Usually, when you’re recovering from a musculoskeletal (MSK) injury, you’re advised by your healthcare professional to go for lots of physical and occupational therapy sessions. And you could be required to take steroids or do some unassisted strengthening, conditioning, and stretching exercises at home. However, there are a few problems with these conventional therapies. First, they’re expensive; second, you may find it difficult adhering to physical therapy; and third, you may not be sure if you’re doing the exercises right. These can lead to a slower recovery process and increased costs. In 2016, the cost of treating low back and neck pain for patients in the U.S. reached about $380 billion; a more efficient and effective approach could save money while producing better results.
We have covered apps for MSK injury recovery, such as the Kaia app. Another system that combines computer vision with AI technology is RecoveryOne’s Motion Trainer. The Motion Trainer helps patients recovering from musculoskeletal injuries perform their virtual physical therapy exercises without the direct supervision of a physical therapist.
Motion Trainer is based on more than 200 clinical therapeutic pathways that lead to about 2,000 therapeutic exercises to give users a personalized healthcare plan. It then provides a virtual physical therapist that watches users and give immediate feedback to make sure that the exercises are being performed correctly. It uses the camera and Internet connection in a smartphone, tablet, or laptop computer. It does not require any wearables that must be worn and kept charged.
Motion Trainer users also have access to a certified health coach who can answer questions and provide support to help maintain adherence to the recovery program. And a user’s exercises will change as they make progress on their recovery.
While their system currently supports chronic and acute low back pain, the RecoveryOne team is also working on adding more care pathways for shoulder, neck, and knee conditions. RecoveryOne is available through employers and health plans.
