Musculoskeletal company Hinge Health and menopause company Midi Health launched a partnership Tuesday to support women going through menopause.
San Francisco-based Hinge Health serves payers and employers and provides physical therapy for the neck, upper back, shoulders, elbows, lower back and more. Patients receive a care team, including physical therapists, health coaches and physicians. In May, Hinge Health began offering movement-based menopause support for those with musculoskeletal and pelvic health conditions. Patients receive guidance from physical therapists and coaches, exercise support, lifestyle strategies and education. The program is meant to relieve menopause symptoms like hot flashes, joint and muscle pain and pelvic floor disorders.
Through the new partnership with Midi Health, Hinge Health members receiving the movement-based menopause support can also access clinical care from Midi Health (as long as they’re in-network with Midi). The Palo Alto, California-based company is a virtual clinic for women ages 35 to 65 and supports them during the perimenopause and menopause stages. It treats women for mental health challenges, body changes, hot flashes, sleep problems and painful sex, among other conditions. It offers medications, supplements, lifestyle coaching and 24/7 messaging.
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“Joint pain and bone loss are two of the common symptoms women experience in peri/menopause, however, these symptoms are often overlooked by medical providers as being connected to menopause,” said Joanna Strober, Midi Health CEO, in an email. “By combining our strengths, we’re able to partner with Hinge Health to provide women with a solution to address this common women’s health experience with both their movement-based therapy and through Midi, access to clinical care with prescription medications.”
The companies declined to share the financial model of the partnership.
About 71% of those going through menopause battle joint and muscle pain. This pain is often caused by the decline in estrogen during menopause. Recognizing this, the University of Central Florida School of Medicine created the term musculoskeletal syndrome of menopause and said it’s important for clinicians to be aware of this terminology.
“We’re seeing growing recognition of the wide range of symptoms women experience during menopause, which often leads to delayed treatment or the need to consult multiple providers,” said Arielle Slam, principal product manager of women’s health at Hinge Health, in an email.
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Ultimately, the companies aim to expand access to holistic menopause care, they said.
“So often, menopause is viewed in a silo as something that causes mild hot flashes and night sweats, when in reality, the estrogen depletion that comes with menopause affects the whole body,” Strober said. “By joining forces with Hinge Health, our goal is to enhance awareness that women deserve a solution to support them through the 34+ symptoms of menopause. They don’t have to suffer in silence — there are really great care modalities that can support women through peri/menopause and our goal is to increase accessibility of that treatment.”
Other companies that treat musculoskeletal conditions include Sword Health and Kaia Health, while other menopause companies include Gennev and Evernow.
Photo: kate_sept2004, Getty Images