Acute and chronic pain is the primary reason acting service members and Veterans seek healthcare services. RS Medical uses the DVRPS to formulate its assessments of patients because it represents the most up-to-date and targeted tool for Veterans to accurately represent their pain and activity level.

While 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.

Recent 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.

Research 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.

The VA continues to be a leader in the national effort to reduce opioid prescribing, as well as an important champion for the utilization of non-drug treatments in pain management programs. Now it’s sharing results that show these combined efforts are having success in improving well-being for Veterans living with chronic pain.

Pain. It affects 100 million American adults each year and costs $560-$635 billion annually according to the Journal of Pain. This estimate is based on the costs attributable to treating pain, plus lost and reduced worker productivity.

RS Medical has data from 26,800+ patients showing that 84% experience pain relief after 30 days of using the RS-4i® Plus. Using numbers from the Journal of Pain, this reduction amounts to over $100 million in savings.

The RS-4i Plus is not only an effective treatment option, it can help organizations save money in the long-run.

Of the nearly 58 million VA patient appointments in 2016, pain was the most common medical condition requiring treatment. This sobering fact is not all that surprising given that more than 50 percent of Veterans receiving care are affected by chronic pain.

One prescription-strength treatment that has proven useful for chronic pain care at the VA is the RS-4i Plus. This self-managed electrotherapy device, which works less like a TENS unit and more like in-clinic systems, can relieve pain, increase blood flow, and reduce muscle spasms safely and effectively within the same 35-minute session.

Take a look at the numbers that show the impact.