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Artemis partners with Sword to help employers expand access to MSK care
(SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (Feb 1, 2023) — Artemis by Nomi Health, a best-in-class benefits analytics platform, today announced a partnership with Sword Health, the world’s fastest-growing digital musculoskeletal (MSK) company to more than 1,400 employers tackling one of the top three cost claims for employers. As part of the partnership, Artemis clients will be able to evaluate their need for musculoskeletal care within their population and seamlessly add Sword Health services to their benefits offering through their existing contract with Artemis. “It is almost unbelievable when we hear that half of Americans suffer from MSK conditions,” said Sanjay Motwani, General Manager, Artemis by Nomi Health. “Employers are helping address cost and productivity concerns related to MSK through innovative digital health solutions, and Artemis is helping assess the efficacy of such critical solutions through its analytics platform.”
February 2, 2023 • 3 min read
Sword Health Innovation Team
WPS Health Insurance partners with Sword to bring digital MSK care to ASO members
WPS Health Insurance has joined forces with Sword Health to bring digital health care to the WPS, powered by Auxiant Administrative Services Only (ASO) group health plans. Employers can choose to offer this convenient care to help their group members find relief from musculoskeletal pain. Musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions such as arthritis, back, and neck pain make up half of all medical care costs and affect more than 1 out of every 2 people over the age of 18 in the U.S., according to the United States Bone and Joint Initiative. A 2022 Large Employers Health Care Strategy and Plan Design Survey showed that 75% of employers identify musculoskeletal care as their highest expense. Nationwide, care costs are estimated at $381 billion per year, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association, exceeding mental health and cancer combined. With the aging of the U.S. population, the impact of musculoskeletal conditions will only worsen, and more convenient, accessible, and effective solutions are needed to address them.
January 13, 2023 • 5 min read
Sword Health Innovation Team
Sword 2022 Year in Review
2022 was a year of profound advancement and success for pain treatment as we pioneered 12 incredible months of a more human, more clinically effective and more scalable solution for treating those who suffer from pain. Considering how little pain treatment progress has been made on a global scale over the last two centuries, we’re more than proud of our ability to not only be changing, but transforming the status quo. Now, as we move with intention and focus into 2023, our goals for relieving people from pain remain all the more audacious. Our unyielding appetite to shake the stigmas of a broken system and reinvent how patients access and receive care is stronger than ever. To do so is the lifeblood of our ethos as a human-led business. Curious about our impact in 2022? Take a look at the snapshot below. We’re on a mission to free two billion people from pain. And we’re just getting started.
January 9, 2023 • 1 min read
Sword Editorial Team
Improving Quality of Life for 2 Billion People in Pain
Nobody tells the story of Sword Health’s life-changing solution quite like our members. From debilitating surgeries, to cycling 100 miles a week, members at Sword see drastic improvements to their musculoskeletal (MSK) pain. Hear for yourself how Sword has helped mothers run again, employees manage long work days, and given people the ability to — literally — scale mountains. Sword’s physical therapists use clinically-validated screening scales, such as the Fear Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire (FABQ) and Work Productivity and the Activity Impairment Questionnaire (WPAI) to tailor members’ physical therapy programs to their needs — not only in regards to their pain or injury, but also to what fits their lifestyle best. One Sword member, Kim, had access to Sword through her spouse’s employer. Kim experienced hip pain and assumed she was destined for hip replacement surgery. “For Kim’s case, she needed a fair amount of stabilization, but what Kim also needed was confidence. She needed to hear from her Physical Therapist that arthritic changes in the hip happen, and that doesn’t have to dictate your pain. She’s a mom. She’s working full time. She’s a wife and she’s an exerciser. She wants to be active…The Physical Therapist really needs to understand that lifestyle and put a program developed specifically for that lifestyle and really encourage her that we can be progressive and tailored to her and her tolerance.” (Julie Docter, DPT, Sword Physical Therapist)
November 13, 2022 • 4 min read
Sword Health Innovation Team
Sword's digital MSK care now proven to cut surgery costs
Fall is fast approaching. Every year, elective surgeries overwhelm operating rooms during the last quarter of the year—especially in December. And this well-known phenomenon is making a bigger and bigger impact on annual medical claims. A 2021 study published in Anesthesiology found that elective surgeries surge by more than 20% every December. In fact, researchers found that caseloads increased by 2.5 cases per day in December across the 3-year study. This means employers have no time to waste if you want to control healthcare costs. If you delay, your medical claims will reflect the year-end demand for expensive surgeries. Why does this matter?
September 22, 2022 • 4 min read
Sword Health Innovation Team
Sword reports 833% YoY growth with over 1,400 employer customers
The leading digital musculoskeletal company reveals its impressive employer growth from 150 to more than 1400 new Employers during the last 12 months, 833% more than in October 2021. Today Sword Health, the fastest growing digital musculoskeletal (MSK) company announced its impressive growth over the past 12 months, which has grown from 150 employers’ to more than 1400. This commercial development includes employers such as Danaher, Cisco, Dominos, and Hines.
