A new treatment used to treat knee pain and decrease the use of narcotics after knee surgeries has found its way to Nebraska. Dr. Joshua Urban at OrthoNebraska is the first doctor in Nebraska to use this new treatment involving freezing the nerves that transmit the pain signal from the knee to the brain. This new treatment, Iovera, is not painful, with pain relief instantly lasting 2.5 to 9 months, allowing a delay in total knee replacement for patients with arthritis and a decrease need for pain medication after the total knee replacement (1).
Previous treatments have been associated with burning of the nerves which can be more painful and have an increase in side effects. This takes 2-4 weeks to see results, but can last 8-12 months with nerve regeneration after a year.
Freezing of the nerves is a short term pain management technique which may not be suitable for all patients. Ask your doctor if freezing nerves would work best for you or stop by Premier Physical Therapy for additional information or treatments for chronic knee pain.
