With chronic pain issues such as musculoskeletal disorders (MSK) impacting half of Americans, concern over how to help employees avoid the misuse of opioids to manage their pain is making waves in the workplace.
Whether prescribed for an injury, recovery from surgery or other chronic condition, opioid medications are a commonly issued treatment intended to be taken for three to seven days, according to the CDC. But for those managing
"Opioids are a slippery slope, and people don't understand it," says Cheryl Brown Merriwether, co-founder and executive director of addiction and recovery education organization ICARE. "That employers are caring enough to make alternative solutions available to their employees is a homerun."
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Called a conservative care method, digital physical therapy can help patients avoid unnecessary surgeries that lead to opioid use and produce better overall physical and mental health outcomes. A recent study from the Journal of Pain Research found that digital therapy lowers the initial use of opioids as a solution for pain even more so than in-person therapy. The average reduction in pain for Hinge Health's patients is 68%, and they have a 58% average
"You want to get people to understand their pain better and take advantage of these conservative interventions which we know work," says Dr. Jeffrey Krauss, chief medical officer at Hinge Health. "Digital programs are much better at engaging people in that it is a lot more convenient. They're less expensive, they're less invasive, and you're getting people into healthier behaviors. There is a physical therapist, a health coach and an ongoing drip of education all packaged together."
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Of the more than 100,000 drug overdose deaths in 2021, 75% involved an opioid, according to the CDC. However, it is not only the extreme that employers should worry about, as less serious but still impactful side effects of the drugs — such as sleepiness, confusion and depression — can impair a person's
"People who are in pain have greater absenteeism and presenteeism, meaning they're just not as effective when they're at work," he says. "Adding opioids only makes the problem worse. Employers are paying a lot of money for poor results because people end up far downstream with [methods] like drugs and surgeries that aren't going to fix the problem. This is one of those areas where you make a big impact on a lot of your workforce by offering this type of program."
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Employer-provided access to better methods of care can demonstrate a broader approach to employee wellness and have a positive impact on workplace culture and retention, says Merriwether. Considering the scope of chronic pain disorders, offering a health benefit that puts workers and their families on a safer path to recovery can be especially appreciated, she says.
"We're seeing a big movement nationwide around creating empathetic workplace cultures," says Merriwether. "There's a bottom-line impact to that. When you bring in innovative solutions like [digital therapy] and you make them available in the workplace, it sends the message that you know people are having these issues and that you care."
