The origin story of FIGUR8, a company focused on innovations in musculoskeletal injury treatment and recovery, is the result of decades of research collaboration between MIT, Mass General Hospital, and the Boston Red Sox.

FIGUR8’s Nan-Wei Gong Discusses Innovations in MSK Injury Treatment and Recovery

Reflecting on the 2026 APTA Combined Sections Meeting, I am filled with both concern and optimism. Having spent over 35 years seeking clinical and business wisdom to help shape our healthcare future, I am encouraged by our current momentum toward elevating practice into a data-driven, technology-enhanced model.

While the exhibit hall was filled with the usual recruiting mania and a high concentration of AI-based solutions, we must remain informed and discriminating consumers. I believe we must automate our practices where value exists to reduce administrative burdens and costs, but we must also view these tools through the lens of the staff physical therapist to ensure we are making their lives simpler. Although we cannot immediately change regulation or reimbursement, we can certainly shape what technology-enhanced practice looks like.

At FIGUR8, we are striving to be a catalyst for this approach through standardized clinical MSK data and language. Just as practice models evolve, so must the way we measure our impact on patients. Our MSK Data Council recently held productive, realistic conversations regarding how we define our data collection and analysis to deliver solutions that support the value of PT-first care across all practice models.

The infrastructure of our profession is being remodeled. We must engage in these discussions to ensure we are identifying high-value innovations while avoiding low-value changes that only create unnecessary anxiety.

We look forward to collaborating with our clinical and business colleagues to architect this data-driven remodel alongside fellow physical therapists. Thank you to everyone for the time spent, —both seasoned professionals and those new to the field—who are committed to helping our profession evolve.

Reflecting on the 2026 APTA Combined Sections Meeting, I am filled with both concern and optimism.

Remodeling the Future of Physical Therapy: Lessons from APTA CSM 2026

BOSTON, Mass. & NEW YORK, New York — A new partnership unites Best In Class MD, the leading orthopedic telehealth platform with access to the nation’s top orthopedic physicians, and FIGUR8, the digital health company that’s developed the most advanced wearable musculoskeletal health management technology on the market. Building on the two companies’ shared mission in forging a new standard of care in advancing musculoskeletal health, the partnership creates the first offering of its kind on the market that combines precision musculoskeletal analytics with world-class orthopedic care.

To date, the lack of codified, accurate and objective data for musculoskeletal conditions has been one of the industry’s biggest challenges. FIGUR8’s breakthrough technology delivers data on key musculoskeletal biomarkers — including range of motion, movement quality, strength and functional mobility — and accurately pinpoints the source and severity of an injury while showing real-time recovery visibility.

“We’re excited to be charting a new course in the delivery of musculoskeletal health management together with Best In Class MD, which has built the deepest roster of world-class musculoskeletal clinicians,” said Nan-Wei Gong, co-founder and CEO of FIGUR8. “With this partnership, FIGUR8 and Best In Class MD are combining the best musculoskeletal data available with the best orthopedic physicians in the country to deliver best in class orthopedic care and optimal patient outcomes.”

Best In Class MD brings an unmatched network of the nation’s foremost orthopedic physicians — accepting only the top 1% of the nation’s orthopedic specialists — and a scalable, HIPAA-compliant and URAC-accredited telehealth platform, providing on-demand access to patients seeking musculoskeletal consultations with leading orthopedic physicians across the country.

“We founded Best In Class MD with the mission to enable direct access to world-class experts and personalized treatment plans,” said Dr. Benedict Nwachukwu, CEO and cofounder of Best In Class MD and an orthopedic surgeon at the Hospital for Special Surgery. “FIGUR8 brings objective and meaningful data to the standard musculoskeletal clinical assessment in a way that’s never been done before, equipping Best In Class MD’s physicians with precision analytics to support diagnostic and treatment decisions for musculoskeletal conditions. Patients look to Best In Class MD for trusted and individualized plans of care for their musculoskeletal health, and our partnership with FIGUR8 further delivers on Best In Class MD’s mission.”

More than 1.7 billion people suffer from musculoskeletal conditions, according to the World Health Organization. Musculoskeletal disorders account for one of the largest categories of workplace injuries, accounting for over 50 percent of workers’ compensation costs according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. FIGUR8’s advanced musculoskeletal health management solution — developed over years of R&D by MIT engineers in collaboration with Mass General Brigham clinicians — enables a full musculoskeletal and orthopedic assessment to be conducted in less than 15 minutes.

About Best In Class MD (BICMD)
BICMD is an integrated telehealth platform built to provide consumers and enterprises with immediate and direct access to a national network of leading medical doctors for personalized expert medical opinions. By increasing access to the country’s top providers, BICMD is on a mission to solve the well-defined challenge of obtaining medical certainty. To learn more, visit www.bicmd.com .

About FIGUR8 FIGUR8 is creating the most advanced musculoskeletal health management technology on the market. Its powerful, lightweight system combines clinically smart biosensors, intuitive software and AI to improve musculoskeletal health at every point of care — from injury through full recovery. FIGUR8 has developed the first musculoskeletal diagnostics decision support system of its kind that can accurately pinpoint the source and severity of an injury while showing real-time recovery visibility. Powering FIGUR8’s solution is breakthrough technology developed over years by MIT engineers in collaboration with Mass General Brigham clinicians. For more info, visit figur8tech.com.

Transforming Healthcare Together: Best In Class MD and FIGUR8 Forge Alliance to Revolutionize Precision Musculoskeletal Health Management

Best In Class MD and FIGUR8 Partner to Advance Patient Access to Precision Musculoskeletal Health Management

FIGUR8, the leading innovator in the measure of musculoskeletal (MSK) health, has successfully closed a $25 million Series A-1 funding. The round was led by First Spark Ventures (FSV) with participation from DigiTx Partners and Phoenix Venture Partners.

FIGUR8 will use the proceeds to drive growth and adoption of its core bioMotion Assessment Platform (bMAP). By leveraging lab-grade biomechanics data captured in the clinic setting, valuable insights into musculoskeletal health and injury recovery can lead to more personalized and data-driven recovery pathways.

“We are thrilled to have FSV leading this important investment round,” said Nan-Wei Gong, founder and CEO of FIGUR8. “FSV’s experience in backing transformative technologies and strategic guidance will not only bolster our efforts to elevate the musculoskeletal industry, but also pave the way for significant advancements in digital MSK health, as FIGUR8 elevates the standard of care with codified, clinically-relevant data.”

FIGUR8’s bMAP produces accurate, precise and objective data for musculoskeletal care and injury recovery. FIGUR8’s advanced data empowers providers to better communicate symptoms, diagnosis and progress, while enabling payers to improve claims and underwriting processes, optimize risk management strategies, and promote faster recovery among injured workers.

