Study Finds Hinge Health Reduces Opioid Prescription Initiation by 42%

First of its kind research also shows Hinge Health participants utilized 25% fewer opioid prescriptions overall compared to traditional physical therapy participants

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, Hinge Health, the industry leader for helping people move beyond pain, announced results from a new medical and pharmacy claims study illustrating how the company’s complete approach to care, combining digital exercise therapy (ET) with a clinical care team of physical therapists and health coaches, lowers the odds that individuals in pain will start - or continue - taking opioids. The study, published in The Journal of Pain Research, shows that people in Hinge Health’s digital exercise therapy program were 42% less likely to start opioids than those who tried traditional physical therapy (PT). In addition, the study found that people who used Hinge Health had 25% fewer opioid prescriptions overall than traditional PT patients after 12 months.

One in two Americans experience pain in their back, neck or joints. This pain can be debilitating both physically and mentally, impacting a person’s everyday activities at home and in the workplace. The widespread misuse of opioids to treat chronic pain is a growing national concern, impacting every facet of life.

“Our digital exercise therapy program helps people manage their pain while avoiding long-term opioid use,” said Dr. Jeff Krauss, Chief Medical Officer, Hinge Health. “This study is significant in that it is the first of its kind to quantify the impact that Hinge Health’s care program can have on reducing the need for opioids, helping people move beyond pain without medication.”

The study is based on medical and pharmacy claims data from 160 employers, and included 4,195 Hinge Health participants and 4,195 PT patients. Participants started the digital back, neck, shoulder, hip or knee program from Hinge Health between January 2020 and October 2020.

This article complements previous studies that have shown that digitally delivered musculoskeletal programs resulted in statistically significant pain and functional improvement and builds upon the body of evidence supporting the benefits of digital therapy.

About Hinge Health

Hinge Health is creating a new health care system, built around you. Accessible to more than 26 million people across 1,500 customers, Hinge Health is the #1 digital clinic for joint and muscle pain, delivering superior member outcomes and proven claims reductions. We pair the industry’s most advanced motion tracking technology and wearable pain relief with a complete clinical care team of physical therapists, physicians, and board-certified health coaches to help people move beyond pain and reduce surgeries and opioid use. Hinge Health’s HingeConnect integrates with 1 million+ in-person providers to enable earlier interventions for avoidable MSK surgeries. Four in five health plans and employers with a digital MSK solution trust Hinge Health, including Land O’Lakes, L.L. Bean, Salesforce, Self-Insured Schools of California, Southern Company, State of New Jersey, US Foods, and Verizon. Learn more at http://www.hingehealth.com.