Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Covers Innovative, Non-Surgical Treatment For Members With Knee, Low Back Pain

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts ("Blue Cross") today launched a pilot program to offer members suffering from knee and low back pain an at-home treatment device designed to reduce pain and improve quality of life. The pilot entails eligible members using AposTherapy® in conjunction with physical therapy visits, and is intended to show AposTherapy®  treatment's ability to prevent knee surgery and reduce lower back pain by improving members' walking patterns. 

Originally developed by experts in orthopedics and sports medicine, the AposTherapy® foot worn device is FDA cleared for treating knee osteoarthritis and can help patients with other musculoskeletal conditions, such as hip and lower back pain, improving quality of life. AposTherapy® addresses the underlying causes of the pain by shifting pressure from the painful area of the knee and provides long lasting neuromuscular effect by re-educating muscles for a healthier walking pattern, even when not wearing the device.  Participating Blue Cross members will wear the shoes for about an hour a day, while also attending several physical therapy sessions and using a gait mat to calibrate the shoes and provide clinical outcome data.

"We know many of our members suffer with knee, hip and low back pain, and they want surgery to be a last resort," said Bruce Nash, MD, chief physician executive at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts. "Clinical studies of the AposTherapy® device have shown promising results, including significant pain relief, improved function and quality of life. Use of the device has also been shown to reduce the use of opioids and reducing the likelihood of surgery, so we want to give our members the opportunity to try it if they're interested."

The first step in treatment involves evaluating the member's walk on a computerized gait analyzer. Specially trained physical therapists then attach the right-sized devices to the shoe in a personalized manner to re-align the patient's knees, hips, and back.

"Apos Therapy doesn't just treat the symptoms of pain, it treats the causes of pain – without painkillers or invasive procedures or requiring patients to change their daily routines," said Dr. Cliff Bleustein, global CEO and president of AposTherapy. "By improving body mechanics and muscular coordination, AposTherapy has been shown to relieve pain and improve daily function and quality of life."

More than 70,000 patients worldwide have been treated with AposTherapy® and satisfaction surveys have found that as many as 98% of patients would recommend it to friends and family.