James Regains his Mobility with the RS-4i® Plus
James originally injured his back while serving on a military deployment in Kosovo and has suffered from low back pain ever since.
“When that happened, I couldn’t move,” says James. “The pain was totally disabling.”
Most Therapies Only Helped Temporarily
He sought treatment at the VA, and he was prescribed muscle relaxants and pain medication. When those proved largely ineffective and left him feeling drugged up, he tried physical therapy and chiropractic sessions. Those treatments provided better pain relief – but he found it was only temporary.
Another treatment provided by the VA was a TENS unit, but James found that ineffectual as well. “It felt like it was pinching the skin,” he says. “It didn’t have any depth to it.”
Finding a Treatment More Powerful than a TENS Unit
“This device is powerful,” says James.
The pain-relieving signal produced by the RS-4i Plus is indeed more powerful than most devices — operating at frequency of 5,000 Hz. Comparatively, traditional TENS units operate at frequencies of 50 Hz or less. At 50 Hz, the skin presents significant electrical resistance of 3,200 ohms. As a result, low-frequency stimulation can only affect surface-level tissues and cannot penetrate into deeper layers. This is what causes the common sensation of “pinching” when using lower frequency devices. When the frequency is increased to 5,000 Hz, the skin’s resistance drops dramatically – to 32 ohms. This reduction enables the signal to travel deeper and more comfortably into the tissue, reaching the area proximal to the nerves causing pain.
“Using this device, my pain goes down from a 9 to a 2 or a 1,” he says.
In addition, the RS-4i Plus also offers muscle therapy in the form of Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation (NMES). Acting on both fast-twitch and slow-twitch muscle fibers, the RS-4i Plus can elicit a maximal muscle contraction – which expels metabolic waste and supplies a flow of oxygen and nutrient-rich blood to the muscles.
“I’m thoroughly impressed that it digs deep to make the muscles really respond and relax,” says Seth .
A Road Trip Proved the Value of the RS-4i Plus
Just how bad James’ pain could get became clear when he was on a road trip from North Dakota to Las Vegas. He and his family made an overnight stop in Provo, and the next morning he woke with back pain so severe that he was unable to get out of bed.
“I tried for four hours to get moving,” says James. “It was like a knife gashed through my spine.”
Luckily, with him on the trip was the RS-4i Plus, which he had gotten from the VA only a few weeks earlier. He applied it on his back and started the Intersperse treatment, which intermixes pain relieving Interferential Therapy and NMES Muscle Therapy. During this treatment, pain relief signals are delivered during the relax period of muscle stimulation – giving the patient a repeating pattern of intermittent contraction, then pain relief, then contraction.
“After 15 minutes, the pain went away and I could finally sit up,” he says. “I was able to get dressed, and we were able to get back on the road.”
A Tool to Get Back on Track
James now uses the RS-4i Plus regularly as part of his complete therapy regimen. When his back gets bad, the RS-4i Plus is the tool that gets everything going in the right direction again.
Looking back on the incident in Provo, James is grateful that he had the RS-4i Plus. He’s also still amazed how well and how quickly the device worked on his severe pain.
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.
The Proof is in the Numbers
We’ve collected data from over 30,000 patients and the profound results speak for themselves:
84% of patients experience pain relief.
73% of patients get relief that lasts over 2 hours.
45% of patients experience a 50% reduction in pain.
*Data was collected from over 30,000 patients by RS Medical representatives in-person and over the phone. The assessment questions used have been adapted from the Defense & Veterans Pain Rating Scale (DVPRS).
Take the Next Step
Healthcare Practitioners
If you are interested 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.