“Mobility is an essential part of who we are and how we function. FIGUR8 brings a proven, deeply scientific way to guide the best pathways for restoration of mobility,” stated Manish Kothari, Founding Managing Partner of First Spark Ventures. “Objective MSK data enables a new level of personalized healthcare and risk evaluation, while simultaneously reducing cost and strongly improving satisfaction across patients, providers and payers.”

“As a physician and staunch advocate of evidence-backed solutions, I am thrilled to serve on FIGUR8’s board,” said Dr. Christina Jenkins of Phoenix Venture Partners. “FIGUR8’s unique approach to biometric sensing technology removes some of the “art” of diagnosis and assessment, transforming MSK care into a standardized and data-driven science that empowers patients and providers to improve health.

The company’s model is rare, aligning incentives across payer, provider and patient, and helping to pave the way for adoption and the evolution of the standard of care. We’re excited for FIGUR8’s opportunity to set a new industry benchmark.”

Manish Kothari, PhD and Dr. Christina Jenkins will join FIGUR8’s board of directors.

FIGUR8 is the market leader for standardizing musculoskeletal (MSK) health and injury recovery data. Through its innovative bioMotion Assessment Platform (bMAP), FIGUR8 empowers individuals to monitor and optimize their injury recovery, physical performance and overall health, while also enabling providers, patients and payers to access valuable data for advanced insights, better recovery and more personalized care.

First Spark Ventures is a Deep Tech venture capital fund investing in breakthrough technologies that make the world healthier, safer, and more productive. With a strong focus on backing companies that drive positive change and create lasting impact, First Spark Ventures plays a pivotal role in fueling the growth of visionary ventures.

Media Relations at FIGUR8
Email: media@figur8tech.com

Empowering Motion: FIGUR8's $25M Series A-1 Financing Accelerates Innovation in MSK Health

FIGUR8, the market leader for measuring musculoskeletal (MSK) health and injury recovery, secures $25M Series A-1 financing

Accommodations for workers returning to their jobs after an injury are a necessary part of the workers’ comp system. Temporary accommodations, or modified duty assignments, help workers return to their careers while providing needed support to recover from their injuries.  

Accommodations can help reduce claims costs and bring injured employees back to work. They just have to be implemented correctly.

Accommodations Don’t Just Boost Return to Work and Cut Costs — They Also Build Worker Trust and Morale

As the largest outpatient physical therapy provider, Upstream Rehabilitation is passionate about evaluating and utilizing the latest technology in this ever-evolving field of physical therapy to ensure we’re consistently striving to provide quality care to patients. One innovation that is making waves is Figur8, a cutting-edge solution designed to revolutionize how we as clinicians assess and enhance movement health.

Musculoskeletal (MSK) pain affects a significant portion of the global population. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 1.71 billion people worldwide are living with musculoskeletal conditions. Addressing MSK conditions effectively requires accurate assessment tools that can properly measure muscle endurance and help healthcare providers develop targeted treatment plans. 


FIGUR8’s bioMotion Assessment Platform (bMAP) has been built upon extensive existing research as the platform moves to demand a new standard of care in measuring MSK health. The article below specifically dives into the development of the neck extensor endurance and shoulder elevation endurance tests included in the FIGUR8 bioMotion Assessment based primarily on the isometric muscle endurance study by Edmondston et al. that has highlighted the reliability of three isometric muscle endurance tests—neck flexor, neck extensor, and scapular muscle endurance tests—in subjects with postural neck pain.

The Foundation of FIGUR8’s Tests: Reliable Isometric Muscle Endurance Tests

Edmondston et al.'s study focused on the reliability of three isometric muscle endurance tests in individuals with postural neck pain. The neck flexor endurance test showed excellent reliability (ICC = 0.93), the neck extensor test exhibited good reliability (ICC = 0.88), and the scapular muscle endurance test demonstrated moderate reliability (ICC = 0.67). These tests, which measure the endurance of key muscle groups involved in maintaining neck and shoulder posture, provide a robust foundation for clinical assessment and intervention.

The study underscored the importance of these muscle groups—cervical flexors, extensors, and scapular stabilizers—in supporting the cervical spine during sustained postural tasks. Accurate and reliable measurements of muscle endurance can inform clinicians about the functional status of these muscles and the extent of impairment in patients with postural neck pain. This is where FIGUR8 enables providers by enhancing the application of these tests through objective data of performance and fatigue, captured using the bioMotion Assessment Platform (bMAP).

FIGUR8’s Innovation: Lab-grade biomechanical data accessible at the point of care

By bridging the gap between decades of valuable research and practical clinical application, FIGUR8 has revolutionized the accessibility of biomechanics data at the point of care. 

Historically, the use of biomechanics data has been hindered by significant costs (>$300K), the need for specialized training, and time-consuming assessments. However, through innovative technology and a new form factor, FIGUR8 has eliminated these barriers. This advancement enables clinicians to efficiently incorporate biomechanics data into their practice, enhancing patient care and outcomes without the previous logistical and financial burdens.

During these established endurance tests, FIGUR8’s solution captures precise data on muscle functional endurance and movement compensations during a dynamic activity that easily integrates within a provider’s workflow and enhances evidence-based practice. By utilizing FIGUR8’s bioMotion Assessment Platform (bMAP), provider partners can obtain objective data that is crucial for diagnosing musculoskeletal issues accurately. The platform’s ability to capture minute details of function enables a more nuanced understanding of a patient's condition, leading to more effective and personalized treatment plans.

Enhancing Clinical Outcomes with FIGUR8’s Solution

When combined with reliable muscle endurance tests, FIGUR8 provides a powerful tool for healthcare providers. Clinicians can use the detailed data collected to develop targeted intervention strategies aimed at improving endurance and overall function. This approach not only aids in pain reduction but also enhances the quality of life for patients with postural neck pain.

For example, a physical therapist can use the data to accurately identify movement compensations that may indicate weaknesses in the neck extensors or scapular stabilizers. With this information, they can tailor exercise programs that focus on strengthening these muscles, improving endurance, and promoting better posture. The ability to track progress over time with precise measurements allows for adjustments to be made to the treatment plan, ensuring optimal outcomes.

Modernizing Musculoskeletal Care in Practice

FIGUR8’s solution of technology built on the clinical and biomechanical foundation defined in published evidence with established muscle endurance tests represents a significant advancement in the management of musculoskeletal pain. 

By building on the reliability of the neck extensor and scapular muscle endurance tests validated by Edmondston et al., FIGUR8 provides healthcare providers with the tools needed for accurate assessment and effective intervention. This innovative approach not only enhances our understanding of muscle performance in individuals with musculoskeletal pain but also leads to better care plans and improved patient outcomes. 

