REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Oct. 2, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- myoscience announced today the launch of its iovera° system for the treatment of anterior and interior knee pain at three practices in the San Francisco Bay area: Remedy Medical Group, Fremont Holistic Center and California Spine Care. The iovera° system, cleared by the FDA to treat peripheral nerve pain, utilizes its patented Focused Cold Therapy™ delivery system to apply a controlled cold zone via a Smart Tip to specific nerves for precise and predictable pain relief.
"We are pleased that these Bay Area pain specialists are joining the growing ranks of leading facilities in the nation offering the iovera° system for knee pain sufferers," said Jeff Gold, myoscience President and Chief Operating Officer. "The iovera° treatment gives physicians the opportunity to safely address their patients' peripheral nerve pain – the immediate result allows them to see the relief and the subsequent excitement first hand."
Frequent knee pain affects approximately 25% of adults, limits function and mobility, and impairs quality of life.1 Peripheral nerves treated with the iovera° system stop signalling pain for a set period of time, usually up to 3 months, after which their function is restored. Because peripheral nerve function is disrupted rather than destroyed, the treatment is safe, effective and temporary.
"iovera° is unique in that it offers safe, highly targeted pain relief right at the peripheral nerve involved in a patient's pain," said David Smolins, M.D., Remedy Medical Group. "It's exciting to see so many of my patients come in with debilitating knee pain and walk out of my office pain-free after their first iovera° treatment."
"Our patients are delighted to have the option of a non-invasive, drug-free treatment that specifically targets the area of pain," said Santi Rao, M.D., California Spine Care. "We are finding that if patients can avoid or reduce their use of systemic medicines and their side effects, they prefer that option."
"Our patients are achieving immediate and sustained pain relief which allows them to comfortably pursue and make progress in physical therapy, but also, and perhaps more importantly, get back to the activities that matter most to them," said Barry Shibuya, M.D, Founder and Medical Director, Fremont Holistic Center.
The iovera° system delivers liquid nitrous oxide from a convenient and powerful handheld device to the closed-end probes of the Smart Tip during treatment. While this highly pressurized liquid travels from the hand piece to the Smart Tip, it undergoes a phase change and becomes very cold, drawing in heat energy from the surrounding tissue and forming a precise zone of cold at the targeted nerve. The gaseous nitrous oxide returns into the hand piece, leaving nothing behind in the body. This precise cold treatment causes a reversible nerve block based on a process called Wallerian degeneration. Pain is relieved in sensory nerves, which send messages to the central nervous system. Pain relief can last up to 3 months, at which time predictable restoration of nerve function occurs.
About iovera°
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cleared the iovera° system for use in peripheral nerves in January 2013. The iovera° system is being used most frequently for knee pain but can be used to treat pain in any peripheral nerve. The iovera° system is specifically cleared to destroy tissue during surgical procedures by applying cold temperature. It can also be used to produce lesions in peripheral nervous tissue by the application of cold to the selected site for the blocking of pain. The iovera° system is not indicated for treatment of central nervous system tissue.
About Fremont Holistic Center
Fremont Holistic Center, located in Fremont, CA, integrates the best of Western and non-Western practices through a therapeutic relationship to care for the entire person (mind, body and spirit). For more information about Fremont Holistic Center please visit: http://www.fremontholistic.com. Patients interested in iovera° treatment at the center can call: 510-585-3055.
About Remedy Medical Center
Remedy Medical Center, with offices in Redwood City and San Francisco, CA, understands that patient health and wellness begins today. The Center's medical team has been selected and organized in order to effectively practice all aspects of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, and Pain Management. Remedy provides diagnosis, medication management, interventional care, patient education, as well as alternative therapies. For more information about Remedy Medical Center please visit: http://www.remedydocs.com. Patients interested in iovera° treatment at the center can call: 415-819-6575.
About California Spine Care
California Spine Care, located in San Francisco, Concord and Sacramento, CA, is dedicated to the care and treatment of people with neck, back and joint pain. The center provides a thorough evaluation, comprehensive diagnosis, and treatment plan for its patients. They specialize in non-surgical techniques, injection treatments, as well as state of the art surgery options. For more information about California Spine Care please visit: Patients interested in iovera° treatment at the center can call: 925-691-1700.
About myoscience
Silicon Valley, California-based myoscience is a privately-held medical device company committed to making its platform technology, Focused Cold Therapy, the standard of care for the treatment of peripheral nerve conditions. Focused Cold Therapy is the patented technology delivered by the ioveraº system. The ioveraº system is currently approved in Europe and Canada for temporary wrinkle reduction, temporary pain reduction and treatment of dermatologic conditions, and is indicated in the United States for use in pain management and general surgical use. For more information, please visit www.myoscience.com.
© 2014 myoscience. All rights reserved. iovera° and Focused Cold Therapy are trademarks of myoscience.
1 Nguyen, Uyen-Sa D.T., DSc, et al. "Increasing Prevalence of Knee Pain and Symptomatic Knee Osteoarthritis," Ann Intern Med. (2011 December 6); 155(11): 725–732.