Why doesn't anyone know about this?

Below you will find a list of the most common questions we receive. But first, we'll address the one we hear most often:

This is by far the question we get the most. Since 1992, Dr. Rhodes has been helping CRPS patients acheive remission. Throughout this time we have never advertised and have relied 100% on word of mouth from our patients and other physcians who have seen their patients improve.

We believe in quality of care over quantity, therefore Dr. Rhodes does not accept more than 2 new patients per week.

You can rest assured that your time spent in our office will be 100% focused on you.

For Prospective Patients

HOW DOES VECTTOR THERAPY WORK? VECTTOR treatments are a form of electro-stimulation based upon acupuncture, physiology, cellular physiology, and anatomy designed to stimulate the nerves to produce certain neuropeptides essential for optimal functioning of the body. These neuropeptides are vital for increasing circulation to the skin, bones nerves, muscles, and for reducing oxidative stress. The VECTTOR system is designed to read feedback from the body via skin surface temperatures, throughout the treatment process. While the treatment is running, VECTTOR is constantly monitoring the skin surface temperature looking for an increase in temperature indicating an increase in circulation. VECTTOR runs through a series of frequencies, looking for an increase in skin surface temperature of at least 1 degree Fahrenheit. Once VECTTOR determines which of the various frequencies created the best response, it will automatically run that frequency for the duration of the treatment. This article gives a good explanation of the effects of electro-stim on the production of neuropeptides: Acupuncture: neuropeptide release produced by electrical stimulation

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST? The total cost for the first week of treatment in our clinic is $6,600. This includes the cost of the VECTTOR Therapy System, office visits and testing. Additionally, this includes ongoing phone/email support and unlimited 24/7 access to the patient protocol portal.

HOW IS VECTTOR DIFFERENT FROM A TENS UNIT? VECTTOR is a form of electrostim, however, traditional electrostim is designed to treat localized areas of the body, such as back pain. With traditional electrostim, the stimulation is applied to the muscles surrounding the affected area. VECTTOR is designed to utilize accupressure, accupuncture, and points to stimulate the nerves to create vital neuropeptides which allow for increased circulation throughout the body. VECTTOR does not stimulate the muscles. The frequency utilized by VECTTOR is extremely low; much lower than the level necessary to affect the muscles. VECTTOR also uses feedback from the body to ascertain whether or not the appropriate protocol (electrode placement) is being used. If the response is good, the skin surface temperature increases, indicating that the circulation is improved. If the response is not sufficient, VECTTOR will prompt the user for a different protocol for the next treatment. VECTTOR Therapy is not designed to treat, or cure, any particular disease. It is important to remember that VECTTOR Therapy is a complimentary therapy and is not meant to replace your current medical care.

Is VECTTOR THERAPY CLEARED BY THE FDA? VECTTOR Therapy has been cleared by the US FDA for the treatment of chronic, intractable pain and for the treatment of post surgical/trauma pain. Any other use is considered “off label” (use of the therapy for a condition that has not yet been cleared by FDA)

WHAT IS A TREATMENT SESSION LIKE? The treatments are not at all painful, but they do require the user to sit (reclined) for approximately 40 minutes at a time. The treatments tend to be relaxing and the patient will often fall asleep.

CAN I TAKE VECTTOR ON AN AIRPLANE? Traveling with the system should not be a problem. You may download an airline letter here, in case it is needed. You should be able to carry on the system, or check it as normal baggage.

DO I HAVE TO COME TO HOUSTON FOR TREATMENT? At this time, the only way to receive VECTTOR Therapy is to come to our clinic for treatment.

WILL MY HEALTH INSURANCE COVER VECTTOR THERAPY? It is possible, but not likely at this time. We are working towards completing the clinical trials needed to increase the labelling for VECTTOR Therapy in the hopes that insurance companies will be more likely to cover it. VECTTOR Therapy does not yet have a unique CPT code, however, some insurance companies have paid based on using a generic electrostim code.

IS THE VECTTOR UNIT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY? The VECTTOR system is covered under a comprehensive manufacturer’s warranty for one year after the date of purchase. Additional protection plans are available at the time of purchase. These extended protection plans cover Accidental Damage from Handling (ADH), such as damage incurred from a drop, or from spilled liquids. ADH is not covered under the manufacturer’s warranty. Leads, thermistors, and power cords are covered for 90 days. Electrodes are considered consumables and will need to be replaced every 10-15 days.

CAN MY VECTTOR BE USED ON MORE THAN ONE PERSON? The VECTTOR system can accommodate up to three unique users, although treatments must be given individually. A separate doctor's prescription is required for each individual user. Each user must have his or her own profile set up in the system as protocols will change based on individual needs. There is a set up fee of $500 for each additional user and while the thermistors can be shared, we do recommend using separate electrodes for each user.

HOW OFTEN DO YOU DO THE TREATMENTS? Initially, treatment is given twice daily. Each treatment last 80 minutes (40 upper body/40 lower body). After the first few weeks, many patients are able to drop back to once daily, but some find that they benefit most by continuing with twice daily treatments. The treatments are easy to administer and do not cause any pain or discomfort. The treatment may even be administered while the patient is sleeping, provided there is proper supervision if the patient is a child.

