Increased stress, anxiety, and trouble sleeping are common for people living with chronic pain. Unfortunately, stress, anxiety, and poor sleep can make pain worse, and vice versa. It’s a vicious cycle.

That’s why we are delighted to share a new tool for managing anxiety, stress, and sleep, and by association, managing pain: Flowly: Relaxation Training. Flowly is an iPhone app that combines biofeedback and virtual reality (VR) using either just your phone or a bluetooth sensor.

From the comfort of your home, Flowly lets you see how your heart rate and breathing change as you engage in VR. By being able to see your heart rate and breathing, you can learn to make changes in your body to reduce anxiety, reduce pain, and in some cases, even increase sleep and focus.

In case studies, Flowly helped reduce pain an average of 46 percent after each session. It is currently partnering with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) on an upcoming clinical trial.

One-month, risk-free trial

Flowly understands how important it is to be able to try a therapy option before investing money in it. Here’s how their one-month, risk-free trial works: download the Flowly app and sign up for the monthly or annual subscription. Flowly will automatically send you a kit, including one VR headset and heart rate sensor (the cost of the kit is included in your subscription).

If you wish to discontinue Flowly, just send back the kit before the end of the first month, and they will refund your subscription and cover return shipping costs. If you want to continue with Flowly, you will keep the kit and continue with your subscription.

You also can get a more general sense of the program without a subscription, just by downloading the app, which includes eight free videos with guided breathing, mindfulness exercises, and biofeedback. (Note that these eight free videos do not incorporate VR; the subscription and kit is required for a complete experience.)

[su_pullquote align=”right”]Check out a video about Flowly.[/su_pullquote]A special discount for U.S. Pain

For everyone who signs up by Feb. 16, Flowly is offering a 33 percent discount ($19.99/month or $119.99/year) using the code USPAIN2020. The code can be entered at the bottom of the subscription page.

The subscription includes:

• A Flowly Kit, including one VR headset and one heart rate sensor (valued at $50)
• Entire library of relaxing VR worlds
• 2D content you can experience when you’re on the go
• Physiological reports unique to you to track your progress

The U.S. Pain discount lasts one year, after which you will continue at the standard rate. For questions about the trial and/or subscriptions, contact Flowly.

Want to learn more?

Join us on Thursday, Jan. 30, at 9:30 pm EST for a Facebook Live event with Flowly founder, Celine Tien. Celine will answer questions and a patient will demonstrate how the program works.

If you have a question you’d like Celine to answer during the Facebook Live, email us!