AI Startup PainAI Transforms Chronic Pain Management with Brain-Body Science

A new startup called PainAI is using artificial intelligence to help people manage chronic pain. Founded by Frederike Petzschner, an assistant professor at Brown University, the company turns research on brain-body interactions into personalised tools for patients. Many who suffer from long-term pain struggle with multiple medications and unclear treatment paths—this technology aims to change that.

Petzschner's research focuses on how disruptions in brain-body communication affect conditions like anxiety, depression, and chronic pain. Her team has collected one of the largest high-density data sets tracking pain trajectories over several months. By combining patient data with machine learning, they predict future pain patterns and assess which treatments work best.

The team also examines how chronic pain alters decision-making and how patients process bodily signals, such as cardiac rhythms. Their findings are now being applied in real-world settings through an app used in studies with fibromyalgia and chronic back pain patients.

Early results show promise: 91% of app users reported that the data helped them understand their pain better. Many also valued having an objective record to discuss with doctors. The goal is simple—to give patients clearer insights so they can adjust treatments and improve their daily lives.

PainAI's approach offers a data-driven way to manage chronic pain, moving beyond trial-and-error medication routines. With AI-powered analytics, patients gain personalised feedback that could lead to more effective treatments. The startup's work reflects a growing shift toward precision medicine in pain management.