Sports Injury Pain Relief, Without Drugs
A drug-free pain-support option with clear limits: less pain is not permission to return to sport.
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 sports injuries. 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.
Soreness and a New Injury Need Different Decisions
A muscle ache after unfamiliar exercise is a different pattern from sharp pain during a twist or landing. Sprains affect ligaments, the bands connecting bones; strains affect muscles or tendons. New pain, swelling, or bruising can need assessment before you decide what activity is safe.
Wearable Support for Sports Injury Pain
ActiPatch® offers adjunctive relief for musculoskeletal pain and can be used alongside clinician-recommended care. Its role is pain support, not treatment of the injury or a shortcut back to training. It does not repair injured tissue or speed recovery, and a change in pain does not establish readiness to play.
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
- Over the sore muscle
- Over a painful joint area
- Near the site of tendon overuse discomfort
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.
Quick fit check
- Do: On the skin, or over thin clothing such as a T-shirt or leggings.
- Avoid: No thick padding between the loop and your skin.
- Avoid: Clothing or equipment can move it. Recheck after moving.
- 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: Place the loop over an identified musculoskeletal pain site as directed, not over an open cut. Check that clothing or equipment does not shift it, and do not use it to mask pain while continuing an activity that may worsen an injury.
Evaluate Pain Without Testing the Injury
Before use
Have a new or significant injury assessed. Note discomfort during permitted daily activities rather than repeating the movement that caused the injury.
With regular use
Track pain during those permitted activities. Do not increase training simply because pain feels different.
At 7 days
Check in with your doctor if the pain changes, gets worse, or isn't easing after a few weeks. A major impact, rapid swelling, or inability to bear weight needs prompt assessment.
Response and timing vary; some people may not experience relief. Pain relief does not mean the underlying condition has changed.
Safety and when to stop
Not a Cure: ActiPatch® is intended for adjunctive treatment of musculoskeletal pain, not a cure for sports injuries.
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.
Separate a sudden pain from later soreness
A sharp pain during one movement is a different story from an ache that gradually appears after a workout. Note what you were doing when symptoms started, where it hurts, and whether swelling, bruising, or loss of movement followed. These details help a clinician assess the problem; neither pattern confirms an injury type by itself.
Pain relief is not clearance to play
A strain affects a muscle or tendon; a sprain affects a ligament, which connects bones at a joint. Repeated stress can also cause discomfort. Some injuries need diagnosis and rehabilitation. ActiPatch® offers additional musculoskeletal pain relief, but does not repair a torn ligament, speed recovery, or make an early return to sport safe.
Get an injury assessed when needed
Seek prompt assessment after a major impact or fall, for visible deformity, inability to bear weight, or rapid swelling. New numbness or significant weakness also needs attention. If pain persists despite rest or returns as soon as you resume activity, speak with a clinician or qualified sports-medicine professional before pushing through it.
Place it for pain relief, not to push through
Follow the package insert and position the loop over the identified sore muscle or joint. Keep it off open cuts. Do not use it to mask pain while continuing an activity that could worsen an injury. A well-positioned device is still not a substitute for evaluating a new injury or deciding whether training is safe.
Fit wear around your activity plan
During ordinary movement, check that clothing or equipment has not shifted the loop. Secure it on skin with the included tape or a wrap, or over thin clothing, not thick compression layers. Keep it dry and remove before bathing or swimming. Follow your clinician's guidance on activity and return to training, even if pain feels different.
What does the published evidence say?
Rawe and Kotak's 2015 UK chronic-pain registry recorded self-reported pain with wearable pulsed shortwave therapy. It was observational and covered a mixed pain population, not a controlled trial of acute sports injuries. With no randomly assigned inactive-device comparison, it cannot isolate a device effect. It also cannot establish faster injury recovery or a timetable for safe return to play. The science page distinguishes this registry from randomized trials. The evidence here concerns pain relief, not injury repair.
Source: Rawe and Kotak, Pain Management, 2015. Read the ActiPatch® science overview.
Frequently Asked Questions
Explore ActiPatch® for Sports Injury Pain
Explore adjunctive musculoskeletal pain support while keeping injury care and activity advice in place.