Three Things You Must Know About MSDs

MSDs are:

  • The leading cost in healthcare & cause of disability
  • Fueling the national opioid crises
  • Increasing in frequency & cost with an aging population

Key Understandings:

  • MSDs are first & foremost Functional not Medical
  • MSD costs are driven by medical mismanagement
  • MSDs have financial, competitive, & human costs

Good To Know:

Over 85% of physicians have no MSD training beyond:

  • Prescribing Drugs... expensive & often addictive
  • Ordering Tests… usually unnecessary & expensive
  • Referring to surgeons… most are not surgical candidates.

“MSDs” are Musculoskeletal Disorders.

They are also commonly called Cumulative Trauma Disorders (CTDs) or Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSIs). MSDs include overexertion, trauma, orthopedic, ergonomic, & degenerative conditions that impair mobility, comfort, confidence, or activity. They may involve bones, joints, discs, muscles, tendons, ligaments, facia, & nerves. The most common symptom is movement or posture related pain.