As digital health technologies continue to evolve, FIGUR8 stands at the forefront, transforming how we assess and treat musculoskeletal health.

Interested in learning more? Connect with the FIGUR8 team at info@figur8tech.com or check out our clinical research here.

How FIGUR8 Innovates with Reliable Muscle Endurance Tests to Quantify Recovery and Pain

FIGUR8 and the Quick Coupling Division of Parker Hannifin Corporation today announced a partnership for the deployment of the MIT spin-off’s breakthrough musculoskeletal health technology system in select Parker manufacturing facilities. Parker, a Fortune 250 global leader in motion and control technologies, provides precision-engineered solutions for a wide variety of industrial and aerospace markets.

With over 54,000 team members and locations in 45 countries and over 315 manufacturing sites globally, one of Parker’s primary goals is to continuously improve safety performance and achieve zero injuries across the organization. The partnership brings the next generation of accessible, objective musculoskeletal health assessment information to the workplace.

“More than 1.7 billion people suffer from musculoskeletal conditions, and work-related musculoskeletal problems are among the most prevalent of occupational disorders worldwide,” said Nan-Wei Gong, co-founder and CEO of FIGUR8. “Parker’s Quick Coupling Division is tackling this challenge head on by implementing solutions for the intervention and prevention of musculoskeletal disorders in the workplace. Parker brings a proactive approach to the management of employee safety, health and risk that reflects the company’s deep commitment to responsible operations.”

The partnership builds on the two companies’ continued innovations in engineering solutions that advance musculoskeletal health. Parker’s electroactive polymer (EAP) sensors and FlexSense sensing technology are helping revolutionize the measurement of human body movement.

“Safety is our highest priority, and we are deeply engaged in the continuous identification and implementation of solutions that create a safety-first workplace for team members,” said Jason Manning, Manager of Environmental, Health & Safety, Parker Quick Coupling Division. “With FIGUR8’s breakthrough musculoskeletal technology, we recognized an opportunity to further add to our range of safety-first initiatives — from equipment safety to employee health — to provide a safe and engaging work environment.”

FIGUR8’s technology is in deployments across major health systems, employers and government organizations nationwide to help reduce and prevent the incidence of musculoskeletal disorders in the workplace. With the lack of codified, accurate and objective data for musculoskeletal conditions being one of the biggest industry challenges to date, FIGUR8’s ability to enable precision analytics has made its technology an indispensable tool (before MRI) to support the diagnostic and treatment decisions regarding musculoskeletal conditions.

FIGUR8’s advanced MSK assessment solution — developed over years of R&D by MIT engineers in collaboration with Mass General Brigham clinicians — enables a full musculoskeletal and orthopedic assessment to be conducted in minutes by anyone, anywhere, regardless of technical or clinical expertise. In less than 15 minutes, the FIGUR8 solution can deliver data on key musculoskeletal biomarkers — including range of motion, movement quality, strength and functional mobility — in order to create an individualized and precise plan of care.

FIGUR8 is creating the most advanced wearable musculoskeletal (MSK) technology on the market. Its powerful, lightweight system combines clinically smart biosensors, intuitive software and AI to improve musculoskeletal health at every point of care — from injury through full recovery. FIGUR8 has developed the first musculoskeletal diagnostics decision support system of its kind that can accurately pinpoint the source and severity of an injury while showing real-time recovery visibility. Powering FIGUR8’s solution is breakthrough technology developed over years by MIT engineers in collaboration with Mass General Brigham clinicians. For more info, visit www.figur8tech.com.

Fostering Ergonomic Excellence: FIGUR8 and Parker Hannifin Quick Coupling Division Collaborate to Enhance Workplace Musculoskeletal Wellness

FIGUR8 and Parker Hannifin Quick Coupling Division Partner to Improve Musculoskeletal Health in the Workplace

Figur8 has developed a range of sensors sensors to provide an easy way to capture body movement for athletes, dancers or any application that would like to track body movements.

FIGUR8 offers affordable motion capture without the need for cameras

Musculoskeletal injuries are never managed with proper information to guide the constant diagnostic journey.

The result? Delayed, under or over-treatment in most patients.

Musculoskeletal injuries are challenging to manage, mostly because clinicians are relying on human experience (subjectivity) to evaluate a multi-dimensional soft tissue injury that is changing over time. The only objective evaluations use static imagery technologies (X-Ray and MRI) which only capture a slice of time during the diagnostic journey.

Earlier this year I suffered a small tear on my bicep tendon. This is an injury that typically happens to baseball players and gymnasts. I am neither. I am a workaholic founder of a startup with bad posture, exacerbated by trying to work from home during a global pandemic.

I noticed something was very wrong with my shoulder two months into quarantine. There was no trauma or accident that led to the pain, but I would experience a very sharp pain when trying to lift my right arm.

I can repeatedly cause the pain, which as an engineer, is how I’ve been trained to start debugging my problem. Since founding FIGUR8, I’ve worked with many clinicians and learned how they approach a problem like this. They see injuries as a mystery that needs to be solved, and the good detectives know where to look to find the clues. But it wasn’t until I experienced this painful injury myself that I truly began to understand the issues with MSK injury management.

The first thing I did was call my primary care doctor, who asked me to try and move a certain way, and noted my “limited range of motion” and “acute pain”. She recommended I see a physical therapist and see if that helps. I was also referred to an orthopedic doctor, and to rule out a bone fracture, we took an X-Ray. When the X-Ray didn’t reveal any obvious cause of the pain, I was sent for an MRI.

I went home, and I waited. Everything these amazing clinicians told me made sense – my consistent pain was caused by a potential tear and that the area is swollen. However, that did little to address my frustration. I was in pain, and as the days went by, it didn’t feel as if we were making any progress toward solving the problem. While waiting for the results of the MRI, I focused on doing everything the doctors told me to do to avoid getting a “frozen shoulder.”

Finally, my MRI was analyzed and the tear was confirmed. But in the two weeks in between, my pain level and range of motion had changed so much, I expected more imaging would be needed before a potential procedure would be done.

Then, I happened to be chatting with a chiropractor I know over zoom. I explained what was wrong and she asked me to follow her instructions for 15 minutes. Miraculously, I was able to lift my arm for the first time in two weeks. I followed everything she instructed me to do, and three days later, I finally began to feel there is hope. I am getting better.

With the initial diagnostic feedback, suggesting that I am looking at a one year recovery path, I am now among the many that are constantly battling and managing my chronic pain.

Without accessible technology that can provide objective data to help clinicians and patients throughout the MSK diagnostic journey, I rely on the time-based estimation for my recovery.

As a patient, I experienced the eagerness to see improvement, and how much the data from the FIGUR8 Platform would mean to me – that there might be an end to the severe pain I was experiencing. I witnessed firsthand that our efforts for the past three years truly have the potential to change healthcare and improve the lives of so many of us that are experiencing an MSK injury.