September 16, 2022 • 2 min read
Sword Health Innovation Team
Sword Health and American Physical Therapy Association collaboration
NEW YORK, NY (April 21, 2022) — Sword Health, the fastest growing digital musculoskeletal (MSK) solution on the market, has announced a strategic collaboration with the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) to advance research around digital physical therapy and to support Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) within the PT profession. Sword is also committed to collaborating on policy initiatives to improve and standardize direct access laws at the state level, with national payers and in federal programs and to improve licensure mobility and portability by improved utilization of the national physical therapy licensure compact. “APTA has been at the forefront in actively working towards reducing inequalities and barriers to care for most of its 100 year history. SWORD Health’s continued resolve to support efforts to shine a brighter light around physical therapy, uphold the profession’s standards, promote its efficacy and need and propel the profession further is fully aligned with our mission.” said Justin Moore, CEO of APTA. “SWORD’s initiative to fund APTA’s efforts in driving new models of care and opening avenues for underserved communities is something we look towards with excitement.”
April 20, 2022 • 5 min read
Sword Health Innovation Team
Sword Health Launches SWORD360, the Most Comprehensive Data Platform in the Physical Health Space
Sword360 will help eliminate healthcare information silos, which are detrimental to patient outcomes and unnecessarily increase healthcare costs. Sword Health™, the fastest growing digital musculoskeletal (MSK) solution in the market, launches Sword360, a data integration platform that will seamlessly coordinate and communicate care across the member journey, starting with traditional healthcare providers. Health care members are often burdened with their health care data living in silos. Each time they see a new provider, they may need to remember every detail of their past medical history or spend countless hours trying to get access to their medical records due to a lack of interoperability. Lack of information sharing creates redundant or unnecessary care costs and lack of clarity for patients. Sword Health is taking the first step to free members of that burden through Sword360,.
March 9, 2022 • 4 min read
Sword Health Innovation Team
Sword Health Appoints Valentina Longo as Chief Financial Officer
NEW YORK, NY (February 18, 2022) — SWORD Health™, the fastest growing digital musculoskeletal (MSK) care provider, today announced that Valentina Longo has joined the company as Chief Financial Officer. Valentina joins SWORD Health after assuming a leadership position in the Financial Institutions Group at Cerberus, where she was responsible for advising, evaluating and managing the Firm’s investments in the Financial Services Industry, and identifying new investment opportunities. Prior to joining Cerberus in 2018, Valentina was the Chief Financial Officer of the Partner Card business of J.P. Morgan Chase, where she oversaw all key investment decisions for the business, including new partnership deals and marketing investments, and drove the business’s performance through acquisition, digitalization, loan repricing and efficiency initiatives. Valentina also served as an Executive Director in the Corporate Strategy Group of J.P. Morgan, where she focused on a variety of initiatives. She started her career at McKinsey & Company as an Engagement Manager in the Financial Institutions Group. This appointment comes at a pivotal time for SWORD Health. Since entering the market, SWORD has revolutionized MSK care with clinically validated and best-in-class solutions which are 100% supported by licensed physical therapists. With the announcement of its $163 million Series D fundraising in Q4 2021, SWORD has reached unicorn status since entering the market and is now valued at $2 billion dollars. As a testament of its leading market position, three out of four employers that conducted head-to-head evaluations among MSK solutions have selected SWORD as their preferred musculoskeletal care provider.
February 17, 2022 • 3 min read
Sword Health Innovation Team
Sword Health Appoints Dr. Vijay Yanamadala as Chief Medical Officer
NEW YORK, NY (February 10, 2022)— Sword Health™, the fastest growing virtual musculoskeletal (MSK) care provider, today announced Dr. Vijay Yanamadala has joined the company as Chief Medical Officer. Since entering the market, Sword has transformed musculoskeletal (MSK) care for its members with clinically validated and best-in-class solutions which are 100% supported by licensed physical therapists. Dr. Yanamadala will lead the Clinical Affairs team in support of Sword’s mission to free two billion people from pain. Dr. Yanamadala has extensive experience in treating medical conditions including scoliosis, spine trauma, spinal vascular diseases, and spinal deformities. He has published over 65 scientific papers and received numerous awards on the safe and effective treatment of complex spinal conditions through advanced and innovative techniques paired with the use of multidisciplinary teams. Dr. Yanamadala is certified by the Safety in Spine Surgery Project (S3P) and is a member of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, Congress of Neurological Surgery, North American Spine Society, and the Scoliosis Research Society. As CMO, Dr. Yanamadala’s clinical and medical expertise will ensure that Sword continues to deliver the highest quality digital MSK care. He will drive awareness of Sword’s innovative approach for treating MSK conditions and will be responsible for engaging the medical community in deeper discussions around MSK pain and the importance of alternatives to risky and ineffective surgeries or dangerous prescription medications.
