Fresh health insights
Solving for urinary incontinence without surgery or shame
Urinary incontinence (UI) is one of the most common yet underreported health challenges facing women today¹. The condition is too often cloaked in stigma and silence. The harrowing impact of UI quietly disrupts lives, undermines workplace performance, and inflates healthcare costs². Resolving this issue can deliver genuinely life-changing improvements for women suffering with UI, and the financial imperative for employers and health insurance providers is significant³. This guide will uncover what urinary incontinence is, the underlying causes, and the wide-ranging impacts on women, businesses, and healthcare plans. You’ll learn about proven, non-surgical treatment methods and how digital solutions are reshaping access to effective pelvic health management.
August 27, 2025 • 14 min read
Sword Editorial Team
Pelvic floor therapy: what every HR leader should know
Most benefit leaders never see pelvic floor therapy on a renewal worksheet. Yet bladder leaks, pelvic pain, and organ prolapse affect one in three women and up to half of all post-menopausal employees.¹ ² Women wait an average of 6.5 years before asking for help.³ During that gap they often lose sleep, skip key meetings, and, in severe cases, are even forced to walk away from promising careers. Ignoring the problem costs money. Claims for specialist visits and surgery can top $30,000 per case.⁴ Presenteeism drives hidden loss that finance teams rarely capture. Employers that hope to retain female talent need a plan, not a pad stipend. Pelvic floor therapy is the clinical gold standard.
August 27, 2025 • 7 min read
Sword Editorial Team
Employer’s guide to pelvic health benefits
Almost no one talks about pelvic health at work, yet its impact quietly shows up on every health plan balance sheet. From missed meetings to rising surgery claims, conditions like urinary incontinence, pelvic pain, and prolapse drain billions in productivity and medical spend each year.¹ Still, most benefit plans have limited specific offerings in this area. That gap is increasingly expensive as women now represent nearly half the labor force.
August 27, 2025 • 11 min read
Sword Editorial Team
- WOMENS HEALTHCARE WHITEPAPER
The innovative pelvic health solution with 2.9x ROI
Reverse inactivity and slash MSK costs with Sword Move's 3:1 ROI
Validation Institute Certified Study Methodology demonstrates how Sword Health’s Move program improves health, lowers costs, and drives ROI for employers and health plans. MSK is the #1 healthcare cost in the US1. Specifically, musculoskeletal pain is the root cause of this significant driver on the balance sheets of employer health plans.
August 14, 2024 • 10 min read
Sword Editorial Team
GLP-1 muscle loss: the hidden cost of weight loss without movement
Medications are redefining how obesity is treated. Once primarily used to manage diabetes, GLP-1 drugs like semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy, and others) are now commonly prescribed in weight loss plans, especially for employers and health insurers aiming to support the metabolic health of their members. Early indications show the drugs are helping patients lose weight. But as enthusiasm surges, so does concern.
July 17, 2025 • 15 min read
Sword Editorial Team
Boosting weight loss program ROI with structured movement plans
For health insurers and employers, GLP-1 medications like semaglutide have changed the game in obesity care. These treatments offer a way to reduce chronic disease risk, lower metabolic claims, and trigger weight loss.₁ GLP-1s are more commonly known under brand names like Ozempic, Wegovy, Saxenda, Mounjaro, and Rybelsus. These medications deliver striking short-term results, but without physical activity support, GLP-1 patients often revert back to old habits.₃ That can drive unintended clinical and financial consequences. From lean muscle loss and metabolic rebound to re-prescription cycles and downstream MSK claims, a pattern is emerging that undercuts long-term ROI.⁴ GLP-1 programs need to be supported with structured activity and nutrition guidance to protect sustainable outcomes.
August 21, 2025 • 10 min read
Sword Editorial Team
How to prevent muscle loss during weight loss
Weight loss programs often celebrate the number on the scale. But when that number drops without context, something important can get lost. That something is muscle. While the goal may be to reduce fat, many weight loss strategies, especially those driven by medication or calorie restriction, also cause lean muscle loss. This isn’t just a side effect, it’s a long-term health risk.
August 21, 2025 • 8 min read
Sword Editorial Team
- GLP-1 COST SAVINGS WHITEPAPER
The GLP-1 treatment playbook you need for long term success
All about workplace health
How Digital Physical Therapy Improves Employee Retention
Did you know that fear of pain can be more disabling than pain itself? Half of American adults suffer from musculoskeletal (MSK) pain, negatively impacting job satisfaction and quality of life. Pain makes it difficult to even show up to work. Nearly 28% of people in the workplace will take leave for MSK pain over the course of a year. Patients who suffer the two most common conditions of low back and neck pain have an average return to work of 7 days.
September 27, 2022 • 5 min read
Sword Editorial Team
How to evaluate and select the best digital MSK vendors
Musculoskeletal (MSK) disorders are one of the most expensive and under-addressed cost centers facing U.S. healthcare providers. MSK disorders affect 1 in 2 Americans and cost over $190 billion per year, more than heart disease, cancer, or mental health conditions. For employers and health plans, MSK claims are often among the top 3 cost drivers. And for members, chronic pain reduces quality of life, drives absenteeism, and often leads to costly downstream interventions. That’s why digital MSK solutions have surged in popularity. The promise is compelling: better access, which drives stronger engagement, delivers better outcomes, and therefore lowers overall healthcare costs.
