You know the relief that can come from applying an ice pack to an injury. Ice works by relieving inflammation and blocking pain signals so you’re more comfortable.
That’s great for superficial pain. But what if you could capture that cooling relief and use it to treat deep nerve pain? The good news: It’s possible with the state-of-the-art iovera°® system.
At Superior Pain Relief, Dr. Zaid Malik and our team use iovera° advanced pain management to target nerve pain directly, blocking nerve-mediated pain signals. To help you prepare for cryoanalgesia, we’re using this month’s blog to explain how iovera° therapy works and how it could help relieve your chronic pain symptoms.
Cryoanalgesia means using cold to relieve or reduce pain. For superficial types of pain, such as bruises or insect bites, ice helps temporarily block pain signals in your skin so you feel less discomfort. For nerve pain, iovera° works similarly — but at a deeper level.
Your treatment begins with a local anesthetic to numb your skin. Next, Dr. Malik inserts a tiny probe and positions the tip near the nerve that’s causing pain signals. Diagnostic imaging helps make sure the tip is in the correct position.
Then, Dr. Malik uses it to administer cold energy, creating a “freezing zone” that temporarily damages the nerve so it no longer transmits pain. At the same time, the tip applies gentle warmth to the surrounding tissue so it’s not affected by the cold energy.
Cryoanalgesia with the iovera° system offers a multitude of benefits for people with chronic pain and for people with pain following surgery or trauma. For patients, one of the key benefits is how quickly it works. Many enjoy immediate relief from painful symptoms so they can get back to the activities they love.
Because it’s minimally invasive, the iovera° procedure is quick, too — about a half-hour — and there’s no downtime afterward. With effects lasting months, iovera° treatment can be repeated as needed to provide long-term relief tailored to your needs and goals.
The cutting-edge iovera° procedure reduces pain without relying on large doses of medication. That makes it an ideal option for anyone who wants to avoid prolonged courses of medication or who can’t take medication due to allergies or other side effects.
Our team specializes in custom pain solutions focused on each patient’s unique needs for optimal, lasting symptom relief.
To learn more about cryoanalgesia and other pain-relief therapies that can help you feel better, request an appointment online or over the phone with Dr. Malik and the team at Superior Pain Relief in Houston, Baytown, Willis, and The Woodlands, Texas, today.
