Fresh health insights
The value-based care model explained
There is no single way to deliver value-based care. Instead, there are multiple models that healthcare systems, payers, and employers use to align incentives with patient outcomes. Each model shares the same principle: pay for results, not activity. They differ in how risk is shared, how performance is measured, and how payments flow. For employers and health plans trying to navigate the landscape, it helps to understand how these models work, where they succeed, and where they fall short. That context makes it clear why musculoskeletal (MSK) care, a leading driver of health spend, requires a tailored solution. Several frameworks have shaped how value-based care is implemented in U.S. healthcare:
September 26, 2025 • 7 min read
Sword Editorial Team
Female pelvic health guide
Women’s health and wellness conversations often focus on fitness, nutrition, or maternity care. Yet one crucial part of the body that impacts daily comfort, mental health, and work performance is too often overlooked: pelvic floor health. The pelvic floor is a group of muscles and tissues that support the bladder, uterus, and bowel. When these muscles weaken or stop functioning properly, women can experience a wide range of problems: urinary leaks, pelvic pain, bowel issues, sexual discomfort, or a constant sense of pressure. For years, many women have silently endured these issues, assuming they were “normal” after childbirth or aging. But pelvic dysfunction is not something to suffer through. With the right pelvic floor health program, women can reclaim comfort, confidence, and control.
September 26, 2025 • 10 min read
Sword Editorial Team
The risks of physical inactivity
We live in a world designed for sitting. From long hours at a desk to evenings spent scrolling, most adults spend the majority of their day inactive. At first, this might feel like a normal part of modern life. But the risks of physical inactivity go far beyond occasional stiffness. Inactivity is now recognized as one of the biggest contributors to preventable chronic disease, rising healthcare costs, and avoidable pain. Globally, nearly 1.8 billion adults are insufficiently active, placing them at higher risk for cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and mental ill-health¹. The good news is that the opposite is also true. Even small amounts of regular movement can unlock the powerful benefits of physical activity, improving health, boosting mood, and strengthening resilience. And with programs like Sword Move, making activity a sustainable habit has never been easier.
September 26, 2025 • 7 min read
Sword Editorial Team
- WOMENS HEALTHCARE WHITEPAPER
The innovative pelvic health solution with 2.9x ROI
What is value-based care?
Healthcare spending in the United States continues to rise, yet outcomes for many conditions, including musculoskeletal (MSK) pain, are not improving at the same pace. MSK disorders are now the top driver of healthcare costs in the U.S., accounting for more than $500 billion annually when medical spend and lost productivity are combined.¹ Employers face both direct costs and indirect costs from absenteeism and presenteeism, making MSK a growing priority for benefits teams. Despite this investment, members are too often steered toward low-value care such as unnecessary imaging and avoidable surgeries. Musculoskeletal (MSK) health is one of the biggest drivers of employee wellbeing and organizational performance, yet an estimated $90.9 billion is wasted each year on MSK interventions that provide little value.² The disconnect is structural, rooted in how healthcare is paid for by employers, health insurers, and patients themselves.
September 26, 2025 • 8 min read
Sword Editorial Team
The pelvic floor health program to free you from pain and discomfort
Women’s health and wellness conversations often focus on fitness, nutrition, or maternity care. Yet one crucial part of the body that impacts daily comfort, mental health, and work performance is too often overlooked: pelvic floor health. The pelvic floor is a group of muscles and tissues that support the bladder, uterus, and bowel. When these muscles weaken or stop functioning properly, women can experience a wide range of problems: urinary leaks, pelvic pain, bowel issues, sexual discomfort, or a constant sense of pressure. For years, many women have silently endured these issues, assuming they were “normal” after childbirth or aging. But pelvic dysfunction is not something to suffer through. With the right pelvic floor health program, women can reclaim comfort, confidence, and control.
September 26, 2025 • 8 min read
Sword Editorial Team
How to reduce absenteeism through women’s health benefits
Absenteeism drains productivity, disrupts workflows, and costs employers millions every year. For women, health-related absences often stem from conditions that remain underdiagnosed, undertreated, or unsupported by traditional benefit plans. Pelvic floor dysfunction, menopause symptoms, and maternal health issues are chief among them. Employers must go beyond offering broad wellness programs to reduce absenteeism effectively. Women in the workplace need targeted, accessible, and stigma-free support where it's needed most.
September 19, 2025 • 12 min read
Sword Editorial Team
Building a smarter women’s health strategy with digital pelvic care
Employers and health plans often describe their benefits strategy as “comprehensive,” yet one critical dimension is consistently underdeveloped: women’s health. Maternity care and parental leave policies may exist, but beyond those, most benefits portfolios leave gaps where extremely common women’s health issues are left without dedicated support. Pelvic health, menopause, and other women’s health conditions are too often overlooked. This gap is costly. One in three women in the United States will experience a pelvic health disorder in her lifetime.¹ The ripple effects extend beyond personal discomfort: absenteeism, presenteeism, increased medical claims, and talent loss from a workforce already under pressure.² For employers competing in tight labor markets, failing to meet women’s health needs is no longer an option. The opportunity is equally clear. By anchoring a women’s health strategy in digital pelvic care, organizations can create benefits that are equitable, cost-effective, and aligned with the real needs of half their workforce.
September 19, 2025 • 9 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? Chronic pain and employee turnover prevention are critically linked, but with the right MSK benefits coverage, employers can help their team members recover from pain to increase workplace productivity. 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. Overall, MSK conditions are responsible for 44 missed work days each year on average.
September 27, 2022 • 6 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
Reduce MSK costs with more effective digital MSK care plans
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
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. Correia leads clinical validation and medical affairs to ensure Sword delivers the industry’s highest standards of evidence-based care.
Dr. Vijay Yanamadala, MD, MBA, FAANS
Chief Medical Officer at Sword Health
Dr. Vijay Yanamadala MD, MBA, FAANS, FCNS has been Sword’s Chief Medical Officer since 2022. A recognized leader in spine surgery with over 90 published scientific papers and numerous awards, he specializes in complex spinal conditions, using advanced techniques and multidisciplinary teams. Named a “Top 10 Power Player in Spine Surgery” and “20 Under 40 Spine Physician” by the North American Spine Society, Dr. Yanamadala is dedicated to advancing spinal care and improving patient outcomes.
