Advancing MSK solutions - ease the pain, heal the strain
Advancing MSK solutions
Musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions impact every stage of life – from childhood to older age. Conditions range from ones that arise suddenly and are short-lived (fractures, sprains and strains, associated with pain and limitations in functioning) to long-term conditions such as chronic primary low back pain and osteoarthritis.
Universal impact
Managing and treating MSK conditions continues to emerge as a growing health care concern. Low back pain (LBP) is the leading cause of disability globally. In 2020, approximately 1 in 13 people, (619 million people), experienced LBP, a 60% increase from 1990. Cases of LBP are expected to rise to an estimated 843 million by 2050, with the greatest growth anticipated in Africa and Asia, where populations are growing, and people are living longer.1
Financial fallout
In 2022, more than $135 million was spent on musculoskeletal conditions globally, with North America and European regions having the highest costs.2 Delivering a musculoskeletal intervention program across multiple regions could reduce spending in multiple high-cost regions. It may surprise you to learn:
Mending MSK
The new Musculoskeletal Support Program from Cigna Healthcare International Health is a proactive, interactive coaching program designed to create, implement, manage, and monitor a personalized MSK care plan. It provides customers with clinical support throughout their treatment journey.
Cigna Healthcare International Health offers an enhanced MSK support program, a multi-phase initiative, which includes:
Customers taking advantage of the Cigna Healthcare MSK program can expect to realize improved recovery times, avoiding unnecessary surgeries, reduction in opioid use and lower total medical expenditures.
In our new article, Dr. Stella George, Chief Medical Officer for International Health, Cigna Healthcare sheds light on the physical and financial benefits of proactive intervention and treatment of MSK conditions.
Read the article here: Ease the pain, heal the strain
1. World Health Organization. WHO Releases Guidelines on Chronic Low Back Pain. https://www.who.int/news/item/07-12-2023-who-releases-guidelines-on-chronic-low-back-pain. Published December 7, 2023.
2. Bone and Joint Burden. The Burden of Musculoskeletal Diseases in the United States: Prevalence, Societal and Economic Costs (BMUS), 4th edition, The United States Bone and Joint Initiative (USBJI), and international collaborative movement sanctioned by the United Nations/World Health Organization. https://www.boneandjointburden.org/. Accessed May 3, 2024.
3. Based on Cigna Healthcare, International Health claims information from 2021 and 2022 data. Subject to change.
4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Physical Inactivity. https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/publications/factsheets/physical-activity.htm. Last reviewed September 8, 2022.
5. UK, Office for Health Improvement & Disparities. Musculoskeletal Health: Applying All our Health. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/musculoskeletal-health-applying-all-our-health/musculoskeletal-health-applying-all-our-health. Updated March 1, 2022.
6. World Health Organization. Musculoskeletal health. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/musculoskeletal-conditions. Published July 14, 2022.
This information is for educational purposes only. It's not medical advice. Always consult with your health care provider for appropriate examinations, treatment and health care recommendations.
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