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SAN FRANCISCO--( BUSINESS WIRE )--To help illuminate the complex and complicated nature of pain and pain treatment, Hinge Health today released its State of Musculoskeletal (MSK) Care 2024 Report, incorporating findings from a national survey of 10,000 Americans suffering from chronic and acute pain. Pain, especially chronic pain, can create a vicious cycle of fear, depression, sleep issues, activity avoidance and more. One in two Americans experience MSK pain, and this year’s report includes 10 key takeaways that highlight the physical and emotional toll of that pain. Among the takeaways: Pain is a mental health issue: About 1/3 (38%) of people in pain report feeling depressed; nearly half (44%) report anxiety. Furthermore, they say their pain increases and amplifies symptoms of these mental health conditions . Pain rarely exists in isolation: 53% of respondents say that pain affects their sleep while 22% report having obesity and 17% report having type 2 diabetes. Pain negatively impacts everyday life—and work: 27% of respondents agree that MSK pain has decreased their productivity at work, and 22% agree it has made them consider leaving their jobs. People in pain want to avoid costly, risky interventions: 77% of people in pain are looking for non-surgical options to treat their MSK pain. Barriers to traditional PT include cost, motivation, and access: Half of people in pain indicate traditional PT is too expensive to pursue. Of those who stopped PT, 54% indicated that insurance is not covering enough sessions. “We live in a nation in pain. The fact that over three-quarters of people are looking for non-surgical options to treat their pain isn’t surprising, given that an estimated 40% of surgeries for MSK fail to produce improved outcomes or lack clinical necessity altogether ,” said Dr. Jeff Krauss, Chief Medical Officer, Hinge Health. “Physical therapy by far remains the best course of non-invasive treatment for MSK pain but not enough people are able to access it. Employers have an opportunity to offer benefits that provide a real value to their employees and, in turn, create a healthier, more productive workforce.” The survey was conducted with a third-party research firm between September 28-October 13, 2023, focusing on 10,000 insured consumers in the U.S. ages 26 to 76 who have personally experienced either acute pain (lasting < 3 months) or chronic pain (lasting ≧3 months) within the past two years. Overall, lower back pain was the most prevalent type of pain reported, with 78% of respondents indicating they experienced lower back pain in the past year. More than 50% of respondents have experienced knee, shoulder, neck, or foot pain in the past year. To download the State of MSK 2024 Care Report, visit: https://go.hingehealth.com/2024-state-of-msk . About Hinge Health Hinge Health is moving people beyond pain by transforming the way it is treated and prevented. Connecting people digitally and in-person with expert clinical care, we combine advanced technology, AI and a care team of experts to guide people through personalized care directly from their phone. Our approach is proven to reduce pain by 68%, prevent 42% of new opioid prescriptions, and avoid more than half of joint replacement surgeries. Available to 18M people, Hinge Health is trusted by leading health plans and employers, including Land O’Lakes, L.L. Bean, Salesforce, Self-Insured Schools of California, Southern Company, State of New Jersey, US Foods, and Verizon. Learn more about how we are inspiring people to improve their health through the power of movement http://www.hingehealth.com .

The partnership provides a seamless experience for patients for every step of the orthopedic care journey while bundling costs for medical claims savings for employers and their health plan members. NEW YORK, Dec. 7, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Vori Health, a nationwide virtual-first specialty medical practice and industry leader in the treatment of muscle and joint pain today announced a partnership with Contigo Health, a health benefits platform that leads direct-to-employer and direct-to-provider relationships, to create a comprehensive musculoskeletal (MSK) benefit solution. The highly-integrated program designed for self-funded employers combines Contigo Health's orthopedic surgical Centers of Excellence (COE) program with Vori's award-winning virtual non-operative MSK care model—creating a single, evidence-based benefit solution that aims to improve outcomes and lower costs for millions of employees struggling with back and joint pain nationwide. Continue Reading "Giving patients access to the right care at the right time is what this program is all about," said Vori Health co-founder and CEO Ryan Grant, MD. "It's the key to driving value in this space. Nothing of this level of comprehensive support exists in this industry. We are excited to partner with forward-thinking companies like Contigo Health to bring this program's unparalleled access to appropriate care to companies nationwide." "Giving patients access to the right care at the right time is what this program is all about," says Vori Health CEO Ryan Grant, MD. Post this Known as the Contigo Health Centers of Excellence 360 Orthopedics Program, the new offering provides members of self-funded employer health plans with a seamless experience for every step of the orthopedic care journey. Enrolled members experiencing issues like back, hip or knee pain gain access to convenient telehealth treatment including physician-directed screening for surgical readiness, adequate non-operative care such as virtual physical therapy and nutrition counseling, medical optimization to prepare appropriate candidates for surgery, and post-operative programs to get members back to work and life as quickly and safely as possible. Members who could benefit from surgery have access to Contigo Health's Centers of Excellence network of high-quality, highly vetted surgical partners. All of these services are offered to employers as bundles for ease of administration, accountable utilization and more predictable healthcare costs. "Pain is a massive issue for U.S. employers, and inadequate access to appropriate, non-operative care is fueling the problem," added Contigo Health President and CEO, John Strickland. "We are thrilled to partner with Vori Health and address this underlying issue head on. By integrating our solutions, we're able to give our clients and their health plan members the comprehensive care and convenient access they need to contain costs and improve outcomes for every step of the care journey." This partnership comes at a critical time for employers. One out of every two adults in the U.S. suffers from back and joint pain, making MSK issues a top cause of global disability and rising healthcare costs. While surgical COEs have ameliorated some of these pain points for employers