What is really needed is primary prevention to minimize injury risk. Current pool equipment was designed for people who were 5' 6" tall and drove Model -T cars to the poolhall, and is about as anti-ergonomic as can be imagined. Mitigating the inherent risk in playing the game would be difficult. However, speaking as someone who abandoned pool 15 years ago due to neck and back issues and recently returned to the game as a septuagenarian , I do think the game could be accessible to more people with some adaptations. Such as...
1. Get the playing surface off of the floor. 29 inches is way too low. Snooker tables are huge, but the surface is at 34". 36-38" for pool perhaps.
2. Develop offset cues (drop of a few inches at the joint). I know some of these exist, and they would greatly facilitate a more upright stance while allowing a pendulum stroke.
3. Shadow-free lighting. Diminish eyestrain and time spent craning your neck. Perimeter lighting is a good recent innovation, but still room for improvement.
4. Change the way pool is taught. I recently saw a Youtube video of Mark Wilson and Jerry Brieseth instruction. Their upright stances are less likely to cause injury, so it can be done. Sustained forward bending with locked knees is commonly taught, but decidedly non-ergonomic.
5. Better bridging tools, and not stigmatizing those who use them.
Better to prevent, or at least minimize risk, than to deal with the outcome.