Clinical Outcomes After a Digital Musculoskeletal Program for Acute and Subacute Pain: Observational, Longitudinal...

Area of Science:

• Digital health interventions
• Musculoskeletal (MSK) pain management
• Telerehabilitation

Background:

• Telerehabilitation shows promise for musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions, often matching or exceeding usual care outcomes.
• Existing studies primarily focus on chronic or postsurgical pain, leaving a gap in understanding benefits for acute and subacute MSK pain.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a digital MSK program on pain and function.
• To compare outcomes in individuals with acute and subacute MSK pain participating in a digital program versus a nonparticipant control group.
• To assess changes at 3, 6, and 12 weeks post-intervention.

Main Methods:

• An observational, longitudinal study design was employed.
• The intervention group received physical therapist-guided video visits, exercise recommendations, and educational content via an app.
• A nonparticipant comparison group was included for baseline and follow-up comparisons.

Main Results:

• The intervention group demonstrated significantly greater improvements in pain and function compared to nonparticipants across all follow-up points (3, 6, and 12 weeks).
• Adjusted analysis revealed substantial pain reduction in the intervention group (e.g., 73% by 12 weeks) versus nonparticipants (46.7% by 12 weeks).
• Meaningful functional improvements were significantly higher in the intervention group, particularly at 12 weeks (24.6% higher).

Conclusions:

• Digital MSK programs offer a viable approach for improving pain and function in patients with acute and subacute MSK pain.
• The findings suggest short-term benefits of digital interventions for this patient population.
• Further research may explore long-term efficacy and broader applications.