Treating Chronic Back Pain at Home
If you’re struggling with chronic back pain, finding effective, at-home pain relief – without the hassle of frequent clinic visits – can be life-changing. Unlike physical therapy, massage or other treatments that require appointments, the RS-4i Plus offers prescription-strength electrotherapy for treating back pain at home – available whenever you need it. There’s no scheduling, travel time or waiting rooms. Just apply the electrode pads and start experiencing pain relief.
However, placing electrodes on your own – especially for upper back pain, low back pain or full back pain – can be challenging without help. That’s where RS Medical’s wearable garments come in. The RS-LBG™ Low Back Garment and the RS-FBG™ Full Back Garment make setup simple, allowing you to manage your therapy independently, whenever you like. No second set of hands required.
3 Benefits of Garments for At-Home Pain Relief
1. One-Time Electrode Pad Placement
Accurate electrode pad placement is key to effective treatment for back pain, and our Interactive Pad Placement Guide shows exactly where your electrodes should go.
Using the Low Back Garment or Full Back Garment makes this process even quicker because you only need to position the electrode pads once on the inside of your garment. After that, you can easily slip on the garment, connect your device and begin your at-home pain relief session – no need to place the electrode pads one by one each time.
2. Hit the Right Spots for Pain Relief
Inside each garment is a numbered grid to help guide you in placing the electrodes precisely. Both garments can hold up to 8 electrode pads, providing comprehensive coverage for upper, lower or full back pain.
3. Adjustable Fit for Better Contact and Comfort
Our garments are fully adjustable for optimal comfort and performance. The Low Back Garment features side straps to customize the fit around your waist, while the Full Back Garment includes side zippers for easy adjustments. This ensures the electrodes stay in full contact with your skin, enhancing the effectiveness of your electrotherapy sessions.
How to Use the Full Back or Low Back Garment
Why Electrotherapy is Effective for Chronic and Full Back Pain
The RS-4i Plus is a prescription-grade electrotherapy device that provides the patented Intersperse program, an innovative pain control and muscle rehab therapy that helps trigger release of the body’s natural painkillers – endorphins – which can provide pain relief that typically lasts 4 to 8 hours.
What makes this extended relief possible? It’s the unique combination of two high-powered treatments. First, the RS-4i Plus delivers a 5,000 Hz high-frequency Interferential Therapy (IFT) signal for pain relief. In contrast, many over-the-counter electrotherapy units only offer 50 to 250 Hz. The 5,000 Hz frequency penetrates deeper into tissues, effectively reaching the nerves responsible for chronic back pain. Lower-frequency devices simply lack the power to go as deep and, thus, are unlikely to produce the same degree of pain relief.
Along with pain-blocking capabilities, the RS-4i Plus also provides a custom Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation (NMES) waveform at 71 Hz that can activate both fast- and slow-twitch muscle fibers. Being able to stimulate a broader range of muscle fibers, especially in the large muscles of the body like the back, allows the RS-4i Plus to elicit a maximal muscle contraction that supplies a flow of oxygen and nutrient-rich blood to the muscles while expelling metabolic waste. This helps to improve blood flow and relax muscle spasms – which, in turn, helps further reduce back pain.
A Closer Look at the Waveforms
The RS-4i Plus combines Interferential Therapy (IFT) and Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation (NMES) in a unique 35-minute treatment called Intersperse to deliver powerful pain relief and muscle rehabilitation.
What is Interferential Therapy (IFT)? IFT uses two slightly different high-frequency currents (> 5,000 Hz) that intersect within the body, creating a therapeutic “sweet spot.” These high-frequency signals overcome the skin’s natural resistance and reach deep into the tissue, providing rapid pain relief through the release of enkephalins – endogenous opiates that deliver pain relief that lasts about an hour.
What is Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation (NMES)? NMES uses lower-frequency currents (< 100 Hz) to treat muscles. These signals cause rhythmic muscle contractions, which mimic the body’s natural muscle “pumping” action to boost blood and lymphatic circulation. This helps reduce muscle spasms, prevent atrophy and improve blood flow – making it especially valuable for managing upper back pain, low back pain or widespread full back pain.
What is Intersperse?: Intersperse is a patented treatment session in the RS-4i Plus that intermixes IFT and NMES. During this session, 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. This unique intermixing of both therapies is what triggers the release of endorphins – another type of endogenous opiate that can provide pain relief that typically lasts 4 to 8 hours.
At Home Back Pain Relief with Electrotherapy
Chronic back pain is a debilitating condition affecting millions of Americans. The RS-4i Plus delivers powerful electrotherapy designed to improve muscle function and ease pain across your upper, lower or full back. Paired with our wearable garments, it offers a convenient and effective way to manage back pain independently and at home.
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.