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Freezing Out Joint Pain with iovera°
At least 1 in 6 adults in every state in the U.S. has arthritis. About 25% of the population in Florida is affected with doctor-diagnosed arthritis –that’s over 4.1 million adults in just this state. Osteoarthritis (OA), the most common type of arthritis, is a degenerative joint disease that predominantly affects knees, hips, and shoulders. This condition often results in debilitating symptoms, including pain, stiffness, and a reduction in mobility.
Aside from the physical pain, these symptoms can impact day-to-day life by hindering a person’s sleep quality, mood and everyday activities. In fact, more than 9 in 10 patients have skipped out on social events, and 28% said their everyday mental health was negatively affected by the ongoing pain. As such, they reported that the condition prevents them from living a full life.
Patients often try a mix of at-home and prescription treatments to relieve their pain and get back to the hobbies and activities they enjoy. Over-the-counter options like medications, topical creams, ice, and elevation may provide some immediate comfort, but they struggle to achieve the extended relief patients seek.
Opioids may also be prescribed to help manage OA-related pain; however, patients can experience associated negative side effects. These include nausea, constipation, and drowsiness, which can all be counterproductive to getting patients back on track to enjoying everyday activities and events. Plus, the risk of opioid misuse, tolerance development and diminished efficacy over time, and the potential for addiction are all cause for concern.
Eventually, many patients ultimately undergo joint replacement surgery for more permanent relief. In fact, surgery rates have grown in the last decade, with total knee replacement and total hip replacement procedures both expected to increase. Even so, some people choose to delay surgery or may not currently be a candidate for a variety of reasons. For those who are looking to get back to their daily activities and hobbies without constant knee pain, there are options available that can provide ongoing pain management with a single treatment.
One option patients should talk to their doctor about is iovera°, an FDA-cleared handheld device that delivers targeted cold therapy to the nerves causing pain. This immediately stops their ability to transmit a pain signal, providing relief for up to 90 days. iovera° can be used to treat pain in the knee, hip, shoulder, foot/ankle and even the neck. The procedure takes about 30 minutes and is done right in a doctor’s office to provide immediate and lasting pain relief.
Some doctors might also recommend receiving iovera° prior to knee replacement surgery to help alleviate pain before and after the procedure. In addition to reducing pain, it has been shown to improve patients’ range of motion following surgery. iovera° is also a non-drug, non-opioid option, which has been proven to significantly reduce the need for opioids after knee replacement surgery, with a 45% reduction in opioid use at 12 weeks post-surgery and a 68% decrease in opioids consumed during the hospital stay.
When addressing OA pain, it’s important to have open, honest conversations with your doctor about the extent and severity of your symptoms and any questions or concerns you may have about certain treatments. Know there are effective options available that can provide long-lasting relief, allowing you to get back to the everyday activities that you may have had to put off. Find a doctor in your area who is using iovera° to see if this immediate pain management option is right for you at www.iovera.com/find-a-doctor.
For more information, please visit www.iovera.com/risks.
This article is sponsored by Pacira BioSciences, Inc.
