The Hidden Cost of Pain (and the value of not ignoring it)

Every HR leader and benefits professional recognizes that musculoskeletal (MSK) pain—chronic or otherwise—ripples throughout an organization: impacting well-being, productivity, engagement, and bottom lines. But what if the real costs are even greater than what shows up on your balance sheets?

That question was at the heart of the Peer to Peer Panel: The Hidden Cost of Pain (and the value of not ignoring it) at Hinge Health’s annual conference, Movement 2025. The session aimed to help employers rethink how they evaluate digital health solutions—and uncover the hidden value that often goes unnoticed.

Setting the Stage—and Intentions

As Dr. Cynthia Castro Sweet shared, the journey toward real value starts before vendor selection. “Think about value before you choose your vendors, and it usually starts with thinking about your internal stakeholders’ expectations of what vendor performance and value should look like.”

Panelists agreed: Defining clear objectives and outcomes early in the process is essential, not only for maximizing ROI but also for ensuring employee needs aren’t overlooked. “It’s so important to have defined clear objectives before you start looking for vendors,” echoed Olga Mata, Account Executive at Lockton Companies.

Tailor Evaluation to Unlock Meaningful Results

Forget cookie-cutter metrics. The panel emphasized that every employer has a unique culture, set of needs, and member population. “There is no one right evaluation formula for every vendor that you work with,” Dr. Castro Sweet reminded attendees. “It really is important to create a tailored approach…you'll get more value, more information, and insights out of those vendors.”

For Cindy Dusel at Ulta Beauty, this means focusing on the problem first: “We always ask what are we solving for, so once you know that, you can then decide how you're gonna measure success.” Some outcomes—like a reduction in claims data or associate engagement—speak volumes, but require close alignment with program goals.

Olga Mata also highlighted integration and data-driven results: “Integration with your current HR systems and tools is always important. Ensure vendors can provide clear, actionable data on engagement outcomes and ROI.” Running pilot programs, panelists agreed, gives valuable real-world feedback before a full rollout.

Pain Doesn’t Travel Alone: The Value of a Holistic Approach

Chronic pain rarely exists in a vacuum. “Your population will have overlap in the chronic conditions that your members are managing, and that overlap should inform how you’re choosing and how you’re evaluating your vendors,” Dr. Castro Sweet explained.

Consider this: Among people who experience depression, 65% will also experience chronic pain¹—and for those with chronic pain, up to 50% will also experience depression.² The implication? The right digital health solutions can break these cycles, improving both physical and mental health.

For employers like Ulta Beauty, a holistic approach yields the best results. “We focused on the younger female population, but what about the aging associate who needs menopause support?” asked Dusel.

For employers like Ulta Beauty, a holistic approach yields the best results. “We focused on the younger female population, but what about the aging associate who needs menopause support?” asked Dusel. 

“We could push her to Hinge Health for pelvic floor support or our mental health provider for anxiety or depression. We want to make sure we’re supporting all stages of an associate’s health journey.”

Beyond the Bottom Line: Measuring What Matters

While hard-dollar ROI is critical, the panel urged attendees not to dismiss softer metrics. Employee feedback, engagement, and culture all have powerful financial consequences.

“Our members who are engaged with Hinge Health have self-reported through surveys that they have seen an improvement in their mental health,” Dusel shared. “When we hear good feedback, we know that they're just feeling better in general.”

Turnover, for instance, brings a tangible price tag. “It can cost up to a full year's salary just to replace one employee if you think about the effort, the offload on other people, it's really expensive," Dr. Castro Sweet pointed out.

The Stakes Are Higher Than You Think

The hidden cost of ignoring pain is not only emotional or cultural. Just look at the numbers: One study found that there’s up to $62 billion in productivity loss and missed work days from joint pain alone.³ Every manager knows when an employee is in pain, they’re not at their best. 

“When they do come in with pain, I just think about myself when I'm in pain, man, I'm irritable, and they're probably not gonna give the guests that great experience,” Dusel confided.

Human-Centered Solutions: A Path Forward

What’s the real return on investment? For the panelists, it’s about a healthier, happier workforce—one that’s empowered, resilient, and recognizes their employer’s support. Success comes down to strategic alignment, robust evaluation, and remembering that the most important metrics are sometimes the ones you don’t see on a spreadsheet.

Interested in learning more and shaping the future of employee health? Don’t miss your chance to be part of Movement 2026. Sign up now for early registration updates and join a community committed to making invisible value—and healthier workplaces—a reality.