Digital pelvic health care: The accessible, effective alternative to traditional treatment

Pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD) is among the most common and least addressed health challenges women face. One in three women experience PFD symptoms like urinary incontinence, pelvic pain, or urgency¹. Despite its prevalence, pelvic care often goes unspoken and untreated.

The reasons are structural and social. Traditional in-clinic pelvic care is hard to access, time-consuming, and deeply stigmatized. Women navigating work, caregiving, and daily demands struggle to make time for care, especially when it means traveling to a clinic, taking time off work, and discussing intimate symptoms in a public setting.

Digital pelvic health care changes that. With app-based therapy, virtual physical therapist guidance, and clinically validated technology, programs like Bloom by Sword Health offer care that fits women’s lives, not the other way around.

For employers and health plans, this represents a transformative shift. They can now offer evidence-based pelvic care at scale. The result is reduced costs, improved outcomes, and stronger support for women suffering from pelvic floor dysfunction at every stage of life.

What is digital pelvic health care?

Digital pelvic health care refers to the use of technology like apps, sensors, and remote clinical support to deliver treatment outside of traditional clinical settings². 

This model offers a practical solution to the longstanding access and stigma challenges that have kept too many women from getting the pelvic health care they need.

• Digital delivery removes the time, location, and psychological hurdles that define traditional treatment.
• Women don’t have to book time off work, coordinate transportation, or face the discomfort of speaking about deeply personal symptoms in unfamiliar, often male-dominated clinical settings.
• Instead, they can begin care privately, from the comfort of home, on their own schedule.

By allowing asynchronous care delivery, digital pelvic health removes the need to choose between professional obligations and personal health.

Women can complete their program before or after work, during lunch breaks, or whenever it fits into their day. 

This flexibility increases the likelihood that they will start care and stay with it³.

Why accessibility matters in pelvic health care

Importantly, digital platforms also build a more compassionate and personalized care experience. With discreet app-based messaging and expert support from pelvic health specialists, women feel heard and supported without judgment. These conditions foster greater trust, increase adherence, and lead to more successful outcomes³.

Unlike traditional care, digital pelvic health programs allow women to start treatment earlier, when symptoms are still manageable. This proactive approach can help reduce symptom severity, prevent costly interventions, and avoid long-term complications that arise from delayed treatment².

The digital delivery model is critical in transforming the accessibility of care for millions of women who would otherwise be left behind.

For women balancing careers, families, and other responsibilities, digital pelvic care fits into real life. It removes the logistical hurdles of scheduling, commuting, and taking time off work for multiple appointments. More importantly, it provides a private and stigma-free path to healing.

Pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD) affects one in three adult women

This statistic is often underestimated in modern benefits plans as the impact of PFDs is hidden by women who suffer in silence due to the difficulties and barriers to accessing treatment through traditional pathways¹. Digital care brings the problem out of the shadows and makes it possible to address at scale.

With the rise of remote-first healthcare and increasing demand for convenience and personalization, digital pelvic care is emerging as a frontline solution.

Employers and health plans who offer digital pelvic health options are leading the shift toward proactive, inclusive, and cost-effective care. The opportunity is not only to support better health outcomes for women, but to do so in a way that improves productivity, reduces spend, and reflects a modern approach to employee wellbeing³.

Why traditional pelvic care fails working women

Traditional pelvic health pathways assume time, access, and comfort that many women simply don’t have. In-person visits require schedule flexibility, travel, and an openness that can feel daunting.

Pelvic floor symptoms often go unreported for years due to embarrassment or the false belief that they’re "normal" after childbirth or menopause. Women may wait until symptoms interfere with work or daily life before seeking help—at which point care becomes more complex and expensive².

This delayed intervention creates downstream consequences²:

• Surgical interventions that could have been avoided with earlier therapy
• Ongoing specialist referrals
• Long-term medication use

Even before treatment begins, women with PFD often experience missed work or difficulty focusing due to discomfort, anxiety about leakage or prolapse during meetings or travel, and hesitation to pursue leadership roles or advancement⁴. For employers, this translates into absenteeism, presenteeism, and lost productivity.

The hidden cost of pelvic health conditions

PFD is a hidden driver of healthcare claims, especially in musculoskeletal (MSK) and short-term disability categories². Women often seek care for back pain, hip discomfort, or urinary symptoms that are linked to pelvic dysfunction, yet go undiagnosed.

Too often these physical symptoms result in women suffering the mental health toll of anxiety and depression⁴. Left untreated, PFD significantly impacts the career trajectory of women in the workplace. Beyond the personal toll, the broader organizational costs accumulate quickly².

Yet most employer benefits plans do not include structured pelvic health support, leaving a critical care gap unfilled.

Employers and health plans can no longer afford to ignore this silent drain on health and productivity. For too long, pelvic health has been treated as niche or non-urgent until symptoms escalate into costly, complex problems. But by that point, it’s often too late to prevent downstream consequences.

This reactive model is expensive, both financially and in human terms.

Pelvic floor conditions have a profound human and organizational cost

Pelvic floor dysfunction doesn’t just affect comfort.

It affects confidence, career progression, and quality of life. Left unaddressed, it contributes to presenteeism, absenteeism, disengagement, and even turnover.

But it’s not just that women aren't seeking care, it’s that traditional care models are structurally flawed. In-clinic pelvic floor therapy typically requires multiple visits, time off work, transportation, and deeply personal conversations in a clinical setting that may not feel welcoming or safe. These barriers keep many women from getting the help they need.

That’s where digital pelvic health steps in. Programs like Bloom flip the care model on its head, removing friction at every stage. Digital-first care allows women to seek help early, when symptoms are still manageable and before expensive interventions are needed.

