News
How femtech is helping fibromyalgia patients
Fibromyalgia is a poorly understood condition causing chronic, widespread pain in sufferers – the majority of which are women.
According to the NHS, the condition affects around seven times more women than men, and typically starts between the ages of 30 and 50, although it can affect any age.
It is not known what causes it, although theories suggest its onset often coincides with periods of stress, such as bereavement, injury or giving birth. There is also thought to be a hereditary aspect too.
The main symptom is generalised pain, which may be accompanied by extreme tiredness, muscle stiffness, difficulty sleeping and problems with memory and concentration, which is known as fibro-fog.
There is no cure for fibromyalgia, rather a number of ways of treating the symptoms, including anti-depressants, painkillers and lifestyle changes.
However, with advances in technology that focuses on female-specific conditions, known as femtech, could there be more solutions on the horizon?
Digital pain relief
Pain is often the most debilitating symptom of fibromyalgia, and, understandably, many women don’t want to be wholly reliant on painkillers, which can themselves bring unwanted side effects.
A number of developments in the femtech world have led to the creation of digital solutions, such as NeuroMetrix’s Quell device, which was last year granted breakthrough device designation by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat the symptoms of fibromyalgia in adults.
The device uses transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator (TENS) technology to offer symptomatic relief and management of chronic pain in the lower extremities.
Designed for over-the-counter use, Quell is a non-invasive, wearable device which is enabled by a tailored microchip that offers flexible, accurate nerve stimulation at increased power, providing targeted pain relief without the need for drugs.
Digital therapy
Another treatment that is often offered to fibromyalgia patients alongside medication is some form of talking therapy, but these can be inconvenient to access and attend.
Another technology that received Breakthrough Device Designation from the FDA last year is Swing Therapeutics’ programme of digital therapy.
It offers simple-to-use, daily digital therapeutic lessons and interactive exercises to help patients apply well-established principles to their own specific circumstances and symptoms, giving them the tools to manage their condition.
The self-guided program is designed to foster patients’ understanding and acceptance of their symptoms, while teaching powerful condition management skills via acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). The program, which is currently being researched and trialled, also incorporates a tool to help users manage their symptom flare-ups – a common occurrence with fibromyalgia.
Symptom trackers
While not designed to cure or manage pain, symptom trackers can help fibromyalgia sufferers by noticing their triggers or any patterns to their flare-ups.
Taking a more careful note of how the condition affects them can help patients learn how best to manage the condition, minimising the pain and the disruption.
There are a variety of symptom tracking apps on the market, including Manage My Pain and PainScale, and all work in a broadly similar way.
While not specifically for fibromyalgia, PainScale, which was created with advice from doctors and chronic pain patients, tracks and organises all symptoms.
It also provides personalised pain management education, with more than 800 articles, health tips, exercises, and information about a whole range of programmes and treatment options. It can also be used to log and track pain so patients can identify triggers, helping them manage their condition.
Similarly, Manage My Pain helps patients keep detailed notes on their symptoms, which not only put them in more control of the condition, but can also help when seeking medical advice or treatment.
Conclusive proof
Because fibromyalgia is so widely misunderstood and under-researched, with vague if debilitating symptoms, there has traditionally been a tendency to dismiss it – especially bearing in mind long-standing issues with medical practitioners dismissing women’s pain.
However, in recent years, AI (artificial intelligence) and machine learning have been used to prove the condition exists – and may have a neurological cause.
In 2017, researchers used machine learning to distinguish the brain scans of those with fibromyalgia from those without, and had 93 per cent accuracy.
In the study, MRI machines were used to capture images of the brain signals of 37 fibromyalgia patients and 35 healthy people as a control. All participants had pressure applied to their right thumbnail to cause “severe but tolerable pain,” explained the researchers in their paper, which was published in the journal Pain.
Those with fibromyalgia were seen on the MRI to experience more pain than the healthy controls, according to a neurological marker of physical pain, as well as showing different activity in the insula area of the brain, related to sensory integration, and the medial prefrontal cortex, which is important for emotional regulation.
These different neurological responses created a brain signature for fibromyalgia patients, which a machine-learning algorithm was then able to use to predict which brain scans showed fibromyalgia and which did not.
While the research did not attempt to study the cause of the pain, for many fibromyalgia sufferers, simply knowing that it was real was cause for relief.
We are excited to reveal the winners of the third annual Femtech World Awards.
The winners were announced at a virtual event this afternoon attended by shortlisted companies, along with sponsors and judges.
The event welcomed guests from the UK, Europe, Asia, Africa and North America.
Thank you to all 174 entries, as well as the sponsors for making the event possible.
See you in 2027!
Femtech World Awards 2026 Winners
Winner:
Shortlisted:
IVI RMA x Juno Genetics
Natural Cycles
Winner:
Highly commended:
U-Ploid
Shortlisted:
Hello Inside
Winner:
WISE HF, led by Prof. Mary Ryder
Highly commended:
Cardiac College for Women
Shortlisted:
Hyvelle Ferguson-Davis
CognitiveCare
Winner:
Highly commended:
Youterus
Shortlisted:
ŌURA
Winner:
Shortlisted:
LeanShield by ParrotPal Group
Perigen
Winner:
Shortlisted:
Body Moody
Looop
Winner:
Shortlisted:
Owning Your Menopause
Womeno
Winner:
Shortlisted:
The Blue Box
Celbrea
Winner:
Shortlisted:
HealCycle
Mor
Winner:
Shortlisted:
HRC Fertility
Mira
Pregnant women’s expectations about postpartum sleep may predict sleep quality after birth, outweighing prior sleep and psychiatric history, a study suggests.
