Half of Americans suffer from musculoskeletal pain, report finds

America is “a nation of pain,” according to Dr. Jeff Krauss, chief medical officer at Hinge Health, a digital clinic for joint and muscle pain. He’s referring to the company’s recently released “State of Musculoskeletal (MSK) Care 2024 Report,” which revealed that 1 in 2 Americans experience MSK pain.

The report, intended to help illuminate the complex and complicated nature of pain and pain treatment, is based on a survey of 10,000 insured consumers in the United States between the ages of 26 and 76 who have experienced either acute pain (lasting less than three months) or chronic pain (lasting more than three 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.

“Our report reveals that musculoskeletal pain cannot be ignored,” Krauss told BenefitsPRO. “These conditions affect a staggering one half of U.S. adults, driving substantial health care spend for employers. People in pain want help, but gaps in care remain, offering an opportunity for forward-thinking organizations to adopt digital MSK solutions. Digital MSK solutions offer an accessible way for people to safely and effectively move beyond pain, while enabling organizations to reduce medical spend on unnecessary surgeries and avoid risky pharmaceuticals, such as opioids.”

Here are five key takeaways from the report for both employers and employees:

• Pain is a mental health issue. About one-third (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. More than half (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. More than one-quarter (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. More than three-quarters (77%) of people in pain are looking for non-surgical options to treat their MSK pain. What’s more, an estimated 40% of surgeries for MSK fail to result in improved conditions or lack clinical necessity altogether.
• Barriers to traditional physical therapy 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.

Related: Back pain? Bum knee? Severe shortage of physical therapists means long wait times

“Physical therapy by far remains the best course of non-invasive treatment for MSK pain, but not enough people are able to access it,” Krauss said. “Employers have an opportunity to offer benefits that provide a real value to their employees and, in turn, create a healthier, more productive workforce.”