RS Medical
Chronic Pain Relief and Muscle Rehabilitation Assured

Living with debilitating chronic pain that stems from musculoskeletal disorders can be stressful and frustrating. While powerful opioids, over-the-counter medications, and electrotherapy devices such as traditional transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) units alleviate the pain temporarily, they prove ineffective as long-term solutions. These treatments also fall short when it comes to stimulating and strengthening skeletal muscles.

This is where RS Medical, based in Vancouver WA, makes a difference with a distinctive device that provides high-frequency Interferential (INF) therapy for long-lasting pain relief and rehabilitative neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) to reduce muscle spasms, increase circulation, and prevent disuse atrophy. The company aims to improve the quality of life for patients with the right blend of affordable, independent, specialty electrotherapy. “Our electrical stimulation device is more sophisticated than any other device in the marketplace. We deliver promising results unlike our competitors,” says Randy Murphy, Vice President of Marketing and Sales.

Winning the Battle against Pain

Murphy explains that chronic pain can be effectively tamed with electrical stimulation devices only when the electrical pulse penetrates the dermal layer and targets the nerves within muscle tissue. Unfortunately, most TENS units on the market have a low capacity to overcome skin resistance and dive deep into the tissue, and even fewer offer the added bonus of muscle treatment. RS Medical distinguishes itself with the RS-4i® Plus Sequential Stimulator with Intersperse®—a device that intermixes true high-frequency (5000 Hz) INF therapy for long-lasting pain relief with NMES for muscle rehabilitation within the same session.

The proprietary Intersperse treatment begins with several minutes of INF therapy, which knocks down the patient’s pain via the Gate Control Theory. This principle states that hyper-stimulation of A-Beta nerve fibers activates Inhibitory Neurons, which sit on the same path as the Projection Neurons, thereby muting the pain signals before reaching the spinal cord and brain. The high-frequency current produced by the RS-4i Plus penetrates deeper into tissue and facilitates this hyper-stimulation, causing the “gates to close” and preventing pain signals from reaching the brain. Additionally, this stimulation is thought to trigger the body’s enkephalin and endorphin release, which helps ensure longer-lasting pain relief.

The segment of INF is followed by several minutes of NMES, which contracts the skeletal muscle and acts as a pump—removing metabolic waste products from the tissues and reintroducing fresh, nutrient-rich, oxygenated blood into the muscle. At the end of the NMES segment, the device then delivers additional alternating segments of INF and NMES. In this way, the patient gets intermittent pain relief, then muscle therapy, then pain relief throughout the duration of the session. “We can go deep into the tissue to treat the pain and rehabilitate the muscle—both in the very same treatment. And, that’s the advantage we offer,” remarks Murphy.

What’s also unique about the device is that it controls the height and width of the NMES wave to deliver maximal therapeutic benefit. Specifically, the short, spiky parts of the wave activate highly sensitive fast-twitch muscle fibers, while the wider, square sections of the wave activate hard-to-engage, slow-twitch fibers—which make up much of the body’s core, structural muscles like the back muscles.

In summary, a 35-minute session offers patients pain relief that starts immediately and lasts for four to eight hours, making RS-4i Plus a superior alternative to opioids and other oral and injectable medications that have serious side effects on the body.

Steadfast Commitment to Excellence

By following a B2B (business to business) strategy, RS Medical sells its products to physicians, who in turn prescribe them to patients. Along with training the patients to use the device, RS Medical establishes a baseline survey with a clear understanding of the treatment’s impact on patients’ sleep, mood, and activity. Tracking all these factors, RS Medical follows up with patients after 30 days and conducts a similar assessment again to mark the differential. The company then creates an assessment report that is routed back to the doctors’ office. Based on the report, doctors can treat the patients in a more effective manner.

What steers RS Medical ahead of the market competition is its world-class, science-forward staff training program. “We don’t sell features or benefits; we sell science. As we are results-driven, we have the confidence that every patient using our products is sure to benefit to the fullest,” notes Murphy. With a culture steeped in innovation, the RS Medical team steers ahead with a vision to create a larger impact on the patient population with their robust products.

We can go deep into the tissue to treat the pain and rehabilitate the muscle—both in the very same treatment. And, that’s the advantage we offer

By using the RS-4i Plus for 30 days, over 14,700 veterans have obtained more than 47 percent reduction in pain. Adding to the prowess of RS Medical is its RS-LBG™ Low Back Garment, which patients suffering from low back musculoskeletal pain can strap around their waist, plug in, and turn on to get instant relief from pain.

As a testament to the robust capabilities of RS Medical, Murphy recalls the story of Giles, who served in the U.S. Army for 32 years before retiring with rheumatoid arthritis and an inoperable nerve issue in his back. After trying three different TENS machines, which never proved effective, Giles used the RS-4i Plus as prescribed by his provider. It became his “magic pill” for pain relief. Giles also used the Low Back Garment, which made it easier and more comfortable for him to take back treatments.

Focused on the Veterans Administration for the past five years, RS Medical is planning to expand into the workers’ compensation and the personal injury protection markets in multiple states. By 2023, the company aims to release a new product that will be reimbursable through private marketplaces. Additionally, RS Medical is looking to modernize its products and introduce shoulder, knee, and foot garments, while continually refining its waveforms and tuning them to specific nerves to reduce pain in different areas of the body.