in recent years, adequate access to evidence-based non-operative care remains a core problem. Studies show that 50 percent of lumbar spine surgeries are still deemed unnecessary, and as many as four in ten patients who undergo surgery did not receive first-line physical therapy. "Orthopedic care is often a siloed, confusing and frustrating system for patients to navigate," added Vori Health co-founder and Chief Medical Officer Mary O'Connor, MD. "Even in our most elite hospitals, too many individuals go to the operating room unnecessarily or without the proper preparation. Those are risk factors we can and should change. We're thrilled to partner with Contigo Health to change this standard and make orthopedic care the way it should be—patient-centered, evidence-based and accessible." "Contigo Health has been a forerunner in the Centers of Excellence category," concluded Contigo Health Vice President, Centers of Excellence, Heather Ridenoure. "We are proud of our programs' outcomes and commitment to appropriate care. But we also know that surgery isn't for everyone. And non-surgical candidates aren't getting the support they need from the healthcare ecosystem. Our next generation Orthopedics program joins our line of other hybrid programs, including those designed to address Cancer and Substance Use Disorders, to help participants increase their speed to comfort and access high quality care that's tailored to their needs. Vori Health is an important partner in this work." About Vori Health‍ Vori Health is a specialty medical practice delivering a virtual-first musculoskeletal (MSK) solution to help members get back to their lives faster. As the only nationwide MSK practice with doctor-led care teams, Vori Health is the most convenient way to access appropriate care for back, neck and joint pain without bouncing around the healthcare system. Whether members need a diagnosis, non-opioid prescription, personalized physical therapy or health coaching, they can turn to Vori Health for evidence-based care and effective end-to-end support. This holistic model reduces unnecessary surgeries, enables faster recoveries and lowers MSK spend with up to a 4:1 ROI. For more information visit . About Contigo Health, LLC Contigo Health, LLC, a consolidated subsidiary of Premier, Inc., is leading the way to financially sustainable healthcare. Contigo Health is a health benefits platform that leads direct-to-employer and direct-to-provider relationships. It is relentlessly focused on revolutionizing healthcare through appropriate, cost-effective, transparent, and thoughtful benefits design. Contigo Health® products include ConfigureNet™, a network with over 900,000 providers across 4.1 million U.S. locations, Sync Health Plan TPA, Payvider Activation, and Centers of Excellence 360. To learn more, please visit and follow us on LinkedIn, YouTube and Twitter. SOURCE Vori Health

FlexifyMe expanding beyond India with $1M seed funding FlexifyMe, a health tech platform for chronic musculoskeletal pain management, has raised $1 million in a seed funding round led by Flipkart Ventures. This round also drew participation from GSF, iHub Anubhuti, Chandigarh Angels, Venture Catalyst, and OneCapital, among other investors. Launched in 2021, the Indian startup combines traditional physiotherapy approaches with AI motion-tracking technology to offer personalised management of MSK disorders, such as back pain, spondylitis, arthritis, and knee pain. In a statement, FlexifyMe said it will use its fresh funds to make its AI motion coach available in more Indian languages, supporting its local expansion. It also seeks to introduce its digital therapeutics app across the Middle East-North Africa and North America regions. Lupin unveils digital diabetes support app Mumbai-based global pharmaceutical company Lupin has launched a mobile-based patient support programme for persons with diabetes. The digital diabetes management programme called Humrahi (which translates to "companion" in Urdu) offers doctor-guided comprehensive support, including personalised diet counselling, medication assistance, and tailored lifestyle modifications. It also features a guide for precise insulin injection. Humrahi is now available on both iOS and Android devices and online via its website. New women's health app launched in India Gurgaon-based digital health and wellness company Shyft has consolidated its women's health services into a new brand. Based on a press statement, it decided to create a separate brand focused on women's health called Dash Health to fill the gaps in this area. "In the last two years of working in this space, we realised there is a severe lack of awareness and understanding in women’s health – not just around issues, but also available solutions," shared Shyft co-founder Pooja Khanna. Dash Health will carry Shyft's solutions for PCOS management, menstrual and hormonal health, natal care, and menopause. This includes online communities, verified resources on women's health conditions, and access to fitness and yoga classes and healthcare professionals for nutrition, dermatology, and other health concerns. Fujitsu tries out AI-powered CXR-based bone assessment The Fujitsu Group in Japan, together with AI medical device company iSurgery and the Jikei University School of Medicine, has started a project to use a novel AI-powered software for screening employees' bone health. Over the next 17 months, the partners will verify the practicality of conducting bone assessments using chest x-rays and the impact of such an approach on employees' attitudes and habits around bone health. A company-wide health screening will be conducted among Fujitsu employees in Japan utilising iSurgery's Chest Bone Indicator, an AI-powered software for analysing bone health from chest x-rays. The employees will also receive health education and guidance for preventing bone diseases with knowledge provided by the Jikei University School of Medicine. Based on a press release, this collaborative endeavour ultimately aims to create a cost-effective method of promoting bone health awareness and prevention as part of company health examinations. Indian university researchers develop cheap continuous lung health monitoring system A group of researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology in Kanpur and Kharagpur and the International Institute of Information Technology-Naya Raipur has come up with a low-cost continuous lung health monitoring system. Backed with funding from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, the lung health monitoring system consists of an acoustic mask with sound sensors and a smart corded device that can sense inaudible breathing sounds from a wearer's mouth and nose. According to a press release, this system is able to connect to the internet to send real-time data on the wearer's lung health to their healthcare provider, enabling prompt interventions in case of patient deterioration.