The findings suggest attitudes and beliefs about sleep during pregnancy could be a modifiable risk factor for postpartum sleep concerns.
They also indicate that, among women expecting the poorest sleep, higher postpartum anxiety may further worsen sleep quality.
Sammy Dhaliwal, lead author is clinical health psychologist and research fellow in the department of obstetrics and gynaecology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.
Dhaliwal said: “Most pregnant women in our sample anticipated poor postpartum sleep before it occurred, and it was striking that those expectations predicted worse sleep outcomes even after accounting for factors such as prior sleep disorders, psychiatric history, and number of previous births.
“This suggests that attitudes and beliefs about sleep during pregnancy may represent a modifiable target for early intervention before postpartum sleep problems emerge.”
Sleep disturbance affects an estimated 60 to 80 per cent of postpartum women and is linked to a higher risk of depression and anxiety.
Researchers said it is often regarded as an expected part of life after childbirth rather than a health issue that may be addressed earlier.
The study enrolled 432 pregnant women at about 24 weeks of gestation, meaning around 24 weeks into pregnancy.
Participants completed measures of their expectations about postpartum sleep, current sleep quality using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and mood using validated depression and anxiety scales.
Assessments were repeated at six, 12 and 24 weeks postpartum.
A subset of 49 women also wore wrist actigraphy devices at six to eight weeks postpartum.
Actigraphy uses a wearable device, similar to a watch, to estimate sleep and wake patterns based on movement.
The results showed that 70 per cent of pregnant women, or 301 of 432 participants, expected poor sleep in the postpartum period.
Researchers found that predicted sleep disruption during pregnancy was a significant predictor of postpartum sleep concerns.
Among first-time pregnant women without prior health concerns, those who expected greater sleep disturbance had significantly more disrupted sleep after birth, measured by both actigraphy and self-report.
Among women who expected the worst sleep quality, higher postpartum anxiety significantly worsened both measured sleep and self-reported sleep, independent of anxiety levels during pregnancy.
Dhaliwal said the findings point to two possible areas for intervention: addressing sleep-related beliefs during pregnancy and treating postpartum anxiety.
Dhaliwal said: “Postpartum sleep disruption is often treated only after problems develop, but our findings suggest there may be an opportunity to intervene earlier during pregnancy.
“Addressing sleep-related beliefs and postpartum anxiety during prenatal and postpartum care may help improve sleep and emotional well-being in new mothers.”
A weight loss jab may improve fertility outcomes in women with PMOS, early findings from an ongoing clinical trial suggest.
The proof-of-concept analysis found that injectable semaglutide may offer reproductive benefits while also addressing obesity and metabolic dysfunction.
It is the first report to examine how injectable semaglutide may improve reproductive outcomes in women with PMOS while also addressing obesity and metabolic dysfunction.
The work forms part of the ongoing RESTORE clinical trial.
Melanie Cree, professor at CU Anschutz and first author of the report, said: “Women with PMOS frequently face a frustrating choice between treatments that target reproductive symptoms and those that address metabolic health.
“Our early findings suggest injectable semaglutide may have the potential to improve both, offering a more comprehensive approach to care.
“This medication is incredibly promising when someone responds with 10 per cent weight loss.”
The trial is examining whether semaglutide can restore ovulation and improve reproductive health in adolescents and adults with polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome, known as PMOS.
PMOS, formerly known as polycystic ovary syndrome or PCOS, is a hormone and metabolic condition linked to irregular periods, raised testosterone levels, infertility risk, obesity and increased cardiometabolic disease.
Cardiometabolic disease refers to conditions linked to the heart and metabolism, such as heart disease, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes.
Existing treatments, including metformin and hormonal contraceptives, often do not fully address reproductive and metabolic complications at the same time.
The analysis focused on participants aged 12 to 35 who lost at least 10 per cent of their body weight during treatment.
Researchers said reproductive improvements appeared earlier than expected, prompting them to report preliminary findings while the wider study continues.
Cree is also a paediatric endocrinologist at Children’s Hospital Colorado.
Endocrinologists are doctors who specialise in hormones and hormone-related conditions.
Cree said: “What makes this work particularly important is that it focuses specifically on women with PMOS receiving injectable semaglutide.
“Although GLP-1 medications have transformed obesity treatment, there remains a significant need for rigorous data examining how these therapies affect fertility and reproductive function in this population.”
The RESTORE study is evaluating semaglutide treatment in girls and women with PMOS and obesity.
Its broader aim is to determine whether weight loss and metabolic improvements can restore ovulation and improve reproductive outcomes.
Ovulation is the release of an egg from the ovary, a key part of the menstrual cycle and fertility.
The authors said the findings are from an early proof-of-concept analysis and that larger, longer-term studies will be needed to confirm whether the reproductive benefits last.
The findings suggest injectable semaglutide may become a treatment option for women with PMOS seeking improvements in both metabolic and reproductive health, if future studies confirm the results.
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