For Current Patients

HOW IS THE OPTIMUM COMBO USED BY THE MACHINE? VECTTOR runs through the first three combos. If a temperature increase of at least 1.0 is detected, it will run whichever of the three had the highest increase (winning combo) for the remainder of the treatment. If VECTTOR does not detect an increase of at least 1.0 in the first three combos, it will proceed on to the 4th-8th combos and run through each of them. If one of these combos provides an adequate increase (>/= 1.0), VECTTOR will select that as the winning combo. If not, then you will get a "Need New Protocol" prompt at the end of the treatment. The above process is repeated with each treatment. A combo that works well one day, may not be ideal the next.

CAN I PLAY VIDEO GAMES OR WORK ON MY iPAD DURING TREATMENT? Yes, but not during the testing phase, when the thermistors are still attached. Once the thermistors have been removed, it is fine to play video games but take care to ensure that the electrodes are firmly in place. You may apply tape as an added precaution.

IS IT NECESSARY TO LEAVE THE THERMISTORS ON THROUGHOUT THE TREATMENT? The thermistors must remain in place until the testing phase of treatment is complete. After this, the thermistors continue to record data to the SD card, but if they are bothersome, it is okay to remove them if they are uncomfortable. Once the testing phase is complete, there will be a series of beeps and the screen will indicate that a combination has been chosen. At this time, it is okay to remove the thermistors. When the thermistors are removed VECTTOR will chirp indicating that it is no longer reading the skin surface temperature. This chirping should only last about 10 seconds, but may occur more than once if the room is particularly cold.

MY TEMPERATURE INCREASE WAS LESS THAN 1 DEGREE. WHY DIDN'T VECTTOR PROMPT ME TO REQUEST A NEW PROTOCOL? If you get less than a 1 degree increase, but VECTTOR does not request a new protocol, this means that your incoming temperatures were higher than usual. If this happens repeatedly over a few days and you do not feel that you are improving, request a new protocol even if VECTTOR has not prompted you to do so

I AM GETTING "REQUEST NEW PROTOCOL" AFTER MOST TREATMENTS. IS THIS NORMAL? Yes, very normal. It is quite common for the system to request new protocols after each treatment, especially in the beginning. However, if you have been running the treatments for several days and the system is requesting new protocols each time and you are not noticing any changes, please review the steps in the question above and contact us if necessary.

HOW DO I ORDER MORE ELECTRODES? (click below for product page)

HOW DO I KNOW WHEN TO REPLACE THE ELECTRODES? The VECTTOR system will prompt you to replace your electrodes. However, it is important to remember that the entire surface of the electrode should be “sticky”. If you notice that part of the surface is no longer sticky, you should replace the electrodes, even if VECTTOR has not yet prompted you to do so

CAN I RUN VECTTOR IF I HAVE A FEVER? If there are any other symptoms such as a cold, vomiting, or body aches, request a new protocol and indicate this when you do. It's fine to run treatments with a fever but you probably won't get a temperature increase since the body is already hot.

HOW DO I KNOW WHAT INTENSITY TO RUN? We recommend starting at level 5, unless you have a hypersensitive nerve condition. If your nerves are hypersensitve, you might not be able to tolerate this much stimulation and should start between 0.1 and 0.5. If you start this low try to increase the intensity a small amount, as long as you cannot feel it. If you start at 5, you may increase up to 10 for subsequent treatments, as long as you cannot feel the stimulation. It is not harmful to feel the stimulation, but it is not necessary either.

I JUST FINISHED TREATMENT AND NOTICED THAT SOME OF THE COMBINATIONS WERE SKIPPED. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? "Skip" simply means that VECTTOR found an adequate increase in one of the first three combos OR it could also mean that during one of the combos being tested VECTTOR detected a DECREASE in temperature. In this case, it just moves on to the next combo.

I'VE BEEN GETTING EXTREMELY HIGH TEMPERATURE INCREASES. IS THIS NORMAL? It is preferable to have an increase each time of at least one degree. If you are getting from 1-3 degree increases routinely, this is considered a very good response. An occasional high temperature increase just shows that the body responded to that protocol exceptionally well, for that treatment. It could also mean that the hands were particularly cold at the start of the treatment. You are not likely to see increases that high on a regular basis. The only concern is if you are continually getting less than 1 degree increases. If this is happening, even after changing protocols when prompted, please contact us at DrRhodes@VECTTOR.com

WHAT IF I'M NOT SEEING IMPROVEMENT?

HOW LONG SHOULD THE ELECTRODES LAST? IS THERE ANY WAY TO MAKE THEM LAST LONGER? This will vary greatly from person to person. With proper use a set of electrodes will last for an average of 10-15 days. You can maximize the life of the electrodes by taking proper care of them: Always wash the skin before applying the electrodes, swabbing with alcohol and allowing the skin to dry helps too. Before storing the electrodes apply a tiny drop of the Spectra gel to the electrode, before placing on the plastic holder.

I CHANGED ELECTRODES BUT I AM STILL GETTING THE MESSAGE THAT THEY NEED TO BE REPLACED? When this happens, use the up/down buttons to see the message “Electrodes Replaced”. Hit the select button to indicate that the electrodes have been replaced. You should no longer see the message.

I AM HAVING A FLU SHOT. SHOULD I DO ANYTHING DIFFERENT? Only if you are experiencing pain at the site of the injection. If this is the case, you should request a protocol indicating this. Once the pain is gone, you may resume your regular protocols.