The Need for Musculoskeletal Injuries Management Tools

I recently had the opportunity to speak with FIGUR8 investor, David Daglio. As the former Chief Investment Officer at Mellon, David helped design, launch and manage a unique equity investing approach that drove industry-leading performance and won numerous awards. My question for David was this: how can you introduce a new technology without making the people who can benefit the most from this new data feel as though they’re being replaced?

David began investing in companies 22 years ago. He was basically attempting to forecast which company would be successful, simply by reviewing their financial statements. Back then, analysts like David would receive a fax from the company and highlight what the executives had said and compare that with what they had said in previous quarters.

As data on companies became easier to collect, measure and score, David began a transition that started slowly at first, but began to gather momentum as his model was proving to be successful. He was taking a process that had traditionally been very human-driven and was trying to augment it with data. However, his biggest obstacle was not learning to use this new tool, but rather convincing the team around him to adopt this new data-driven approach.

“The battle is that, as humans, we want to believe our judgement is perfect. Whatever the field someone has chosen, they chose that because they felt they had good judgement when it came to that field. And the longer they have been doing it, the higher the value they place on their own judgement. When you introduce a new technology, whose judgement is more repeatable than yours, you’re often quick to dismiss it.”

It wasn’t until David really tried to understand the problem of “why are they fighting this?” that he realized his colleagues’ response was deeply human – it wasn’t about the computer at all, it was really more reflective about how they viewed themselves and their value. His colleagues were dismissive because they wanted to believe they were truly great at what they did. No one wants to be replaced or feel the time they’ve invested in gaining experience and judgement could quickly be replicated by a computer.

So how do you show someone that the tool they’re using is as good as they are? David found that it has to be in a non-confrontational way. “You need to work with the data and really adopt a growth mindset – you must be willing to learn something new.”

David’s approach was to pique his colleagues’ curiosity enough to get them to play with the tool and test it for themselves. They would begin to work with the tool and begin to get an understanding of how it worked, gradually becoming more comfortable with its ability to help them be better at what they did. Once they did, they begin to trust it more and more until they internally adopted it themselves. It happens over time, not overnight. The bottle neck in implementing new technology is often adoption, not innovation.

As an advisor, David often challenges those responsible for running large facilities or organizations by asking “how much can you make repeatable so that humans can focus on the tasks they’re really good at?”

This is at the cornerstone of the debate: as you begin dehumanizing the world by replacing work historically done by humans with machines, how do you make humans feel more valuable?

“Our brains are like thoroughbreds,” says David. “They want to be running really, really hard. They want to be challenged to figure out answers to ‘why?’ When we shackle our brains with mundane things over and over again, we get tired and feel unfulfilled. For me, the value in FIGUR8 is it creates a much more fulfilling experience because it allows us to offload those menial, repetitive tasks to the system and engage in the type of thinking that makes us feel more valuable. More human.”

Using Technology to Make Humans Feel More Human

Muscle Imbalance: The Perils of Over-Specialization in Youth Sports

If you spend much time around high school sports, it seems inevitable that you will see some young person hobbling around on crutches with a knee brace. ACL tears, a clear example of injury arising from muscle imbalance and one of the most serious injuries an athlete can face, seem to be proliferating in high school age athletes — in fact, a study conducted by the American Academy of Pediatrics found that the rate of ACL tears has been increasing 2.3% per year over the last 20 years. The authors cite several possible reasons for the increase, including higher rates of year-round participation in high-intensity athletics. The repetitive movements and difficulty in taking time off from a busy school, club and travel team schedule mean that bodies don’t always have time to recuperate, which can lead to injury.

A couple months ago, Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr presented an argument on the Men in Blazers podcast for why playing soccer makes better basketball players. Kerr’s comments struck a cord for many because it feels rare to hear a coach at such a high level promote another sport, but his reasoning resonates. Better passing, he said, cutting, and angles. These field- and court-vision skills are about tactics: how to make the ball do the work and keep the other side off-balance. What also matters about this synthesis is the way it benefits bodies in motion as well as minds.

But Steve Kerr’s point had less to do with avoiding overuse injuries or burnout, and more to do with variety. Today, kids (and parents) are getting more serious at a younger age about elite athletics. Often, that means year-round participation in a single sport. According to a 2018 survey by the Aspen Institute and analyzed by the University of Texas, high school athletes who primarily played boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball and boys basketball started specializing in their primary sport at an average age of just 10 years old. It sounds outrageous, but that’s where we’re at as a society.

It may seem illogical to some, but this hyper specialization can actually be counterproductive. All athletes know that you peaking at the correct time is everything. You don’t want to burnout too early. Plus, the strengths of one sport can bolster another. Mentally, seeing the patterns on the hardwood as analogous to the pitch helps unlock new potential. Physically, we see the importance of not overusing muscles or limiting activity to one type of exercise. Figur8 has taken up the physical piece of this challenge, creating technology that not only provides athletes feedback on their progress, but also identifies muscle imbalances and possible areas of strain in real time. This objective data can then inform your training. With a thorough understanding of your body, you can optimize your training in such a way that will boost your odds of staying healthy while also maximizing your performance and improvement.

Playing other sports is not taking time away from your primary sport, it’s adding to your overall health and well-being. If Steve Kerr were the Czar of American Basketball, we might have a new model for what elite athletics mean: an understanding and appreciation for the hard work it takes to be good at anything, and the enjoyment that comes from seeing the game from a new angle.

The Perils of Over-Specialization in Youth Sports

In order to understand whiplash – and MSK injury, one must first consider how human motion works to begin with.

Human motion starts in one of two ways. The first is when a cognitive idea in the brain initiates a desire to move, and sends a message along nerve cells to the muscles required to execute that movement. The second way is in response to a reflex stimulus such as pain or a sudden stretch to a tendon, like a reflex hammer in a doctor’s exam. In essence, human motion relies on a network of signals via the nervous system to and from our muscles. 

Nerve damage can easily lead to muscle weakness. Swelling around strained soft tissues can put pressure on a nerve.  A vertebrae or cervical disc that has shifted out of place can exert pressure on a nerve root. This pressure hinders the nerve from recruiting the full support of all muscle fibers. This means a muscle will not be able to contract fully, which can lead to varying short- and/or long-term effects.

We see this type of scenario in patients suffering from Whiplash, or Whiplash Associated Disorders (WAD) – a neck injury caused by sudden, forceful back and forth movement of the head that typically results in varying degrees of muscle strain and sometimes damage to other soft tissue structures like tendons and ligaments. Whiplash is most commonly associated with motor vehicle accidents but can also be caused by contact sports or sudden fall accidents. There are a variety of symptoms that can arise from a whiplash injury, many of which are nearly impossible to measure objectively.