August 13, 2020 • 6 min read
Sword Editorial Team
5 Reasons Why MSK Care is a Top Priority for Employers
You’ve likely seen numerous digital health solutions that promise to lower medical spend. You’ve probably zeroed in on the top conditions with significant digital solutions in the marketplace: musculoskeletal (MSK), mental health, and diabetes. For most companies, prioritizing MSK care over other digital health solutions will drive the biggest benefits for your employees and your bottom line when it comes to savings. Given the multitude of vendors, platforms, and solutions available, prioritization can be a daunting task. How do you choose from among the thousands of digital health tools? What combination of condition focus and solution selection will drive the best outcomes for your population and the biggest return for your business?
September 19, 2022 • 5 min read
Sword Editorial Team
Tackling the #1 driver of employers’ health costs: MSK
The phrase ‘musculoskeletal disorder’ may not ring a bell — but the feeling might. The term refers to any type of pain in the muscles or joints, from chronic pain to injuries to post-surgical pain. Many of us have suffered from a musculoskeletal (MSK) issue at some point in our lives. In fact, one in two Americans is struggling with an MSK condition right now. And it’s causing economic ripples, especially in the workplace.
January 20, 2020 • 6 min read
Sword Editorial Team
More from Sword: Ask a physical therapist
Ask a PT: when is the best time to do my exercises?
Before I joined Sword Health, I worked in brick-and-mortar clinics. I never worked weekends, and rarely worked past 6 pm. My schedule was great...for me. But for my patients, it was a real challenge. Attending a physical therapy appointment might require leaving work early or slipping out at lunch. Even patients with more flexible schedules would sometimes lament about finding childcare or arranging transportation. A thirty-minute appointment could easily take an hour or even 90 minutes once travel was taken into account. When I was in a clinic, the “best” time for a patient to do their exercises was the time that worked for me, not for them. Sword's virtual model gives our members the power to do their exercises when AND where it's most convenient for them. Now that I work remotely for Sword, I’m able to help our members figure out the best time to do their exercises at home. Now, when my members ask me when they should do their exercises, I tell them - the best time is when you’ll actually do them!
February 11, 2021 • 6 min read
Megan Hill, PT, DPT
Ask a PT: Does walking really help with pain?
If you’ve ever stood on the sidelines of a sporting event, you’ve likely witnessed many falls, trips and tackles. Whether the players are small children or professional athletes, the advice from the coach may have simply been to “walk it off.” While that is not always the best solution after an acute injury, walking can be a really effective way to manage chronic pain. Motion is lotion. Movement increases blood flow, which brings nutrients to our tissues. It also helps those that don’t have blood flow, like cartilage. Cartilage lines our joints, absorbing impact. It’s surrounded by a liquid which provides it with nutrients, flowing in and out of it like a sponge. Exercise, like walking, causes loading that fills and squeezes that sponge, particularly in the joints of our legs and spine.
August 13, 2020 • 4 min read
Megan Hill, PT, DPT
Ask a PT: What Is Causing My Shoulder Pain?
When your shoulder hurts, it can be difficult to tell exactly what’s gone wrong. You’ve probably heard of pinched nerves and rotator cuff tears. Perhaps you’ve also heard about shoulders being ‘impinged’ or ‘frozen.’ It’s not easy to keep these various shoulder conditions straight, especially when they all cause similar pain symptoms. The first step towards fixing a problem is identifying it. This article, written by a team of Doctors of Physical Therapy, is designed to help you figure out what’s causing your shoulder pain — so you can begin the process of healing it. We will dive into the five most common causes of shoulder pain and how to differentiate them. Cervical refers to the neck, and radiculopathy is pain that radiates to another body part. Hence, cervical radiculopathy: a pinched nerve in the neck, which can cause radiating pain affecting the shoulder. It occurs when the cervical spine becomes damaged due to sudden injury or degeneration over time, and squeezes or puts pressure on a nearby nerve.
February 20, 2024 • 6 min read
Megan Hill, PT, DPT
Meet our editors
Sword Editorial Team
Experts in pain, movement, and digital health
The Sword Editorial Team brings together expert clinicians, researchers, and health writers dedicated to clear, evidence-based insights on pain, movement, and digital care. The team is always focused on Sword’s mission to free the world from pain and draws on backgrounds in physical therapy, pelvic health, mental health, behavioral science, and health policy.
Megan Hill, PT, DPT
Director, Clinical Specialists, Doctor of Physical Therapy
Megan specializes in musculoskeletal rehabilitation and chronic pain management. After a knee injury from the Chicago Marathon led her to discover the power of PT firsthand, she dedicated her career to helping others regain strength and movement. Megan holds a Doctor of Physical Therapy from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a BA in psychology from Duke University.
Dr. Fernando Correia, M.D.
Founding Team & SVP Clinical & Regulatory Affairs
Dr. Fernando Correia is a physician specializing in Neurology and a member of the company’s founding team. He leads clinical validation and medical affairs at Sword, with his work driven by his belief that technology and human connection can make high-quality, evidence-based care accessible for all.
