tension in face muscles.

• Eye movements and pupil dilatation.

• Brain signals.

To register these signals in a non-obtrusive way, organizations have introduced a wide variety of vital sign sensing technologies, including the body (wearable), the body (ingestible and implantable), and non-contact technologies. Advanced customized algorithms convert the data obtained into accurate tension and pain thresholds. And by integrating this output with contextual data such as GPS signals, phone logs, and (self-reported) food and drink intakes, they can create intimate, actionable observations that make it easier for people to live healthy, happier lives.

Ambulatory Stress Monitoring in Practice

Chronic stress can have a disastrous effect on mental and physical well-being, leading to anxiety, depression, and career burn-out. Is one able to register and respond to early signs of stress? Then we will boost people's lives and save millions on economic losses and health care costs.

There are studies intended to examine tension in the work world. In 2017, over 1,000 researchers wore a wristband and a wellness patch for five straight days. These wearables gathered physiological data coupled with contextual data from the phone and self-reported, subjective stress data. The research led to the world's most extensive collection of stress detection results. It is also one example of how portable pain and tension monitoring systems can significantly affect future science and care.

See Also: Top Wearable Technology Startups