Whiplash can include several layers of musculoskeletal injury. In addition to the trauma to the neck muscles, possible repercussions of the injury can be seen in the cervical spine alignment. Both of these common whiplash conditions can lead to acute or chronic alteration in the function of the nervous system. 

Our team at FIGUR8 is developing a comprehensive neck assessment that quantifies a patient’s posture, active range of motion, muscle performance and endurance. These clinical injury evaluations are critical to a patient’s diagnostic journey during rehabilitation and an objective measurement of the efficacy of treatment.

What sets FIGUR8 apart from other solutions is the ability to extrapolate diagnostic data from soft-tissue injuries. The FIGUR8 Neck Assessment quantifies muscle output by capturing data as a muscle contracts to create a movement.  The magnitude of muscle contraction and the timing of muscle activation during an activity provides greater insight to the injury and can better inform treatment decisions.

An injury manifests itself in many ways and the visible, limited range of motion is one symptom that results from any of a myriad of causes. Measurement of neck and shoulder range of motion informs part of the clinical neck exam but when combined with data measuring muscle performance, the depth of clinical insight is magnified.  A neck injury such as whiplash is a great example of how the FIGUR8 Motion Analysis Platform can help clinicians truly quantify and objectively diagnose the nuance from both physiological and biomechanical data.

As a Physical Therapist and biomechanist, I am extremely excited to lead the development of this revolutionary clinical diagnostic device.

Beyond the Surface: Unraveling the Complexity of Whiplash MSK Injury Diagnosis

There’s More to Whiplash MSK Injury Diagnosis Than Meets the Eye

FIGUR8’s clinical experts discuss the findings of a recent BMJ study, not the size and scope of the universe as Shapley and Curtis did in 1920.

A recent New York Times article summarized a study published in the British Medical Journal that examined the effectiveness of common orthopedic surgical procedures. Their findings outlined that for many common procedures, non-surgical options like diet, exercise and physical therapy are just as effective. The FIGUR8 communications team sat down with our Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Michael Oberlander who is an orthopedic surgeon, and our Business Development Manager, Josh Williams, a physical therapist himself, to discuss the implications of these findings.

FIGUR8: Thank you both for taking the time to speak with us today. Someone reading the article in the New York Times, at first glance, may think that surgery should never be an option, though this is probably not true. Dr. Oberlander, I’ll start with you, when is surgery the right choice for someone?

Dr. Oberlander: Generally speaking, surgery is indicated for MSK conditions when conservative treatment has failed and a valid procedure will result in a successful outcome in the majority of patients. In a small percentage of cases such as specific fractures, major soft tissue injuries, and certain tumors, surgery is primarily indicated. For the other 90% of cases, conservative care is the primary treatment of choice.

FIGUR8: That’s very helpful to know. So, for 90% of cases conservative treatment should be the first choice. The article mentions exercise, diet and physical therapy as effective options for many bone and joint issues. Are these the most common options? What other alternatives are available to people if surgery is not appropriate?

Josh Williams: Yes, these are very common management strategies that a primary care provider might prescribe to address a musculoskeletal (MSK) issue. I would add education as an additional tool to help people manage their concerns. Sometimes when we are in pain, it is accompanied with feelings of anxiety and uncertainty. Working with a health professional to understand the underlying condition and the steps that you can take to reduce pain and improve function can be a very empowering and effective approach. There are also other non-surgical options available.

Dr. Oberlander: Yes, for many MSK conditions, both acute and chronic, physical therapy, home exercise +/- a period of relative rest are often the mainstays of conservative treatment. Additionally, anti-inflammatory medication and other over-the-counter medications like Tylenol may be helpful to control the pain. Steroid injections, hyaluronic acid or biologics such as PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma) and lipogems may also be helpful.

Diet is clearly beneficial for certain conditions that involve the weight bearing joints of the lower extremity, like the hips and knees as well as the spine, and that is because these joints experience exponential stress with certain activities. Patients with a high body mass index (BMI) can experience a significant reduction in their pain levels and an improvement in function in these locations with simple weight loss. For example, the knee experiences 3-7x the weight of the body during activities like stair climbing, squatting, kneeling or even walking. That means a loss of 10 lbs is like losing 30-70 lbs. on your knees with those activities. Bracing of a joint can also be beneficial in certain situations to support the joint and allow for healing during recovery.

It’s best to speak to your medical provider about these and other options if you are experiencing pain and a loss of function related to a MSK injury or disorder.

FIGUR8: So with all of these non-surgical options available and with the evidence for surgery lacking, what are the factors that lead to the high volumes of procedures that appear to offer little value when compared to non-surgical treatment?

Dr. Oberlander: First off, there should be clear evidence that surgery is beneficial in a significant percentage of patients prior to recommending this treatment option to a patient. The main issue in my opinion is that a lot of patients, as well as some surgeons, prefer a quick fix if one is available.

This should be considered only after a detailed discussion of the risks, alternatives and possible complications of both conservative and operative treatment. Unfortunately, there is often insufficient time for this educational discussion. The end result may be that the patient is unable to fully participate in the shared decision making process.

The US health system additionally favors reimbursement for surgical procedures over medical management, which at times may also play into the decision making process.

Josh Williams: Those are both good points Dr. Oberlander, and I agree. Often, reimbursement dictates clinical care and a recent example of this was the explosion of virtual care as a result of COVID-19. For years, there was evidence of the benefits of virtual care but it wasn’t until the introduction of a billing framework by Medicare and other regulatory bodies that this became a consistent part of care delivery.

And on the topic of quick fixes, diet, exercise and physical therapy can be burdensome and the results are not always quick. Many MSK injuries take weeks or months to fully heal and require a concentrated effort on the part of the injured individual to attend their PT appointments, do their home exercises consistently and often work through pain.

FIGUR8: The BMJ study was an analysis of only randomized, controlled trials (RCT) but there are other ways to assess the effectiveness of medical treatments like case studies, observational analysis and expert opinions. Are randomized, controlled trials the only way that we should be evaluating the effectiveness of orthopedic surgical procedures?

Dr. Oberlander: Randomized controlled trials are one of the best ways to measure the value of medical and surgical treatment but by no means are they without inherent bias as well or the only means of measuring such. In many situations, a RCT with a blinded control group is unethical or impractical for humanitarian or financial reasons. They are also logistically difficult to set up and complete, requiring significant monetary support and human resources.

Josh Williams: RCTs are often held up as the gold standard in research and my training as a physical therapist happened at a time when evidence-based medicine was the predominant theoretical construct. Since then I think we have learned that there are other ways to evaluate medical interventions. Recently with COVID, we have seen real-world evidence inform policy decisions around public health measures or vaccination schedules. One of the drawbacks with RCTs is the ability to recreate the conditions in the real world. Oftentimes people don’t fit the characteristics of the sample size, or can’t fully commit to the intensity of a treatment regime because of other things going on in their lives like work or family commitments. These things are not often considered in the design of a large-scale trial.

