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While a device manufacturer may claim to be “high frequency,” it’s a label that doesn’t mean much without scientific context. What’s important is the waveform, and its ability to overcome skin resistance and penetrate to where the actual pain resides. Let’s look at the science behind the RS-4i Plus to get a better sense of how it treats pain – and what makes it different.
Read MoreElectrotherapy can seem complicated sometimes, even for experienced medical professionals. Which is why Dr. Gil Hager, a chronic pain specialist who recently retired from the VA, agreed to sit down with RS Medical to talk about his success treating Veterans with the RS-4i Plus – and specifically why he depended on it as a viable treatment option for so many patients.
Read MoreFor podiatrists working in the VA health system, diabetic neuropathy is among the most urgent and difficult diagnoses to treat. Diabetes affects nearly 25 percent of the VA’s patient population. It impacts nearly all areas of a person’s health and, particularly troubling, it’s also the leading cause of amputation. See the ways in which the RS-4i® Plus Sequential Stimulator can aid in treatment for diabetic neuropathy, as well as other painful foot and lower leg conditions.
Read MoreA concern for healthcare providers is identifying non-opioid treatment options that help patients manage chronic pain effectively. The most desirable choices should be fast acting, so patients begin getting pain relief as quickly as possible, and long lasting – optimally 6 hours or more. Of the options, one that may provide some of the longest-lasting, non-invasive relief is Interferential Therapy (INF). This non-invasive treatment goes to work quickly and provides long-term relief. In fact, many patients report pain relief that lasts for extended periods.
Read MoreResearch from the VA has delivered yet another a reality check for healthcare providers who are considering increased opioid doses for patients with chronic pain. Recent analysis shows that patients who received increasing doses of pain medication did not have meaningful reductions in their pain when compared against patients whose doses remained the same.
Read MoreIt became difficult for Daniel to hold his grandson or partake in any of the activities he enjoyed before neck and back pain became unbearable. He had a cervical spine laminectomy to address the pain. He also tried pain medication, a TENS unit and an H-Wave® stimulator – but nothing adequately curbed the pain, so he continued to seek treatment options. However, once prescribed the RS-4i Plus, Daniel’s quality of life improved significantly.
Read MoreRecent VA research offers some good news for soldiers living with chronic pain. Analysis shows that service members who receive non-drug therapies – which include TENS electrotherapy – as part of their pain treatment plans may have lower long-term risks for alcohol and drug disorders, as well as self-induced injuries. In fact, those who received non-drug therapies were 35 percent less likely to injure themselves than those who didn’t receive such therapies while in the service.
Read MoreMultiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease affecting nearly 1 million people in the U.S today. While the underlying cause is not well understood, genetic susceptibility and abnormalities in the immune system, as well as unknown environmental factors, are believed to be triggers. Though there is no cure for MS, there are a variety of therapeutic options – including drug therapies, physical therapy, acupuncture, yoga and electrotherapy.
Read MoreWhile healthcare providers may differ on which assessment tool(s) are best, there is widespread acknowledgement that the effective treatment of pain relies upon accurate and detailed assessments occurring at regular intervals – including after pain relief interventions. This is why any patient prescribed an RS-4i Plus® has been asked to complete a baseline survey establishing their pain and activity levels before treatment. Then 30 days into treatment, this is followed by a second survey – resulting in the ability to compare scores and document changes.
Read MoreWhat Traci’s healthcare provider originally thought to be arthritis, turned out to be nothing of the sort. X-rays revealed that she was actually suffering from a pinched nerve. Now using the RS-4i Plus device, she’s feeling much better. After about two weeks, she noticed a significant improvement – with her pain dropping from a six to a two, on a 10-point pain scale.
Read MoreFor patients living with central sensitization, the nervous system goes through a process known as a “wind-up” and devolves into a constant state of high reactivity. This heightened state lowers the threshold for what causes pain and subsequently comes to maintain pain even after its source, whether an injury or illness, is no longer present. The result is it takes almost nothing for these patients to experience severe pain.
Read MoreThis shift away from just treating the pain toward a model that treats the whole person is rooted in a growing trend called patient-centered care – what the VA calls Whole Health. While this change may seem strange at first, it offers patients more options and increased independence for managing chronic conditions. Treatments that can be self-managed – during the day or especially at night – allow patients to get the necessary pain relief in their actual moments of need.
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