For employers, this shift presents an opportunity:

• reduce MSK-related claims and prevent chronic pelvic pain
• prevent disability leave, increase productivity, and provide a more equitable platform for those suffering from pelvic pain in the workplace 
• create a benefits experience that supports women’s full participation in the workforce

A proactive approach is not just compassionate, it’s also the strategically and financially effective choice.

It’s time to bring pelvic health into the benefits spotlight.

What is digital pelvic health?

Too often, pelvic health care is inaccessible when and where it’s most needed. Traditional models create hurdles that working women can’t always overcome. Many are forced to delay or avoid treatment due to logistical challenges, privacy concerns, or the stigma surrounding pelvic floor symptoms.

This delay compounds the problem. Symptoms that could have been resolved with early intervention escalate into chronic conditions, increased healthcare costs, and reduced quality of life. That’s why a new model of care is essential, one that meets women where they are and adapts to their lives, not the other way around.

That model is digital pelvic health.

Pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD) affects millions of women, yet the majority never receive structured care. From urinary incontinence to chronic pelvic pain, these conditions are deeply disruptive—physically, emotionally, and professionally. And the traditional pathways to care are often so inaccessible or uncomfortable that many women choose to go without.

Imagine needing help for an issue as intimate as bladder leakage, only to be told to wait 12 weeks for an appointment. Then factor in a commute, time off work, and a potentially awkward conversation in an unfamiliar clinic setting. It’s easy to see why women hesitate to seek care and why symptoms worsen when they do.

Digital pelvic health care removes those barriers. It brings high-quality, evidence-based treatment into the home, where women can engage in therapy privately and on their own schedule. It shifts care from a rigid, one-size-fits-all model to something personalized, proactive, and deeply human.

This model both convenient and effective. 

Sword Bloom’s 77.6% program completion rate indicates higher adherence and engagement rates than traditional in-person pelvic floor physical therapy programs, which have higher dropout rates⁴.

By eliminating the friction that often stops women from starting or completing care, digital solutions drive earlier intervention and better outcomes.

What digital pelvic health care includes

Digital pelvic health refers to evidence-based pelvic floor therapy delivered through virtual platforms². It typically includes:

• A mobile app or online portal
• Pelvic floor muscle training with clinician-developed programs
• Real-time biofeedback from wearable or intravaginal devices
• Asynchronous support from licensed Doctors of Physical Therapy

This approach blends the rigor of clinical care with the accessibility of modern technology, allowing women to access care discreetly, receive clinical-grade support without in-person appointments, and complete sessions from home without disruption to work or caregiving².

For employers and health plans, digital pelvic care delivers scalable, cost-effective treatment across populations, boosting access, adherence, and outcomes.

Sword Bloom is a leading digital pelvic health program designed specifically to overcome the barriers that have historically left millions of women without effective care.

Meet Bloom: The personalized, digital solution for pelvic health

Bloom is Sword Health’s digital pelvic health solution, designed specifically for women managing:

• Bladder leakage or urgency
• Pelvic organ prolapse
• Pelvic or lower back pain
• Symptoms related to menopause or postpartum recovery

Each Bloom member receives:

• A personalized care plan guided by a Doctor of Physical Therapy
• The Bloom Pod, a biofeedback device that provides real-time data
• In-app education and exercises tailored to symptoms and goals
• Secure messaging for clinician support

Bloom stands apart because it prioritizes personalization, flexibility, and clinical accountability, all within a discreet digital format that women trust³.

Why digital pelvic health outperforms traditional care

Bloom drives better outcomes by making care accessible earlier and easier to complete. It achieves:

• 77.6% program completion rate³
• 76.1% reduction in anxiety symptoms³
• 54.1% reduction in depression symptoms³

Earlier care means fewer escalations to costly treatments like surgery. It also means less missed work, stronger focus, and improved quality of life.

Bloom’s impact on cost containment

Bloom is both clinically effective and financially compelling. Employers see an average of:

• $3,177 PMPY savings³
• 56% reduction in presenteeism³
• 67% of members avoid or delay additional care like surgery or specialist visits³

These outcomes stem from Bloom’s proactive model: treat symptoms early, reduce care complexity, and keep employees present and productive.

Take action: Add digital pelvic care to your benefits strategy

Bloom integrates seamlessly into existing plans, giving your employees evidence-based care without burdening your system.

Bloom’s value-based model means employers only pay when care works. This removes risk and ensures ROI. Bloom’s outcomes-based pricing reflects its commitment to delivering both clinical and financial impact³.

Bloom’s outcomes-based pricing reflects Sword’s commitment to delivering both clinical and financial impact.

Now is the time to:

• Assess your current women’s health offerings
• Identify MSK spend tied to untreated pelvic issues
• Offer Bloom to empower women and reduce costs

FAQs

What is digital pelvic health care, and how does it work?

Digital pelvic health delivers therapy via mobile apps, sensors, and remote clinicians, helping women treat symptoms privately and conveniently.

Why do women avoid traditional pelvic floor treatment?

Barriers include stigma, time constraints, long waitlists, and discomfort discussing symptoms in public settings.

How does Bloom compare to in-clinic pelvic PT?Bloom offers comparable clinical outcomes, with better access, adherence, and member satisfaction.

What’s the ROI of digital pelvic floor therapy?Employers see $3,177 PMPY savings and significant reductions in presenteeism and specialist care needs³.

Why should pelvic health be a priority in DEI and benefits planning?

Unaddressed pelvic symptoms limit participation, leadership advancement, and retention—especially for midlife and postpartum women.