A pain body map app answers the question most appointments open with: where does it hurt? In PainTrack you mark the spot on a figure, once as a default for each pain and, when needed, differently for a single entry. The Body map card on the Analysis page then colors the figure for you, by frequency or by average intensity.
Setting locations costs nothing, and the map for the last 7 and 30 days is free. Pro unlocks the 90 day and All ranges and adds the body map to the PDF doctor's report.
The figure: around 50 areas, front and back
The figure has a Front and a Back view with around 50 fixed areas, from the Forehead and Left temple to the Back of the neck, Upper and mid back and Lower back, down to the Back of left knee and Left heel. Arms, legs, hips and shoulders come in left and right versions. The letters "L" and "R" on the figure refer to your own body side. Go by those letters when you tap the front view, and the side will also be right in your doctor's report.
You pick one or more areas by tapping the figure. Choose from list opens a list grouped by body region, such as Head, Back, Pelvis and hips or Legs and feet. The list also works with VoiceOver and TalkBack.
Step by step: setting the location
The location belongs to the pain first, so you set it there:
- Open the More page, tap Pains and then your pain. For a new one, use Add new pain definition.
- Tap the Body location field. With nothing chosen it reads "no default".
- Mark the areas on the figure and tap Done.
- The first time, PainTrack asks "Assign previous entries?". Assign gives your older entries this location. New entries only leaves the map empty for the past.
From then on, each new entry takes a copy of this default. In the entry sheet it shows up as a Location: line with the chosen areas. If the pain spreads somewhere else today, tap the line and change the selection for this entry alone. A pain without a default shows + Add location instead. In the Diary, the locations appear as chips under each entry.
If you created your first pain during onboarding from one of the suggestions, a location is already set: forehead and temples for headache, the lower back for back pain, the back of the neck for neck pain. You can change it at any time.
Mark a few areas rather than many. If ten areas light up on every entry, the figure turns one even color and you will see no pattern. Pick the spot where it hurts most, plus the places it spreads to.
Reading the Body map card
The Body map card sits on the Analysis page. For the time range, -7D and -30D are free, -90D and All are part of Pro. You also switch between two views:
- Frequency counts how often an area shows up in your entries.
- Avg. intensity averages the values per area. PainTrack makes the three scales comparable for this: 0 to 10, Yes / No and Mild / Moderate / Severe.
Tap an area to open a sheet with the number of Entries, the Avg. intensity and the Most frequent pain there. A line on the card tells you how many of your entries carry a body location. Entries without one do not appear on the map, so assigning older entries pays off if your pain has sat in the same place for months.
An example: say your back pain mostly sits in the lower back, and on some days it pulls into the left buttock. The Frequency view shows how often the buttock was involved. The Avg. intensity view shows whether those were the worse days.
With two or more active pains, a pain selector appears at the top of the page. Pick a single pain there and the map shows its locations alone. You can move or hide the card on the Analysis page, and the info icon in its title explains it in a few sentences.
The body map in your doctor's report
In the PDF doctor's report (Pro), the Body map section is selected by default. It shows the front and back side by side, colored by frequency, with the five most frequent areas below, each with its share and average intensity. You choose the report period yourself, from one week to one year or everything. The sample report as a PDF shows the result.
If you want to run your own numbers, the CSV export (Pro) includes a body_regions column for entries.
Free and Pro at a glance
| Feature | Free | Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Body location on the pain and in entries | yes | yes |
| Body map for 7 and 30 days | yes | yes |
| Body map for 90 days and All | no | yes |
| Body map in the PDF doctor's report | no | yes |
body_regions column in the CSV export |
no | yes |
| Active pain definitions | 1 | unlimited |
The last row matters if you want to track two complaints apart, a knee and your back, for example. With one definition you mark both areas on the same pain.
Who benefits from the body map
The map helps when your pain moves around: back pain that runs into a leg, several sore joints, a headache that sits on the left one day and on the right the next. The meaning of pain location and words for spreading pain are covered in Pain body map and How to describe pain. For the back, see A pain diary for back pain, and for the basics, How to keep a pain diary.
Your body locations stay encrypted on your device. The usage statistics, which you can switch off, contain no specific body locations.
Frequently asked questions
Can I mark more than one pain location at once? Yes. You can tap as many areas as you like, on the pain as a default and in each entry. The body map counts every marked area.
Is the PainTrack body map free? Setting locations and the map for the last 7 and 30 days are free. Longer ranges, the section in the PDF doctor's report and the CSV export are part of Pro.
How do I record pain that radiates? In the entry, mark where it starts and the areas it spreads to, for example Lower back and Back of left thigh. Note the direction in the entry's note.
Does "L" on the figure mean my left side? Yes. "L" and "R" stand for your own body side, as you see it yourself. The doctor's report follows the same rule.
PainTrack is not a medical device and does not replace medical diagnosis or treatment. The app is intended for personal documentation and self-observation.