Kaia Health, maker of digital therapeutics for musculoskeletal (MSK) care and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), is partnering with Luna On-Demand Physical Therapy to offer in-person services to complement its digital options.

The collaboration will allow eligible Kaia members to schedule in-person physical therapy appointments in their home or at their workplace. They can also use the same therapist at each appointment, which the companies said will improve continuity of care between Kaia’s digital offerings and in-person care.

“This partnership represents a major leap forward in our mission to make high-quality care accessible to all patients – wherever they are in their journey – and deliver the best outcomes,” Kaia Health CEO and founder Konstantin Mehl said in a statement.

“Partnering with Luna furthers our lead in the MSK market and extends our human-centered, digitally enabled approach to managing MSK conditions.”

WHY IT MATTERS

Around 1.71 billion people have musculoskeletal conditions worldwide, according to data compiled by the World Health Organization. A study published earlier this year in Pain found one in five American adults experience chronic pain, costing nearly $300 billion annually in lost productivity. 

Kaia and Luna are positioning their partnership as a way to expand access to care, particularly for patients who may have better outcomes with the addition of in-person therapy.

“While Kaia Health digital therapy is the best, most accessible MSK pain solution for the vast majority of patients, some with recent orthopedic trauma, for example, will benefit from in-person physical therapy to significantly improve chances for a positive outcome and avoid surgery,” said Kim Clarno, director of clinical experience at Kaia Health, in a statement.

THE LARGER TREND

Kaia’s new partnership comes about six months after it announced it had raised $75 million in Series C funding. The latest round built upon a $26 million Series B from June 2020. 

Virtual MSK care is a growing focus in digital health. Last week, Hinge Health announced it had raised a whopping $600 million in new investments, including a $400 million Series E round and a $200 million secondary investment to acquire ownership. The company has also announced two acquisitions this year: pain relief wearable Enso and computer vision tech developer wrnch. 

In mid-October, digital therapeutic company DarioHealth launched its own virtual physical therapy and MSK condition platform called Dario Move.

Other players in the space include SWORD Health, which recently bought a company that makes a wearable aimed at reducing workplace injuries, and Omada Health, which stepped into MSK care last year when it acquired Physera.