Shoulder Pain Relief, Without Drugs
A wearable pain-relief option for the shoulder discomfort that follows you through work, dressing, and rest.
ActiPatch® is a drug-free wearable, FDA 510(k)-cleared (K192234) for over-the-counter (OTC) adjunctive treatment of musculoskeletal pain. It offers up to 720 therapy hours and can be used alongside other care for musculoskeletal pain associated with shoulder pain. Results vary; it does not treat the underlying condition.
Take the 5-minute Pain Check for this area
Less pain. More everyday life.
ActiPatch® offers drug-free, wearable relief for everyday musculoskeletal pain, including back, knee, shoulder, neck, foot and heel pain, and muscle and joint aches.
Wear it for hours as directed, with no drugs, no appointments to use it, and up to 720 therapy hours per device.
Rest and recharge
When pain eases, it can be easier to settle down for sleep and feel ready for the day.
Keep your independence
When pain eases, it can be easier to stay active, manage everyday tasks, and focus at work.
Make room for connection
When pain eases, it can be easier to enjoy family and friends, nurture relationships, and make space for a brighter mood.
In a 6-month ActiPatch® follow-up, 60% reported better sleep and 53% were more active.
Staelin, Koneru, and Rawe (2019) followed 240 users who had relief in week 1. Self-reported, with no placebo group. Individual results vary.
Read the ActiPatch® research and its limitationsMood and relationship benefits are possibilities of less pain, not measured ActiPatch® results.
ActiPatch® is FDA cleared (510(k) K192234) for over-the-counter adjunctive treatment of musculoskeletal pain.
When Everyday Reaching Becomes Uncomfortable
Putting on a shirt, reaching a shelf, or lying on one side can draw attention to a sore shoulder. Pain may come from muscles, tendons, or joints, and sometimes from the neck. Where it hurts and which movements bring it on are useful clues for a clinician, not a diagnosis on their own.
Pain Support Over the Sore Shoulder Area
ActiPatch® offers adjunctive relief for musculoskeletal shoulder pain and can be used alongside clinician-recommended care. It is a pain-support option, not treatment of a rotator cuff injury or another underlying shoulder problem. A change in pain does not tell you whether an injured tendon is ready for more use.
Where to Place It
Wear ActiPatch® directly on the skin secured with the included tape or wrap, or over thin/light clothing such as a t-shirt or leggings. Keep the loop close to the skin and avoid thick layers between the device and skin. Follow the package insert for positioning.
Where to Place It
- Front of the shoulder over the painful area
- Top or outer shoulder where discomfort is felt
- Back of the shoulder if that is the localized sore spot
Put it on in four steps
- 1Find the spotPick the one area that hurts most, using the map above.
- 2Center the loopPlace the loop so the sore spot sits in the middle of it.
- 3Secure itUse the included tape or a wrap, as the package insert directs.
- 4Switch on, then recheckCheck the loop is still centered after moving your arm.
Quick fit check
- Do: On the skin, or over thin clothing such as a T-shirt or leggings.
- Avoid: No a thick jumper between the loop and your skin.
- Avoid: A shirt seam or bag strap can move it. Recheck after moving your arm.
- Avoid: Keep it off open wounds and broken skin.
- Do: Made for everyday wear, including activity and sweating, with IP22-rated water protection. Remove before showering, bathing, or swimming.
Tip for this area: Secure the loop as the package insert directs and check that a shirt seam or bag strap does not move it. Keep it off open wounds. Pain traveling from the neck or down the arm needs assessment, not just a different placement.
Notice Changes in Familiar Shoulder Tasks
Getting started
Locate the sore spot and note pain during an ordinary task, such as getting dressed. Do not force a painful movement to test the device.
With regular use
Compare discomfort during that task with use, and check placement after moving your arm or changing clothes.
At 7 days
Check in with your doctor if the pain changes, gets worse, or isn't easing after a few weeks. New weakness or severe pain after a fall needs earlier assessment.
Responses and timing vary; relief is not guaranteed.
Safety and when to stop
Not a Cure: ActiPatch® is intended for adjunctive treatment of musculoskeletal pain, not a cure for shoulder pain.
Water Resistance: Made for everyday wear, including activity and sweating, with IP22-rated water protection. Remove before showering, bathing, or swimming.
Contraindications: Do not use if you have a cardiac pacemaker, implanted defibrillator, or other active implanted metallic or electronic device. Follow the supplied instructions for use.
Pregnancy: Do not use if you are pregnant or think you may be pregnant.
Not for children: Not for use by or on children under 17.
Pain of unknown cause: Do not use for sudden or unexplained pain, or if the cause of the pain is unknown. Not for pain deep in the body such as the chest or stomach, and not for cancer-related pain.
Open wounds: The device is not sterile. Do not place it in direct contact with open wounds.
If pain does not ease: Check in with your doctor if the pain changes, gets worse, or isn't easing after a few weeks. If you are under a doctor's care, consult your doctor before use.
See the package insert for full contraindications, warnings, and precautions.
Research and background (optional reading)
Technology and Evidence
ActiPatch® is a self-contained wearable that uses pulsed shortwave therapy for drug-free pain support, with no noticeable heat or tingling sensation from the device. There are no electrode pads or wires to connect. FDA 510(k) K192234 clears ActiPatch® for over-the-counter adjunctive treatment of musculoskeletal pain. Read the evidence below and the science overview for study limits and technical details.
Each trial's design, size, and findings are summarized on the ActiPatch® Science page.
Which shoulder movements bring on pain?
Reaching overhead and lying on one side may bring on different patterns of discomfort. Note whether pain sits at the front, top, or back of your shoulder and which movements trigger it. Because the shoulder moves through several joints, this description is more useful than assuming every shoulder ache comes from the same structure.
The source may not be the shoulder
Muscle strain, repeated overhead activity, and irritation around tendons or joints are possible contributors. Tendons connect muscles to bones. Pain can also be referred, meaning felt in the shoulder even though it starts in the neck or elsewhere. ActiPatch® provides additional musculoskeletal pain relief; it cannot identify the source or repair an injured tendon.
Know when shoulder pain is urgent
Get urgent care for severe pain after a fall, an obviously misshapen shoulder, or sudden inability to move your arm. Shoulder discomfort with chest pressure, shortness of breath, or sweating needs emergency evaluation. Unexplained or persistent pain, weakness, or numbness also deserves medical advice. Do not use a wearable to delay that evaluation.
Use the painful area as your guide
Follow the package insert and position the loop at the main area of discomfort, whether at the front, outer, or upper shoulder. Keep it away from broken skin. If pain seems to start in your neck or travels down your arm, ask a clinician about the cause rather than trying to cover every painful spot.
Watch shirt seams and shoulder straps
Getting dressed or carrying a bag can shift the loop. Check it after those activities and during desk work. Secure it on skin with the included tape or a wrap, or over a thin t-shirt rather than a thick jacket. It is not waterproof, so remove it before showering, bathing, or swimming.
What does the published evidence say?
Rawe and Kotak's 2015 UK chronic-pain registry recorded users' own reports of pain with wearable pulsed shortwave therapy. This observational study included a broad pain population, not just shoulder problems. It was not a shoulder-specific randomized trial and had no sham, or inactive-device, comparison. Those limits mean it cannot establish a device effect for a particular shoulder problem or predict your response. Its subject is pain relief, not treatment of a shoulder injury. See the science page for context.
Source: Rawe and Kotak, Pain Management, 2015. Read the ActiPatch® science overview.
Frequently Asked Questions
Put Therapy Where You Hurt
Explore drug-free support for musculoskeletal shoulder pain. Results vary.