Musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions are plaguing organizations of all sizes, growing more common and costly. HR professionals and benefit specialists are left to navigate the rising costs, new physical therapy solutions, and the pandemic all at the same time.

The High Cost of MSK Conditions 

Half of Americans reportedly have one or more MSK conditions such as back pain or arthritis, two of the more common diagnoses. Pain from MSK conditions doesn't only impact a person physically, but it can also cause reduced productivity at work, poor morale, and lost work days. The additional associated costs can amount to $299 to $335 billion. Beyond taking good care of your employees, offering physical therapy services and coverage can help your bottom line as an organization in four big ways:

1 - Get ahead of costly MSK issues. 

Physical therapy could be the answer to getting ahead of rising MSK costs. It can help prevent pain, manage symptoms, or even treat the root cause of many MSK conditions. Avoiding advanced imaging and costly injections can also prevent healthcare costs for you and your employees.

2 - Provide care in the right order.

According to one study, patients with low back pain who get imaging before physical therapy spend $4,793 more than those who get physical therapy first. And these patients are more likely to have surgery, injections, specialist visits, and emergency room visits within a year. Choosing physical therapy as the first line of treatment results in a 67% decrease in costs for patients with low back pain. 

3 - Avoid costly surgeries. 

MSK pain has a ripple effect and, when worsening, can require surgery, which accounts for the highest MSK-related costs. A lumbar fusion surgery could cost more than $50,000, according to the healthcare blue book. Most importantly, these surgeries are often unnecessary–In one large systematic review, there were no clinically meaningful differences between groups that received spinal fusion surgery and those who underwent only conservative physical therapy. Given the knowledge and opportunity to choose between physical therapy and enduring the high cost and painful recovery of spinal surgery with the same clinical outcomes, physical therapy is an obvious first choice.

A number of other MSK conditions can be treated easily with physical therapy, but surgery is often recommended as the standard of care. For example, many partial rotator cuff tears in the shoulder can heal quite well with only physical therapy. Furthermore, many patients undergo arthroscopic surgery to treat degenerative partial tears to the meniscus of the knee. But multiple studies have shown that arthroscopic surgery is no more effective than physical therapy or placebo surgery for these types of knee injuries. That doesn’t mean all rotator cuff repairs and arthroscopic surgeries to the knee can be prevented with physical therapy, but in many cases, the clinical outcomes are similar. 

4 - Avoid the cost and risks of opioids. 

Aside from the preventable cost of certain surgeries, there are a number of other advantages to receiving early physical therapy for MSK conditions. Patients who receive physical therapy first are 35% less likely to receive an opioid prescription. Additionally, physical therapy is associated with lower costs when compared with opioid therapy. 

Unfortunately, monetary costs are the least painful of all costs associated with opioid use. Due to the risks of opioid abuse disorder and overdoses, the CDC has issued guidelines for the prescription of opioids which recommends non-pharmacologic pain management treatments, such as physical therapy, over an opioid prescription for MSK pain.

There are many reasons for choosing physical therapy as the first line of pain treatment. It’s a cost effective and non-invasive way to meaningfully reduce MSK pain and improve function. Beyond the inherent cost savings of “physical therapy first” treatment, Nice physical therapy is free–replacing the cost of care altogether. With a fully virtual physical therapy program, Nice is convenient and effective, putting money back in both your and your employees’ pockets. 

Visit our employer page to learn more about Nice’s physical therapy and other in-home and virtual services.

If you’re an employer who’d like to learn more about how you can reduce costs, save time, and improve employee retention and productivity at your organization, consider reading our white paper on “How to restructure your employee benefits.”