FIGUR8: So moving forward what measurements or methodologies do you think we should be using to determine if a surgical or non-surgical treatment was beneficial?

Dr. Oberlander: Utilizing established validated peer reviewed patient reported outcome measures as well as functional outcome measures are the most effective ways to quantitatively and qualitatively assess the beneficial effects of treatment.

Josh Williams: I think that there is also tremendous value in highly accurate and reproducible data solutions like the FIGUR8 platform. This type of applied science will become the standard of care for measurement and data for musculoskeletal conditions. Because the platform is accessible at the point-of-care and deployed in a real-world environment, many of the shortcomings of RCTs are mitigated. The extremely rich data sets, when compiled at scale, will yield tremendous insights and uncover the effectiveness of various treatment approaches to inform a more precise approach to individualized patient care.

Disclaimer: The opinions contained within this interview are that of the participants and should not be considered medical advice. If you are managing a musculoskeletal condition, please speak to your physician or primary care provider about the options available to you.

BOSTON, Mass. — FIGUR8, the med tech startup that’s developed the most advanced wearable musculoskeletal diagnostic decision support technology on the market, today announced the appointment of Scott Sexton as president in a move to support FIGUR8’s growth velocity and execution of the company’s strategic priorities. Sexton joins FIGUR8 from CorVel (NASDAQ:CRVL), one of the largest and most innovative providers of industry-leading risk, healthcare management and workers’ compensation solutions, where he most recently served as senior vice president.

“Scott brings to FIGUR8 30 years of workers’ compensation, casualty, disability and commercial health experience, most recently serving as a market leader for CorVel’s national carrier practice sales team,” said Nan-Wei Gong, CEO and co-founder of FIGUR8. “We are thrilled to welcome Scott to FIGUR8’s leadership team. His experience will be pivotal to FIGUR8’s next phase of growth as we expand our product and program offerings and accelerate expansion plans into strategic markets.”

Today’s announcement comes on the heels of other significant developments for FIGUR8. Earlier this year, the company raised $12 million in Series A financing to address significant customer demand and deployments with major health systems, insurance carriers and Fortune 500 businesses. FIGUR8’s technology drives significant improvements in patient outcomes and lowers re-injury rates while generating significant cost savings for employers, healthcare systems and both commercial health and casualty insurance carriers.

“FIGUR8 has developed a game-changing technology that is bringing precision analytics to the standard musculoskeletal clinical assessment in a way that’s never been done before,” said Scott Sexton, president of FIGUR8. “One of the biggest industry challenges to date has been the lack of codified, accurate and objective data for musculoskeletal injuries. FIGUR8 has pioneered a breakthrough musculoskeletal assessment technology — the first of its kind — that can accurately pinpoint the source and severity of an injury while showing real-time recovery visibility. I am excited to join FIGUR8 as we forge forward in establishing the new standard of care for advancing musculoskeletal health.”

At CorVel, Sexton held a variety of senior leadership roles in sales and business development. He led go-to-market sales strategies with the company’s key partners that included enterprise employers, insurance companies and government agencies. He introduced new technologies to the market — including AI and machine learning driven solutions — to deliver industry-leading results to the marketplace and enhance the managing of episodes of care and the related healthcare costs. In his role at FIGUR8, Sexton will develop and lead the implementation of growth strategies across key industries and markets in musculoskeletal health that FIGUR8 is poised to transform.

More than 1.7 billion people suffer from musculoskeletal conditions, according to the World Health Organization. Musculoskeletal disorders account for one of the largest categories of workplace injuries, accounting for over 50 percent of workers’ compensation costs according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. FIGUR8’s system enables a full musculoskeletal and orthopedic assessment to be conducted in minutes by anyone, anywhere, regardless of technical or clinical expertise. It serves as an objective and scalable point-of-care screening tool (before MRI) to support the diagnostic and treatment decisions regarding soft tissue injuries and recovery.

About FIGUR8
FIGUR8 is creating the most advanced wearable musculoskeletal (MSK) technology on the market. Its powerful, lightweight system combines clinically smart biosensors, intuitive software and AI to improve musculoskeletal health at every point of care — from injury through full recovery. FIGUR8 has developed the first musculoskeletal diagnostics decision support system of its kind that can accurately pinpoint the source and severity of an injury while showing real-time recovery visibility. Powering FIGUR8’s solution is breakthrough technology developed over years by MIT engineers in collaboration with Mass General Brigham clinicians. For more info, visit www.figur8tech.com and follow the company on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Charting a Course for Growth: Scott Sexton Joins FIGUR8 as President, Bringing Extensive Industry Experience and Leadership Acumen

FIGUR8 Appoints Scott Sexton – Former CorVel Executive and Veteran Sales Leader – as President

During my recent conversation with FIGUR8 investor, David Daglio, we talked at length about how the FIGUR8 Platform can improve MSK health.

As an avid athlete at the age of 53, David says he’s injured almost every part of his body. He’s spent a lot of time in rehab and tried everything from physical therapy, to acupuncture, even cryotherapy. He feels that for the most part, most of these modalities work. However, some worked more than others, and if often felt random as to when something would work, and why. Ultimately, the only way of knowing whether something worked was by answering the question, “how do you feel?”

David dislikes that question, especially as a data and analytically driven person. “Pain level is a function of a complex number of factors – what I ate, how I slept, how much coffee or water I’ve been drinking, have I taken any ibuprofen. Also, the data that’s produced from that question takes too long to collect. Even if I was good at answering that question, it would take weeks of therapy before you would start to see a trendline and actually get something measurable.”

David’s been fortunate to work with some of the best physical therapists in the country, but that has taken him considerable time and effort, with likely several misdiagnoses along the way. When he recently tore his hamstring while surfing in Costa Rica, he visited with a couple of surgeons and asked if he needed surgery. Both surgeons told him he did in fact need surgery to repair the muscle.

David then met with two physical therapists. The first said that most people get surgery for this type of injury, but David’s function was better than most, which made him wonder if surgery was actually necessary. The other said he felt confident David would be fine without surgery.

David was encouraged by what the physical therapists told him, but he wanted evidence. He had no data to inform his decision and an image that was inconclusive. “I started to wonder, what if I had a score that could tell me, based on a couple thousand data sets – a couple thousand people with similar injuries – and we could score my muscle function against those that had surgery and those that did not, and as a result we could say there’s a 90% chance of getting full function if you have surgery. There’s only a 20% chance based on your activity today that you improve under physical therapy. I may still choose the PT route, but that’s an informed decision based on data rather than a roll of the dice.”

