Defense Continues Apps Pursuit

Bob Brewin is on vacation and will return to writing What's Brewin' later this month.

Counselors have begun to use apps to treat patients online. Physicians are developing iPhone apps to treat conditions like vertigo. So, it shouldn't be surprising that the Defense Department, which is embracing everything app, has an iPhone program to help treat stress, maybe even post traumatic stress syndrome.

The National Center for Telehealth and Technology, which is part of the Defense Centers for Excellence, has created iBreathe, an app that walks soldiers through what is called a diaphragmatic breathing stress management technique - a.k.a. "belly breathing."

From the Defense Centers for Excellence's blog post:

iBreathe will provide video-based instruction that explains the body's reaction to stressors and how belly breathing can reduce stress. The application includes illustrative examples, narrator-guided exercises, practice sessions, pre/post stress ratings, graphically-charted progress, a journal, a visual stress tracker, customization and a feature that allows users to tag data points with personal notes.

According to [telehealth and technology center's Dr. Jennifer] Alford, the application can be used as a standalone stress management tool or as a supplementary resource during actual treatment rendered by a health care professional.

Hat tip: Danger Room