February 10, 2022 • 4 min read
Sword Health Innovation Team
Sword study clinically-validates digital care for acute MSK pain
Since our inception, Sword Health has been committed to providing the most clinical-grade digital musculoskeletal (MSK) care in the world. Clinical validation is one of the most important ways to differentiate and value our solution in the marketplace. Our clinical results give companies the most confidence that we are delivering the best possible MSK care for their employee populations. This past week, two peer-reviewed studies published in separate medical journals demonstrated the same conclusion: Sword is the most clinically effective digital solution for acute MSK disorders currently available anywhere. In fact, we are the only digital MSK care company whose acute MSK programs have been validated in peer-reviewed papers.
January 18, 2022 • 3 min read
Sword Health Innovation Team
Sword raises $163M and reaches $2B valuation
Sword is the first virtual musculoskeletal company to reduce costs while delivering superior clinical outcomes with an unmatched 12x client growth. Sword Health, the most clinical and comprehensive digital musculoskeletal (MSK) solution in the market, today announced its Series D funding round led by Sapphire Ventures, a leading global technology-focused venture capital firm with participation from new investors Sozo Ventures, Willoughby Capital, ADQ and Localglobe, and from all major investors including General Catalyst, Khosla Ventures, Founders Fund, Bond, Transformation Capital, and Green Innovations. This brings the total primary and secondary transactions to more than $320M invested in Sword with the current round valued at $1.8B, catapulting it to healthtech unicorn status.
November 22, 2021 • 5 min read
Sword Health Innovation Team
Sword Health launches the industry's first end-to-end clinical MSK solution
After developing the leading solution to treat musculoskeletal (MSK) disorders, SWORD is bringing the flagship solution to prevent such conditions. The SWORD+ solution consists of three modules Today we are launching SWORD+. Combined with our existing treatment programs, SWORD Health has the most comprehensive, end-to-end MSK prevention program in the market. Our primary focus of SWORD+ is to prevent injuries and address muscle and joint injuries before they surface, or before they worsen and develop into more serious physical health conditions.
October 17, 2021 • 6 min read
Sword Health Innovation Team
Sword Health announces acquisition of Vigilant Technologies
Sword acquires one of the leading technologies in workplace injury prevention Sword Health is pleased to announce the acquisition of Vigilant Technologies (VIT), a cutting-edge workplace injury prevention solution. This acquisition helps Sword maintain its lead as the fastest growing and most innovative musculoskeletal (MSK) solution on the market. VIT started four years ago, and has become recognized for its feedback-driven physical awareness solution in the workplace. With a shirt collar device, VIT provides haptic feedback to the wearer which helps correct posture and prevent injuries. Combined with educational modules tailored to specific job types, VIT reduces MSK injuries by 33% and unsafe behaviors by 47%.
October 4, 2021 • 2 min read
Sword Health Innovation Team
Fresh health insights
Ultimate employee benefits guide
Employee benefits aren’t just perks. In 2025, they’re a strategic lever. With rising healthcare costs, increased workforce expectations, and the permanent shift toward hybrid work, your benefits strategy isn’t just a retention tool. If you can offer the best employee benefits in your industry, you send a strong message to potential candidates (and to your existing team members). This demonstrates your company values and your bottom line. A strong employee benefits plan signals care, financial strength, and a commitment to invest in your team. A forward-looking benefits plan is a competitive advantage. It influences recruiting outcomes, impacts employee health and productivity, and shapes how your organization is perceived. We want to help you understand the full landscape of a modern benefits plan including what’s most common, and emerging trends. But what really matters is attracting and retaining top talent. This guide will focus on the most cost-effective benefits to achieve that organizational goal.
October 24, 2025 • 19 min read
Sword Editorial Team
Healthcare cost trends for 2026
Healthcare costs are rising again, and health insurance providers are feeling the pressure. After a brief slowdown at the start of the year across the macro industry, costs have continued to push higher on the back of inflation, new drug therapies, and pent-up utilization. Most benefits leaders already know the headlines, like trend lines above 7 percent and specialty drug spend surging, but what they need now are answers. Not all of this is beyond your control. Healthcare leaders can consider these broader trends to update their plans. This guide will explain the key trends impacting the industry in more detail, but the foundations of cost-effective plans are increasingly built on prevention, digital access, and value-based partnerships that drive measurable ROI. We've pulled together a high-level overview of the key trends shaping the cost basis of healthcare in 2026 and beyond. Read on to find what you need to know about the reasons for these trends, and the practical steps you can take to stay ahead.
October 10, 2025 • 8 min read
Sword Editorial Team
GLP-1 muscle loss: the hidden cost of weight loss without movement
Early indications show the drugs are helping patients lose weight. But as more research and analysis is collected, concern around GLP-1 muscle loss is building. While GLP-1s promote fast weight loss, the type of weight lost matters. Clinical research shows that up to 39% of lean body mass is lost during GLP-1 usage. Lean muscle loss from GLP-1 use presents an invisible but dangerous risk, for health insurers and patients alike. Lean muscle loss isn’t cosmetic. This has serious implications for physical health, mobility, long-term function, and cost exposure. For health plan administrators sarcopenia muscle loss adds nearly $900 in excess healthcare costs per employee annually. Lean muscle is essential. Lose it, and you compromise strength, movement, and future health.
August 22, 2025 • 14 min read
Morgan Hollis, MS, RDN
