Musculoskeletal (MSK) disorders affect half of the population daily, inflicting significant pain and costing billions in healthcare expenses. Despite physical activity being a leading health indicator, MSK issues remain among the top causes of disability, severely impacting quality of life. As we grapple with this crisis, a crucial question emerges: Who is responsible for delivering effective preventive solutions, and how can we overcome the barriers to adopting them?
Wait-and-see doesn't work
Musculoskeletal (MSK) disorders are a public health crisis—impacting 1 in 2 individuals on a daily basis. This real life pain is costly, pervasive, and profoundly impacts quality of life. The American Public Health Association cites physical activity as one of the leading health indicators in healthy populations - yet - musculoskeletal disorders are among the most common causes of disability and subsequent lack of physical activity. Providing population wide, personalized exercise interventions deserves immediate attention and action, but there is an outstanding dilemma: what solutions work and who should take responsibility for delivering them?
Are Insurers or Employers on the hook?
The W.H.O. states that on average, 30% of MSK issues are caused at work, and in some industries over 50% of the issues are related to ergonomic hazards in the workplace. This translates to MSK being a leading cost concern for employers, with 76% reporting that musculoskeletal health is their top health expenditure (Hinge Health). Yet, only 20% have implemented comprehensive MSK solutions. This gap is not just a statistic—it’s a glaring signal of a broader issue in how we lack a cohesive approach to MSK care. This lack leaves humans in pain and organizations or insurers bearing the cost. These organizations (or their insurance coverage) are left to create care paths and offer services to address the pain points.
Fortunately, over the last 5 years there have been rapid advancement in access to acuity care platforms. Services such as Hinge, Sword, Kaia or Vori digitize the ability to receive Physical Therapy, while platforms such as Kins or Luna deliver in home Physical Therapy for individuals wanting the human touch. Despite these advancements, the groups who are carrying the flag on service provision (employers and insurers) are starting to look at cost containment and how they can mitigate the vast need for these services in the first place.
We need to revolutionize preventive MSK Care
We need a shift in philosophy from a wait-until-pain to an exercise-as-medicine approach. Shifting to this personalized and preventive model works to meet individuals where they are at — whether sedentary, working in physical jobs, someone struggling with weight management, or an aging grandparent— and provide them with tools so they can move better within their real life. Approaching individuals within their current environment is well-documented to mitigate the effects of these various lifestyles. (CDC).
TLDR: Movement-as-medicine tools, if properly introduced, can help mitigate MSK issues before they escalate into more serious conditions.
When we prioritize prevention and helping individuals live a better quality of life, today, we can significantly reduce the incidence of debilitating MSK disorders and associated healthcare costs down stream, but it’s going to take time.
Challenges in commercializing preventive MSK Healthcare
Commercializing preventive MSK solutions presents several challenges. We've written about this in the past but will continue to share our thoughts through the adoption curve.
Primary obstacles include:
Adoption Frustrations: There is a wait and see approach when it comes to adopting preventive solutions. Many organizations prioritize acute care due to its immediate, visible impact on reducing costs and meeting regulatory requirements (PHTI MSK Care Report).
ROI Concerns: Measuring the return on investment (ROI) for preventative MSK interventions is complex. Unlike acute care, where outcomes are tangible and immediate, the benefits of prevention often manifest over the long term, making it difficult to justify the upfront costs (McKinsey & Company).
Data and Reporting: Preventive MSK offerings defined within exercise-as-medicine require objective validation. Reporting on these interventions is ideally a blend of long term cost savings plus user feedback on the improvement of the quality of their life. Being able to collect and report on the data that substantiates the positive impact of preventive interventions is a challenge many services are working to address.
Opportunities for advancing preventive MSK Healthcare
Despite these challenges, the potential for successful commercialization of preventive MSK healthcare is possible. Here are a few key opportunities:
Integrating with Employer Wellness Programs: Employers are increasingly recognizing the value of comprehensive wellness programs that include physical activity as a preventive care model. Platforms such as FitOn, Pear Health Labs, and AgeBold showcase these solutions can integrate into existing employer offering frameworks, and can drive high adoption rates and positive outcomes.
Partnerships with Large Network (Insurers): Collaborations between healthcare providers, insurers, and technology companies is a growth area that will create innovative models for financing and delivering preventive care. These partnerships can help overcome short term ROI challenges and streamline the path to broader adoption (Health Affairs).
A path forward
To address the challenge of commercializing preventive MSK care, we must shift the focus from reactive to proactive care. This involves validating effective preventive solutions through the creation of frameworks for the distribution, measurement, and communication of their value.
Fostering collaboration among stakeholders—employers, insurers, healthcare providers, and technology innovators—is crucial. The pieces of this puzzle are all on the table to address the root causes of musculoskeletal issues - we just need the incentives to align for the stakeholders who are absorbing the current costs.
Distributing effective preventive MSK healthcare is an opportunity to help individuals live longer, healthier and better quality lives. By embracing a collaborative and innovative approach, we can turn the tide on this growing crisis, control the costs associated and build a healthier future for everyone.
About movr
movr is a digital MSK & movement health solution, working with leaders in digital health by integrating smart assessments and personalized exercise solutions into existing health & wellness platforms.
movr's research-backed approach has been validated through over half a million movement assessments and personalized exercise recommendations.
To learn more, visit our website or contact us.
