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The Pain Perspective

From Insight to Impact in Chronic Pain Care

The future of chronic pain care is not about inventing something new.
It’s about making proven, conservative, whole-person care easier to access, easier to sustain, and easier to trust.
Patients want it, clinicians believe in it, and physicians support it – but system barriers still get in the way.

Three Perspectives. One Shared Reality.

Millions of Americans live with chronic pain, but too many struggle to find care that truly works.
The Pain Perspective was created to uncover what people living with pain want most from their care and where today’s healthcare system falls short.
The results are clear: patients want solutions that go beyond symptom management. They want care that improves function, addresses the whole person, and helps them reclaim their quality of life.
At Confluent Health, that’s exactly what our PT-first, evidence-based approach is designed to deliver.

Patients

Who they are:

  • Majority age 55 and older
  • 97% have current or past chronic pain
  • Represent long-term MSK conditions, not short-term injuries

Why their voice matters:

Patients live inside the system every day. Their experience defines whether care works or fails.

MSK Clinicians

Who they are:

  • Physical therapists and MSK-focused clinicians
  • Represent diverse practice settings
  • Treat high volumes of chronic pain patients

Why their voice matters:
Clinicians translate science into real-life care.

Referring Physicians

Who they are:

  • Physicians referring patients for MSK pain care
  • Active in multimodal pain decision-making

Why their voice matters:

Physicians influence access, timing, and pathways

Fitness, weights and senior man in gym for workout, training and cardio exercise for healthy body. Retirement, sports and person with dumbbell equipment for wellness, muscle strength and mobility.

For Patients

Most people in our survey said chronic pain affects far more than just the body: It impacts movement, sleep, confidence, and daily life. Better pain care starts with support that treats the whole person, not just the symptoms.
 
 
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Old woman training with physiotherapist using dumbbells at home. Therapist assisting senior woman with exercises in nursing home. Elderly patient using dumbbells with outstreched arms in a physical therapy session in clinic.

For MSK Industry Professionals

Confluent Health’s 2025 MSK Industry Survey found strong alignment across patients, clinicians, and physicians around conservative, movement-based, whole-person care — yet only 42% of patients feel optimistic about managing pain long-term, compared with 94% of clinicians who feel optimistic about the future of chronic pain management.

Explore the Findings

Access the Full MSK Industry Survey Report

A comprehensive look at the future of chronic pain care—based on perspectives from patients, clinicians, and healthcare leaders. 

Download the Full Report