NEW YORK, NY, Oct. 27, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SWORD Health™, the fastest growing virtual musculoskeletal care provider, today launched the most comprehensive MSK prevention program in the market – SWORD+™. The primary focus of SWORD+ is to prevent injuries and address muscle and joint injuries before they surface or worsen and develop into more serious MSK conditions. Whether employees require refresher training for workplace settings, need a question answered about sudden or increasing pain from everyday activities or require a more precision based support, SWORD has developed clinical grade methodologies to cover the prevention spectrum. The preventive program consists of three modules designed to address the diverse needs of the workforce from educational content to active monitoring of each employee’s physical health:
The Academy provides premium original content for educational awareness in the workplace, with the goal to reduce injuries and improve quality of life. With longer remote hours that bleed into personal time along with poor posture in both sedentary and active workplace environments, SWORD has developed content through clinical research and guidance from Doctors of Physical Therapy to directly address the MSK issues.
ASK a PT™ is a 24/7 text-based service that puts a PT in your pocket for MSK-based questions. It is the only solution in the market that provides such ubiquitous access to clinically trained Doctors of Physical Therapy for its members. Designed with remote work and busy lifestyles in mind, the ability to ask and receive instant responses to MSK concerns eliminates an extra ER visits or doctor’s appointment. Whether you suffer from lower leg pain while riding a bike, strained your shoulder lifting a package or tweaked your lower back from sitting on virtual conference calls all day, Ask a PT™ quickly addresses muscle and joint pain questions that otherwise may worsen over time.
Digital Guardian™ is the sensor-based technology that actively monitors employees at high risk of developing an MSK condition through SWORD Health’s real-time feedback mechanism. Whether you are involved in manual work or routine repeated motions that can cause MSK injuries, the Digital Guardian is a wearable device for employees that provides individualized movement feedback, haptically. The data and metrics are shared with employees and safety teams to improve schedules, routines, workplace environments and movements through best practices and safety protocols.
In 2016, the US Bone and Joint Initiative reported that 1 out of 2 Americans suffers from musculoskeletal disorder. This has only been further exacerbated by the 2020 pandemic.
According to the NIH, MSK disorders are responsible for $297 billion in lost productivity annually. MSK disorders are responsible for 360 million lost workdays, or 2.9 per employee, annually in the U.S. (OSHA) and according to the Harvard Business Review, Presenteeism due to MSK pain commonly reduces individual productivity by 33% or more.
“We have listened to members, employers and communities who require a truly personalized way to address MSK prevention. While certain solutions exist, many are generic programs that do not meet the needs of those looking for direct answers. SWORD+ was designed with a forward-looking view in mind, taking into account the state of the world today,” said Virgilio Bento, founder and CEO. “We meet the members where they are and surround them with relevant information and data driven feedback that not only gives them the ability to improve their issues, but also provides them with the tools to stabilize and improve their MSK health.”
ABOUT SWORD HEALTH
SWORD Health is the world’s fastest growing virtual musculoskeletal (MSK) care provider, on a mission to free two billion people from chronic and post-surgical pain. It is the first virtual solution to pair its members with a licensed physical therapist and the SWORD Health Digital Therapist, to deliver a clinically proven, personalized treatment plan that is more effective, easier and less expensive than the traditional gold standard of care. SWORD Health believes in the power of people to recover at home, without resorting to imaging, surgeries or opioids. Since launching in 2015, SWORD Health has worked with insurers, health systems and employers in the U.S., Europe and Australia to make high quality musculoskeletal care accessible to everyone.
