The iovera® injection is a form of focused cryotherapy that uses the body’s natural response to cold to treat peripheral nerves and immediately reduce pain— without the use of drugs. Just as ice temporarily minimizes swelling and blocks pain signals to the brain by numbing the signaling nerves, iovera® uses the body’s natural response to cold to treat peripheral nerves and immediately reduce pain.
Results from the iovera® treatment can be felt immediately after treatment and can last up to 90 days.
The iovera® injection is given using a handheld device guided by imagery of your knee in a simple, safe, in-office procedure. The treatment takes around 15 to 30 minutes per area treated. The nerve then takes some weeks to regenerate, giving you relief for up to 90 days.
The procedure starts with ultrasound imaging to identify the exact nerves sending pain signals to the brain. We’ll carefully mark the skin above and below the knee, just over the nerves we are going to treat. A little lidocaine is used to numb the area, and a cooling spray applied just before each injection.
The iovera® device is primed with CO2, and has three tiny needles that penetrate the skin and surround the nerve to “freeze” it. You’ll feel a mild prick or sting, similar to acupuncture. A tingling sensation may shoot down the nerve as the ice crystal forms, and then your pain should be gone.
At NHOI Sports Medicine we use iovera® for several different purposes.
If you have chronic knee pain that has been resistant to other types of treatment, iovera® can provide long spells of relief without the need to resort to oral medications. It’s a great solution for those looking for a holistic, non-opioid pain management solution.
It is however, important to note the effect is temporary, helping you manage your pain. It does not change the underlying condition for which your physician has recommended surgery or other therapies.
If you’re waiting for knee surgery and are in a lot of pain, iovera® is the perfect bridge treatment to get you to your surgery date and beyond. The iovera® treatment can been performed prior to knee surgery to assist in prehabilitation exercises, as well as closer to the time of surgery to help reduce pain during surgery and pain in the critical weeks following surgery.
Administering iovera® before your surgery, proactively treats your pain. You can benefit from highly effective relief in the weeks of recovery after your procedure, without worrying about oral meds causing gastric upset or interfering with mental clarity.
Contact us today and see if you are a candidate for iovera® treatment with Dr. Clay Gunn. Either as a bridge while you wait for a knee surgery date, an option for post-surgical relief, or as a stand-alone pain management option for chronic knee pain.