Aside from the lack of objective data, there’s another issue at play here. The judgement of the surgeon is inherently biased, in that they’ve really only seen patients with poor outcomes – torn hamstrings that haven’t healed. No one that tore their hamstring and healed would end up at a surgical center. They’re out waterskiing. The other issue is surgeons can’t be rockstars at surgery and deciding if someone needs surgery, because there’s inherently a conflict of interest there.

The judgement of the Physical Therapist is also biased because he sincerely believes he can heal you without surgery. We need to remove the bias by evaluating more possible outcomes from larger sets of data.

That’s what ultimately brought David to FIGUR8. He had sprained his ankle a little bit, and as a potential investor, wanted to put the FIGUR8 Platform to the test. He ran through the FIGUR8 Lower Body Assessment, and even after spending the last two years rehabbing the hamstring and scored very low, with flexibility and balance issues, which was shocking after all that physical therapy. Until he was able to look at data, he had no real idea how much that small tweak in his ankle had affected his entire biomechanical chain, including some back pain he was experiencing.

Over the next 6 weeks, David continued to do physical therapy on the ankle and then returned for another assessment. The data showed that the vast majority of issues had cleared up, which was incredibly close to how he was feeling. But without the ability to objectively measure the musculoskeletal health of his lower body, he would be forced to rely solely on how he was feeling to guide his therapy, which could possibly lead to further injury.

Why Feelings Are Poor Indicators of MSK Health

On an individual level, physiological balance is an essential piece of the performance puzzle. For every push, you need a pull.

Streaks are inevitable in sports. It’s part of the appeal as a fan, seeing momentum swing from one team to another. On a micro level, this plays out on a game by game basis. But it also plays out throughout the course of a season, both physically and mentally.

The emotional aspects of balance are obvious. Seasons are long, a lot can happen. Everyone strives for consistency, but we all succumb to human nature and external elements beyond our control. The best teams strive for a culture of equilibrium — never allowing themselves to get too high or too low throughout the course of a season.

Over the past couple of decades, our view of athleticism has evolved. Raw power alone is no longer the ideal. Now, we marvel at athletes who achieve the optimal blend of strength and flexibility. Maintaining finesse is no longer a backhanded compliment, we recognize the value in being able to elegantly maneuver through dynamic situations — think about how Steph Curry operates at point guard for the Golden State Warriors as opposed to the bully ball days of a Tim Hardaway. These types of modern day athletes who dominate sports today have not emerged by mistake, but are the result of deliberate training to achieve elite level status. There’s nuance to achieving this balance, fine tuning small muscles, keeping your hips forward and body aligned as you zig-zag through crowded space. Beyond the performative advantages of balance, there is more awareness to achieving longevity for a career.

Professional teams are investing millions of dollars in their athletes, so they want to ensure they are doing everything in their power to prevent injury. We are in the age of analytics and data. It’s now rare to find a professional franchise in any major sport that does not invest heavily in a performance team as well as a dedicated data and analytics department.

Technology has come to the forefront of helping us objectively define balance. For example, FIGUR8 technology is now providing tremendous value to the sports landscape at all levels, bringing objectivity to quantifying human movement in an accessible manner. Previously, the analysis provided by FIGUR8 was only able to be defined by feel or through overly cumbersome technology. Now, we can gain valuable insights into the biomechanics of an athlete, and quickly identify any potential muscular imbalances. This info then informs training to ensure imbalances are corrected rather than exacerbated. This not only helps improve individual performance, but has much larger long-term implications. Players are smarter today than ever before. They understand the value of their body, and the long-term implications of being able to compete later into their lives. These athletes are embracing technology that provides them with invaluable insights into their most valuable asset: their bodies.

In sports, you never want to waste time worrying about things outside of your control. You will always go through periods of highs and lows. One of the best ways to stay balanced is to maintain a level of objectivity through it all.

The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) Combined Sections Meeting (CSM) held in Boston last week served as a beacon of innovation and collaboration in the field of physical therapy. As the team at FIGUR8, a leader in musculoskeletal health technology, reflected on the event, three key takeaways emerged, shedding light on the future of the profession and the transformative potential of modern technology.

Economic Impact of Physical Therapy

Physical therapists provide undisputed value to individuals in their health journey and toward their quality of life, delivering cost-effective services within the U.S. healthcare system. Collectively, healthier individuals result in a healthier society, which delivers value to individuals, communities, and countries. 

This theme was evident throughout the 2024 APTA CSM conference. Whether it was the signage demonstrating the economic impact for 8 key conditions throughout the entrance to the convention center, sessions focused on the evidence and benefit of physical therapy, or a commitment for attendees to pledge the value of physical therapy demonstrated through the American Physical Therapy Association work.

According to “The Economic Value of Physical Therapy in the United States” published by the American Physical Therapy Association, Physical therapy was found to have a net economic benefit over the alternative treatment for each of the conditions ranging from surgeries, long recoveries, and the risks of overuse of prescribed opioids and other medications. The results in this report demonstrate that, where medically appropriate, more widespread use of the selected physical therapist services would deliver both 

https://images.prismic.io/figur8tech/bd231025-c1fd-4f21-b020-c1e42da9d92f_Economic+Impact+of+Physical+Therapy.png?auto=compress


Embracing Technological Advancements

Another key takeaway from 2024 APTA CSM was the growing emphasis on embracing technological advancements in physical therapy. From virtual reality therapy to wearable sensors, attendees explored a myriad of cutting-edge technologies poised to reshape the landscape of rehabilitation. 

Friday night's “Technopalooza” event was the pinnacle of innovation in physical therapy, where trailblazers in the space shared their technology and best practices in partnership. The bioMotion Assessment Platform, or bMAP, available to FIGUR8 partners stood out as a game-changer in musculoskeletal assessment. 

“We are looking for ways to capture more objective data and the way that you are going about it, removing a lot of the barriers to adoption, is really smart.” - Physical Therapist, APTA CSM Attendee 

By harnessing advanced biomechanics data and machine learning algorithms, FIGUR8 is at the forefront of leveraging technology to enhance patient care and improve outcomes.



Fostering Collaboration and Integration

APTA CSM underscored the importance of fostering collaboration and integration within the physical therapy community. 

Attendees exchanged insights, best practices, and innovative ideas, fostering a spirit of collaboration aimed at advancing the profession. As the healthcare landscape continues to evolve, partnerships between technology providers like FIGUR8 and physical therapy professionals will play a crucial role in improving patient care.


APTA CSM 2024 offered valuable insights and opportunities for reflection on the future of physical therapy. FIGUR8 emerged from the conference with a renewed sense of purpose and commitment to advancing musculoskeletal health through data-driven precision, technological innovation, and collaborative partnerships. As we look ahead, we remain dedicated to empowering clinicians with the tools and insights they need to deliver exceptional care and transform lives.

