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.

Treating shoulder pain at home with an RS-4i® Plus certainly has its advantages. Unlike physical therapy, massage or other treatments that require an appointment, this device offers prescription-strength therapy at home, whenever you need it.

Adding an RS-SG Shoulder Garment makes taking treatments at home even easier. Here are 3 ways this garment gives an extra advantage to tackling painful conditions, like rotator cuff injuries or frozen shoulder, with the RS-4i Plus.

Diabetic neuropathy, a common complication of diabetes, often leads to significant foot pain, impacting patients' mobility, quality of life and, particularly troubling, it’s a leading cause of amputation. Providers unfamiliar with prescription-strength electrotherapy devices, such as the RS-4i® Plus, may be interested to learn how Interferential Therapy (INF) and Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation (NMES) can help patients suffering from diabetic neuropathy, as well as other painful foot and lower leg conditions. 

There’s no shortage of conditions that cause chronic musculoskeletal pain. Several of the most common affect the upper and lower back, but pain patients know that these disorders can range from our necks to our feet.

Not surprisingly, there’s also no shortage of treatment options – including physical therapy, medications, surgery and more. But there’s no simple fix and, as opioids have shown, definitely no magic pill.

There is, however, one doctor-prescribed treatment that’s proving to be popular for a number of reasons: electrotherapy with the RS-4i Plus. Here are four painful chronic conditions that you may be surprised to learn have benefited from treatment with an RS-4i Plus.

Placing electrodes on your own back in just the right position for an RS-4i® Plus treatment without help can be challenging when you’re in pain. That is, unless you have one of RS Medical’s wearable, conductive garments.

The RS-LBG™ Low Back Garment and the RS-FBG™ Full Back Garment make setting up for a treatment much easier – meaning that you can get therapy independently, whenever you like. No second set of hands required.

Learn 3 reasons our wearable, conductive garments give an extra advantage to tackling back pain with the RS-4i Plus.

After a traumatic car accident and over 20 surgeries, Martin faced years of recovery—physically, emotionally, and mentally. But with persistence and the right tools, he found relief that helped him reclaim his life. One device became essential in helping him manage daily pain and show up for the moments that matter most: the RS-4i® Plus.

Jason’s first encounter with the RS-4i Plus came when his colleague at the VA, a pain pharmacist, suggested that he try it. Since he had used various TENS units in the past, Jason was skeptical. Before his visit to the Physical Therapy clinic, he even did exercises that would normally cause his back pain. He wanted to see what the device could do. “The first day I tried it, I think I was in about a five or six level of pain out of ten,” he said. “Once the RS-4i Plus device had done its thing, I actually got up and I had no pain.”

Anne was introduced to RS Medical by her Physical Therapist at VA. Skeptical but willing to try anything for relief, she used the RS-4i Plus for the first time after injuring her back. The results were nothing short of “life-changing.” In just 30 minutes, she says her pain was gone. For the first time in 20 years, she says she knew what it felt like to be pain-free.

Jay dreamed of a military career. She joined the Marines and went to Paris Island for training. Unfortunately, that’s where an accident ended her dream. Jay sought treatment for her pain and mobility issues through the VA and was prescribed the RS-4i Plus combined with the RS-FBG Full Back Garment. Together, they have allowed Jay to evade pain. “The device is awesome,” she says.

During his career in the Navy, Marty performed physical work. That work took a toll, leaving him with severe back pain. Doctors at the VA tried a variety of things to relieve the pain, but nothing worked until the RS-4i Plus. Marty recalls, “The first time I used it, it brought my pain down to a five. Then they set me up with the RS-FBG garment. Pretty soon, I told them they weren't getting it back. I love that thing. It's like a miracle.”

As a result of injuries suffered during and after his time in the military, Terry’s physical mobility was compromised. Riding a motorcycle became nearly impossible, and this led to a cycle of pain and depression. “I was extremely depressed, to the point where they actually put me on medication. I hurt all the time. I’d wake up in pain, I’d go to bed in pain. I was in a downward spiral.” That’s when his physical therapist introduced him to the RS-4i Plus and the results were profound. Marty reflects, “My life has improved 100 percent since I’ve got that machine.”

After years of chronic back pain from her time as a paratrooper, Maggie had nearly given up on finding real relief. Steroid injections offered only temporary help, and daily pain limited her independence. Everything changed when she was introduced to the RS-4i® Plus through her practitioner at the VA.

Roland experienced severe back pain from his time serving in the Military, causing him to give up activities he loved, like running. Turning to the VA for treatment, Roland was prescribed medication – which he felt didn’t work. He was also given a TENS unit. “The TENS unit worked a little bit,” he says. “Mainly it hurt more than it worked.” Finally, he went to the VA for physical therapy on his lower back. It was there that his therapist suggested treatment with an RS-4i® Plus. “Once I started using the RS-4i Plus, the effect it had on me was amazing.”

When Seth joined the Military, he was fulfilling a dream. He planned to serve until retirement, but an accident while on deployment changed all that. Seth tried a TENS unit, but it wasn’t until the RS-4i Plus that he felt pain relief that lasted. “I keep it in my vehicle,” he says. “It’s like the American Express – I don’t leave home without it.”

Those who suffer from chronic pain, Veterans and civilians alike, often say there is no “magic pill” for relief and they simply become accustomed to living with their condition.

Others, though, have found a prescription-grade therapy that’s non-invasive and drug free, and provides real pain relief for 87 percent who use it – the RS-4i Plus with Intersperse®.

If you’re a patient who hasn’t yet discovered the RS-4i Plus, read on to see if this device might be the therapy that can help you go from “hopeless” to “heaven.”

James originally injured his back while serving on a Military deployment in Kosovo and has suffered from low back pain ever since. 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. Then he was prescribed an RS-4i Plus, and he finally found the relief he sought.

For many of Dr. Owens’s patients, pain has become debilitating, restricting movement and making everyday tasks— like attending medical appointments — challenging. To provide pain management between visits, Dr. Owens prescribes the RS-4i Plus. Dr. Owens finds that not only does this device provide prescription-grade pain relief, but it also affords patients new freedom — with side-effect free, on-the-spot pain control that helps them to be more mobile.