Study overview
Chronic hip pain can limit mobility, sleep, activity, work, and quality of life. It can also increase the likelihood of care escalation when conservative care is not accessible or effective. This study evaluated Sword’s fully remote multimodal digital care program for people with chronic hip pain.
The program combined therapeutic exercise with real-time biofeedback, education, cognitive behavioral therapy, and remote physical therapist monitoring. Researchers assessed hip-related outcomes, pain, mental health, productivity, surgery intent, engagement, and satisfaction.
Key findings
Hip-related function improved
Participants reported meaningful improvement in hip-related symptoms and function by the end of the program. These outcomes are especially relevant for chronic hip pain, where mobility and daily activity are often central concerns.
Pain, mental health, and productivity improved
The Sword summary reports meaningful improvements in pain, mental health, and productivity, suggesting that the program supported both clinical recovery and daily functioning.
Surgery intent decreased
The study reported a 70% reduction in surgery intent, an important finding because willingness to undergo surgery can influence the path toward total hip replacement.
Engagement supported remote management
The findings suggest that a fully remote, multimodal program can engage participants with chronic hip pain while providing clinician-guided progression and monitoring.
Why this study matters
This study adds condition-specific evidence for chronic hip pain, an area where people often face long-term symptoms and potential escalation to surgery. It helps show that digital MSK care is not limited to back pain or post-surgical rehabilitation.
The study should be understood as a single-arm prospective cohort study. Its strength is in showing meaningful improvement across hip-related outcomes, pain, mental health, productivity, and surgery intent in a real-world digital care population.
About the author
Fabiola Costa
Senior Director of Clinical Research, Sword Health