If you and your team of clinicians are interested in learning more about becoming FIGUR8 enabled reach out to info@FIGUR8tech.com or visit our website, FIGUR8tech.com 

A review of the 2024 APTA CSM event in Boston, Massachusetts by Innovator Josh Williams, MBA MScPT

Unveiling the Top 3 Insights from 2024 APTA CSM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dg20pIkkzh8

Watch the video above and tell me what you see. It’s not very long and you might not know what to look for, or what’s even important. But ask an expert clinician and they might tell you that they see the following:

Thighs fully supported on chair, pelvis in posterior tilt, thoracic kyphosis.

Excessive trunk flexion to move center of mass over new base of support (feet)

Pauses during lift-off prior to hip and knee extension

Tibias translate anterior over feet

End of Movement

Stable base of support and no balance reactions observed in standing position

Hips and knees flexed and anterior to ankles/feet

Now what do you do with those observations? What is important, what can be changed, and how can progress even be monitored? Like the quote above from Clay Christensen, to answer these questions we rely on highly-trained and expensive professionals, that through education and experience have developed insights as to what might be important, what works and doesn’t work and how to describe change over time.

A professional’s database is limited by their experience. If there has not been the same intensity of training and experimentation to develop the pattern recognition skills required to deliver effective treatment, then the results will be sub-optimal. And this is exactly what we see – variability in care and outcomes across professional groups, geographies, and provider networks.

Those 8 observations above were provided by an expert clinician who was able to view the 16-second video clip a number of times to come up with the data that would inform the approach to treatment. Would a novice clinician be able to identify the same points of interest and deliver similar observations, either in scale or scope. Not likely; perhaps they would be able to note two or three points of interest and an observation at one point in time about each.

But movement is not a discrete activity, it is the interplay of a complex system of neurological inputs, joint motion and muscle outputs. And yet, providers continue to rely on static measures of movement, like range of motion and manual muscle tests, that are not evaluated during dynamic movement or over time. MSK health requires a more continuous set of biomarkers to understand deficiencies.

Imagine a tool that would allow any provider, from novice to expert, to capture time series data during functional activities from multiple segments and in multiple dimensions. That is the value of FIGUR8. Not only does a provider get access to the legacy metrics that they currently use as part of their physical exam, like range of motion, in addition they can view so much more data – thanks to the technology embedded within FIGUR8’s hardware, which can deliver over 4000 discrete data points per second.

That amount of data can seem overwhelming to a group that has been used to capturing only 3-8 observations during a movement analysis but it is the simplicity of the FIGUR8 platform that takes that high level of volume and converts it into easy to understand and clinically meaningful metrics. For example, a sit-to-stand evaluation delivers metrics on muscle output, including timing, amplitude and duration of muscle contraction, like in the graphs below.
https://images.prismic.io/figur8tech/ZiubQvPdc1huK3fS_quantum-leap-1.png?auto=format,compress
This raw output can then be summarized to evaluate symmetry between the left and right lower extremities, or between the agonist and antagonist muscle groups at different phases of the movement, like in the graphs below.
https://images.prismic.io/figur8tech/ZiubOfPdc1huK3fR_quantum-leap-2.png?auto=format,compress
It is a quantum leap from the generalized observations of an expert clinician, and just like the simplicity of our visualizations, the FIGUR8 software and mobile app is purpose fit to be deployed by providers in any setting. Now the solution can be delivered in more places at a lower cost, making expertise more accessible to a larger segment of the population and begin to meet the unfulfilled promise outlined in Christensen’s quote.

Revolutionizing Health Monitoring: Harnessing Movement Pattern Recognition to Unlock a Million-Dimensional Health Landscape

Movement pattern recognition – a quantum leap from half a dozen points of interest to over a million data points

A new startup created by a former Google research and development lead and researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Lab and Massachusetts General Hospital’s Sports Science Lab wants to take things in a new direction.

Figur8’s sensors can track body movement with astonishing levels of accuracy

A 2023 study of 60 participants demonstrated a clear set of physiologic biomarkers to indicate whether or not an individual could be classified as suffering from low back pain. 

This study, and many like it, are the foundation of a set of reliable indicators of musculoskeletal (MSK) health based on objective measure.

30 healthy and 30 pain participants were included in the study and among the 72 biomarkers evaluated, four were identified as key due to their high reliability and validity.

Technologies that are available at any point-of-care, like the FIGUR8 solution, are now available to providers across the globe to ensure biomarker assessment is part of any physical health exam.

The Power of Movement Biomarkers in low back pain patients

Hundreds of millions of lives are affected daily by non-specific chronic low back pain, often leading to significant impairment and reduced quality of life. Receiving the right care at the right time for pain management can be complex, as the pathway to recovery often requires the support of multiple stakeholders in the healthcare ecosystem.

So how do they all ensure the best possible outcome for each pain patient's recovery? By understanding the health of the individual under care.

Identifying reliable musculoskeletal (MSK) biomarkers, or more specifically objective measures of health, allows providers and case management teams to differentiate between patients with pain and those that are healthy quickly and efficiently. This ability to objectively understand MSK health based on physiologic measures can revolutionize diagnosis, treatment, and patient management. 

While it is possible to use clinical information from a visual assessment to inform you that someone suffers from chronic low back pain, as well as what their treatment should be, this type of knowledge is often subjective and not valuable as a reliable indicator of pain and function for the individual whose health is being assessed.

This overview of a 2023 study by Moissenet, Armand, and Genevay offers significant insights into this quest to understand MSK health by providing a robust evaluation of 72 movement biomarkers to determine their efficacy in distinguishing between pain and healthy populations.

Key Findings: Reliable and Valid Movement Biomarkers

After consolidating existing knowledge on movement biomarkers by assessing their reliability, validity and interpretability, the team at Geneva University Hospitals and the University of Geneva was able to identify four key biomarkers that demonstrated scientifically significant reliability and validity as clear indicators of pain versus health.

Below are details on the four biomarkers that were highly reliable and showed significant differences between the healthy and pain groups. All of these biomarkers were collected in the sagittal plane.

Maximum Lumbar Angle: This measures the maximum angle achieved highlighting the extent of lumbar flexion or extension.

Lumbar Angle Range of Motion (ROM): This captures the total movement range reflecting flexibility and mobility.

Mean Lumbar Angular Velocity: This measures the average speed of lumbar movement, providing insights into the dynamics of spinal motion.

Maximal Upper Lumbar Angle during Trunk Bending: This focuses on the upper lumbar region's movement during bending, indicating specific segmental mobility.

These four biomarkers showed higher values in healthy participants compared to pain patients in general, suggesting that decreased lumbar movement could be a characteristic of chronic low back pain.