Exploring Integrated Care for Musculoskeletal and Chronic Health Conditions

Integrated care is a continuum of services delivered by a system organized around the health needs of people rather than diseases. People with chronic musculoskeletal pain often live with coexisting chronic health conditions. Current care for musculoskeletal pain remains narrowly focused on individual painful conditions, despite the complex health needs of patients. We explore the challenges of delivering integrated care to people with musculoskeletal pain and coexisting chronic health conditions. We discuss these challenges in relation to 3 areas: (1) the relationships between musculoskeletal conditions and other chronic health conditions, (2) the factors that impact the clinician's capacity to provide integrated care for musculoskeletal conditions, and (3) system-level constraints that impact both the clinician's delivery of care and the patient's health care experience. We suggest ways by which clinicians and researchers may move toward better integrated care for musculoskeletal pain and coexisting chronic health conditions. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2021;51(6):264-268. doi:10.2519/jospt.2021.10428.