COOLIEF and Chronic Joint Pain Relief

Chronic knee, hip and shoulder joint pain are some of the most common diseases associated with advanced age. Nearly 20 million U.S. adults suffer from osteoarthritis of the knee and symptomatic osteoarthritis of the hip affects over 4% of adults over the age of 55. Roughly 700,000 chronic joint pain cases progress to total joint replacement each year.

A large demographic of chronic joint pain patients are not candidates for invasive procedures due to their body type, age and other diseases. These patients are mainly managed medically or with alternative therapies such as arthroscopic debridement or injections with less than optimal relief. However, COOLIEF is a relatively recent procedure that has been shown to offer long-lasting relief for some patients. 

What Is COOLIEF?

COOLIEF, or Cooled Radiofrequency Treatment, is a minimally invasive and non-surgical outpatient procedure covered by all major insurance carriers to target and treat the nerves causing chronic joint or back pain. This advanced procedure uses cooled radio frequency energy to safely target the sensory nerves causing pain.

How Does It Work?

COOLIEF circulates water through the device while heating tissues to create a treatment area that is large enough to ablate the pain nerves. This combination targets the pain-causing nerves without excessive heating, leading to pain relief for prolonged periods.

Do Patients With Joint Pain Benefit From COOLIEF?

Studies have demonstrated that cooled radio frequency treatment can relieve chronic back pain in patients for up to 24 months. Recent studies of Knee pain should extend pain relief over 12 months before repeating the procedure. After which this technology became the first and only radio frequency treatment to be cleared by FDA specifically to relieve knee arthritis pain. Multiple studies are still ongoing showing prolonged relief for HIP and shoulder pain

Is COOLIEF Right For Me?

Patients with chronic joint pain who are not candidates for surgery or for whom surgery has failed to help with pain relief should speak with their physician, who can properly assess their condition. COOLIEF must be administered by a trained physician. Patients should ask their physician to determine if the procedure is right for them.

What Should I Expect After The Procedure?

Patients may experience some discomfort at the radio frequency site for a very short period, but this discomfort can be treated with common over-the-counter medication. Unlike surgery, there is no incision.

How Soon Can I Go Home After Treatment?

Patients should be able to return home on the same day shortly after the treatment. They can expect to return to work or their normal activities in less than 48 hours with improved physical function and reduced use of pain medications.