Chronic Pain and RS-4i® Plus in the VA, by the Numbers
The Veterans Health Administration (VA) is America’s largest integrated healthcare system, serving over nine million Veterans each year. Practitioners who practice in any of the 1,380+ facilities know that each is an extremely busy place.
And data reveals some of the reasons for this. Of the nearly 58 million 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% of Veterans receiving care at VA facilities are affected by chronic pain, and that severe pain is 40% greater in Veterans than non-Veterans.
For years, opioids were the simple answer – prescribed as the default go-to pain treatment by thousands of healthcare providers. By now, however, it is glaringly evident that drugs were not the best choice.
While the number of Veterans receiving long-term opioid medications decreased by 71% between 2012 and 2023, there still are over 160,000 receiving this treatment. Some of these Veterans may also suffer diagnoses that include PTSD, depression and traumatic brain injury.
If not opioids, is PT the answer?
A closer look at the VA patient appointments from 2016 reveals that a staggering 33.6 million were musculoskeletal related. This insight can help direct practitioners toward the most effective treatment options for this type of pain, which experts say include physical therapy and self-managed care.
The VA recommends that better relief from chronic pain can be found when medications and invasive interventions are combined with or even replaced by active rehabilitation and education approaches. The American Physical Therapy Association writes that physical therapy has “been underutilized, and, therefore, can serve as a primary strategy to reducing prescription pain medication abuse and improving the lives of individuals with chronic pain.”
But the unfortunate reality is that physical therapy appointments at the VA may still be in short supply. That’s because the VA in In 2025, Physical Therapists treated over 829,000 unique patients within the VA, accounting for approximately 3.88 million total encounters.
So what readily available self-care options do VA providers have to get Veterans the pain relief they need?
The RS-4i Plus is relief, right at home
One prescription-strength treatment that has proven useful for chronic pain care is the RS-4i Plus. This self-managed electrotherapy device, which is much more powerful than any standard TENS unit, uniquely combines high-frequency Interferential therapy (IFT) and neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) into a single session called Intersperse. In this way, it can relieve pain, increase blood flow, and reduce muscle spasms safely and effectively within the same 35-minute session.
But here are the facts that matter most:
45% drop in pain for half of patients. On a pain scale of 0-10, this represents a reduction from 7.22 to 3.89. Patients also report a 38% drop in pain interfering with activity.
6+ hours of pain relief for 35% of patients. This corresponds with a 38% drop in pain interfering with sleep. Poor sleep can lead to diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease.
The RS-4i Plus, available to the VA on FSS contract, is an alternative to opioids that is safe, effective and – while scientifically advanced – still simple to use. This operational simplicity, combined with wearable garments designed to aid proper electrode placement for back treatments, leads to increased patient compliance and improved outcomes.
The device is also a convenient option that can eliminate extra trips to the VA – something that’s good for patients and healthcare providers alike.
A Closer Look at the RS-4i Plus
The RS-4i Plus is an advanced home-use electrotherapy device that combines high frequency (5000 Hz) Interferential Therapy (IFT) for long-lasting pain relief, with Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation (NMES) for muscle rehabilitation. Patented Intersperse technology delivers both IFT and NMES during the same, uninterrupted treatment session. This excites the body’s natural beta-endorphin production to relieve pain for up to 8 hours, and provides rehabilitative muscle therapy that reduces muscle spasms, increases circulation and prevents disuse atrophy.
Take the Next Step
Healthcare Practitioners
If you are interested in a more detailed review of the RS-4i Plus mechanisms of action and clinical evidence, we invite you to request a demonstration.
Patients
The RS-4i Plus requires a prescription. If you are interested in discussing this drug-free pain relief solution with your healthcare practitioner, download our patient discussion guide to help start a conversation.