5 Reasons to Use the RS-4i® Plus for Sciatic Pain Treatment
Sciatica is a fairly common chronic back condition, affecting up to 40 percent of the population. While many cases resolve favorably, research suggests that roughly 1 in 4 patients will have persistent problems.
Conventional treatment leans toward non-surgical options first – relying on clinic-based methods such as physical therapy, therapeutic injections and some alternative therapies. Yet healthcare providers are realizing that it’s beneficial for patients to have treatments that can be managed independently, too, especially at times when in-clinic intervention is unavailable.
While OTC medications may provide a partial answer, another ideal choice for sciatica treatment at home is electrotherapy with the RS-4i Plus. Not only is it non-invasive and non-opioid, it’s proven to be an effective tool for many patients – and it could be especially useful for those who find that their sciatic pain lingers.
If it’s not included among the at-home options for your patients who need sciatica nerve pain treatment, here are 5 reasons why you should be considering it:
1. Wider & Deeper Treatment Area
The RS-4i Plus offers Interferential therapy (IFT), which uses 2 slightly different high-frequency signals (>5000 Hz) that intersect within the body to create an area of interference – a “sweet spot” in the treatment area where the therapeutic benefit is most pronounced. (Image A)
To expand this therapeutic sweet spot, the signals from the RS-4i Plus are also premodulated – meaning that the current for each channel is pre-mixed within the device. Using pre-mixed signals allows the area of interference to stretch between each set of electrodes, not just where signals intersect. The result is that premodulated IFT provides a significantly wider area of pain relief. (Image B).
While premodulation is what enables the RS-4i Plus to treat a broader area, it’s the device’s high-frequency signal that allows it to go deeper.
A high-frequency signal can more easily overcome skin’s natural resistance and penetrate deep into the tissue – hyper-stimulating A-beta nerve fibers in an effort to close the pain gates (Gate Control Theory of Pain) and prevent pain signals from reaching the brain.
In additional to blocking pain signals, high-frequency Interferential therapy offers a secondary benefit of releasing enkephalins – tiny molecules produced by the central nervous system and the pituitary gland that inhibit the communication of pain signals. The 35 minutes of high-frequency tissue stimulation is thought to provoke the brain into this release, which results in fast-acting but short-lived pain relief that generally lasts about an hour.
2. Muscle Therapy
While the RS-4i Plus provides some of the most advanced pain treatment available from a home-use device, that’s not the extent of its capabilities. It also has programs that deliver neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) to facilitate muscle rehabilitation. And here, too, the signals are more sophisticated.
The device’s NMES waveform has two primary characteristics: Small, sharp points that represent short bursts of stimulation, and wider, square sections that indicate longer periods of stimulation. While the short, spiky waves activate highly sensitive fast-twitch muscle fibers, the wider, square sections are ideal for activating the harder-to-engage, slow-twitch fibers. By stimulating a larger number of muscle fibers, the RS-4i Plus can elicit a maximal muscle contraction – resulting in greater therapeutic benefit.
3. Extended Pain Control
The third and most long-lived relief is endorphin release, and it generally requires a combination of IFT and NMES (see below). In this case, with enough electrical stimulation of nerve and muscle fibers over a large enough treatment area for a long enough period of time, the body sends a sequence of signals up the neo and paleo spinothalamic tracts into the brain and provokes a beta-endorphin release. These neuroinhibitors are long-chain peptides – endogenous opiates – that provide pain relief lasting up to 8 hours.
In fact, assessments conducted with over 30,000 patients using the RS-4i Plus show:
Almost half experience a 50% drop in pain
68% see their activity improve by at least 20%
4. Conductive Garments
Not to be overlooked are the wearable conductive garments designed to simplify the process of setting up for back treatments.
Instead of placing electrodes one-by-one on the patient’s back, the patient places special hook-and-loop electrodes inside the garment using a convenient numbered grid. Once pads are situated properly, the patient is able to slip the garment on, lean back and start their IFT or NMES treatment. Best of all, the pads stay in place and are ready to go for any subsequent treatments. (Just remember to swap them out for fresh pads every 30 days.)
The RS-LBG™ Low Back Garment is an ideal size for sciatic treatment, but a full back garment is available for treating the upper back, too. Garments are comfortable and adjustable, and pads can be removed for laundering or replacement.
5. Interactive Pad Placement Guide
With more than 20 detailed videos – 8 for back treatments alone – the Interactive Pad Placement Guide is a free, web-based tool that demonstrates proper electrode placement for any given diagnosis. It can also teach patients additional placement protocols you direct them to use.
These brief, color-coded guides show exactly where to place pads – and which muscles are being targeted – so your patients get the most benefit from an electrotherapy session.
Not only does this lead to improved patient outcomes, but it also helps increase patient compliance. After all, if patients experience positive benefits from using the device, they are more likely to continue following your treatment plan.
Treating Sciatic Pain with the RS-4i Plus
The RS-4i Plus can be an effective at-home, pain-relieving therapy for sciatica patients. The combination of high-frequency IFT and rehabilitative NMES treatment can provide pain relief lasting up to 8 hours.
Common Causes of Sciatic Pain:
Lumbar herniated disc – up to 90% of sciatica caused by this condition
Lumbar spondylolysis
Lumbar spinal stenosis
Lumbar spine degeneration
Recommended Pad Placements:
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.