Freezing Knee Nerves Kills Pain

Vinod Dasa, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon at Louisiana’s State University (LSU) Health Sciences Center, is pioneering the use of iOvera, a nonsurgical pain treatment for patients with arthritis and other knee and joint issues. He sees the use of iOvera as helping close a growing gap between some arthritis patients’ budgets and the treatments available to them to help ease their pain.

With iOvera, Dasa can temporarily freeze the nerves around the knee, alleviating a patient’s pain while avoiding nerve damage or surgery. “Whatever the reason is, this is another tool to try to help them if surgery is not an option or they don’t want surgery right away, ” he said. LSU Health Sciences Center is one of only 20 medical facilities in the U.S. to offer iOvera treatment for orthopedic use.

iOvera uses nitrous oxide canisters to freeze tiny needles to minus 126 degrees. Once they are injected into the skin, the needles freeze the pain nerves and bring instant relief.

“I’ve had some patients that can last for a few weeks. I’ve had other patients gain six to eight months of pain relief, ” Dasa said. “No chemicals, no drug, no nothing—we’re just taking advantage of the natural ability; the body’s natural response to cold, and putting it to our advantage.”

iOvera has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for pain. It is manufactured by Myoscience, Inc. of Silicon Valley, California. The company was founded in 2005 and is dedicated to focused cold therapy as a treatment for conditions involving nerves.