Seth Won’t Leave Home without His RS-4i® Plus
When Seth joined the military, he was fulfilling a dream. It was what he had always wanted to do, and he planned to serve until retirement. But an accident while on deployment changed all that.
“We were in Southern Iraq helping to move the Kurds,” he says. “We were transporting them to refugee camps in Saudi Arabia.”
No small undertaking, the relocation of the Kurdish refugees required the use of large semi-trucks.
“One of the refugees tripped and fell off a truck onto me,” he recalls. “At first it felt like a muscle pull.”
Soon, Seth realized the injury was more significant.
Seth’s Pain Progressed to a Medical Discharge
His pain progressed over the next six months, and it resulted in him needing to have his knee pulled up toward his chest and the constant use of crutches.
“I couldn’t stand for more than 7 minutes,” he says.
He had a surgical procedure called a laminectomy – which enlarges the spinal canal to relieve pressure on the nerves – and it worked for a while. But then issues started coming back again.
“My injury actually ended up ending my career in the military,” he says. “It led to me being medically discharged.”
Nothing Worked, Until the RS-4i Plus
“The original TENS the VA gave me was too small and didn’t have enough power.”
His first TENS was a 2-channel device, meaning that it was only able to cover a small treatment area. The RS-4i Plus is a 4-channel device with a premodulated Interferential signal. The significance of a 4-channel device is that it offers larger anatomical coverage than a 2-channel device – meaning that the patient gets twice the area of therapeutic treatment. It also allows the patient to treat multiple areas simultaneously.
Seth says it allows him to treat his whole lower back at once.
“There are times when I have trouble walking,” he says. “I do a couple of treatments with this device and go to bed. The next morning when I wake up, I’m ok.
Another improvement for Seth is that he no longer needs invasive back treatments as frequently.
“I was having to do the nerve ablations about every 12 to 14 months. Now, it’s extended that to 16 or 18 months.”
As Seth concludes, this device has helped change his life.
“I keep it in my vehicle,” he says. “It’s like the American Express – I don’t leave home without it.”
Ready to Get Your Life Back on Track?
Veterans receiving VA healthcare who are interested in getting their own RS-4i Plus should speak to their healthcare provider at the VA.
For non-Veterans interested in ordering a device, we offer a guide to aid in the discussion with your healthcare provider. Complete this form to view, download and print the guide.
Related Resources
Blog: Treating Back Pain at Home is Easier than You Think
Blog: 6 Reasons the RS-4i Plus is Ideal for At-Home Pain Relief
This blog provides general information and discussion about medicine, health and related subjects. The words and other content provided in this blog, and in any linked materials, are not intended and should not be construed as medical advice. If the reader or any other person has a medical concern, he or she should consult with an appropriately-licensed physician or other healthcare professional.