Websites specifically for Sickle Cell Pain can be found here.
Pediatric Pain Management Intervention Resources
Pain Management Specific
This application has a lot of great information for parents and some good information for younger children. It includes examples and information about pain, distraction techniques, relaxation, and breathing, but does not incorporate much practice (Cilein Kearns, 2012).
General Meditation & Relaxation
This app provides a wide range of mobile or on-the-go guided meditations, which you can do at any time. They are categorized by what you're doing and how you're feeling. You'll find meditations you can do while walking, getting ready for bed, waking up, taking work breaks and many other categories. Sessions last from 4-30 minutes.
- Relax & Rest Guided Meditations – $1.99
This easy-to-use guided meditation app has three different lengths of meditation, and both the voice and background music are very soothing. The longest meditation (24 min) has components of muscle relaxation, which may be particularly helpful for pain.
Other meditations focus on breath (5 min) and deep rest (13 min).
(Meditation Oasis, 2011).
- Simply Being-Guided Meditation for Relaxation & Presence – Free
This app is designed for adults but is one of the highest-rated meditation apps in the App Store and would work well for adolescents. Meditations have several different lengths, so adolescents could work up to the longer meditations.
Emphasis is on “letting go” and “just being.”(Meditation Oasis, 2009).
- Take a Break! – Guided Meditations for Stress Relief – Free
This simple and easy to follow stress relief app has two different lengths of guided meditation (7 min and 13 min).
You can customize the background sound and the volume of the voice speaking (Meditation Oasis, 2011).
This application is better suited for older adolescents.
The app includes a good selection of meditations; each meditation includes helpful educational information about the benefits of relaxation before each exercise (Cleveland Clinic Wellness Enterprise, 2012).
Diaphragmatic “Belly” Breathing Exercises
This app teaches people how to belly breathe. It includes instruction and practice exercises, although there is only one exercise included for people to practice. This app is especially helpful for pacing one’s breathing and the practice screen is very customizable (The National Center for Telehealth and Technology, 2011).
This breathing app is based on principles of breathing in yogic practice. This guide to deep breathing has a progressive course that includes music and animated visuals (Saagara, 2011).
- BellyBio Interactive Breathing – Free
This app turns the iPod Touch or iPhone into a biofeedback device that measures breath rate.
The user places the iPhone or iPod Touch on his or her belly and the device tracks the movement of the belly with each breath.
It includes visual and audio cues for improved breathing.
Although using this app takes some practice, it can be an engaging way to reinforce proper diaphragmatic breathing techniques. This app also includes a helpful YouTube tutorial to teach users the proper technique.
Note: this app cannot be used with an iPad (RelaxLine, 2010).
General Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- At Ease: Anxiety & Worry Relief – $2.99
This app has three different guided breathing meditations designed to reduce anxiety, ranging from 9-12 minutes long. This app also features support for technical difficulties and a journaling component that allows users to keep track of ‘inner resources’ (Meditation Oasis, 2010).
Sleep
- iSleep Easy-Meditations for Restful Sleep – Free
This app has nine different meditations that focus on initiation of sleep.
It also includes a good meditation to be used for middle of the night awakenings.
These meditations vary in length from 2-15 min and include education and practice for diaphragmatic breathing and autogenic relaxation (Meditation Oasis, 2012).
This application has child-friendly education incorporated into it, and a soothing voice (male or female) to calm listeners. The app is simple and straightforward and incorporates deep breathing into every exercise. Each exercise is 6-10 minutes long (Somatiq, LLC).
- Bedtime Meditations for Kids by Christiane Kerr – $4.99
This app is particularly good for younger children (ages 7-13).
Although the meditations are longer (15-20 minutes), they move at a good pace for children and incorporate imaginative guided imagery exercises (Diviniti Publishing Ltd).
Yoga
- Super Stretch Yoga – Free
This app was created as a story led by a superhero that kids follow through different yoga poses. This app is good for very young children. Parents and children can use this app together (The Adventures of Super Stretch, LLC, 2001).
