Employers spend over $800 billion annually on health benefits for their workers. And surprisingly, the largest single driver of that spending isn't cancer or heart disease — it's back pain and other musculoskeletal disorders (MSK). Treating MSK costs employers $52 per month per enrollee, on average, according to an analysis from United Healthcare, the nation's largest private insurer. Cancer, moles and other tumorous growths collectively account for $43 per enrollee per month, and chronic circulatory conditions also cost $43 per enrollee per month.

Fortunately, employers can dramatically reduce this spending while improving both the quality of care and relief from pain their employees receive.

I'm chief of physiatry at the Hospital for Special Surgery, which cares for more patients with orthopedic injuries and conditions than any facility in the country. My specialty focuses on the evaluation and treatment of patients with spine and sports-related problems. And having worked with countless patients who were sick of trying ineffective treatments, I've seen firsthand how raising........

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