Adventist Health Glendale | Healthline Quarterly | Fall 2018

WHEN PAIN gets you down, it can be debilitating both physically and mentally. That’s why we want to help you get back on your feet—with little or no pain. Revolutionary care and treatment is now being offered by Eileen Wong, MD, a physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist at the Adventist Health Glendale Spine & Orthopedic Institute. We met with Dr. Wong to learn about the mechanism of musculoskeletal pain and how it can be treated without inva- sive surgery or pain medications. Understanding the cause Dr. Wong explains that all pain is trans- mitted and modulated by complex neu- ral pathways, which consist of signals transmitted through peripheral nerves, up the spinal cord and into the brain. Revolutionary care A new technology known as Iovera ® blocks the pain signal at the level of the peripheral nerves (nerves that connect the brain and spinal cord to the entire Stopping pain cold human body) so the spinal cord and brain do not receive the pain signal. Treatment includes the precise delivery of controlled temperatures of -20 degrees Celsius to the area. The procedure is safe and works by stunning or partially damaging the painful nerves with cold temperatures. Treating with Iovera ® Patients who Dr. Wong treats with Iovera ® are experiencing results that are not only positive, but also immediate. “Basically, the body’s natural response to cold is used to freeze the peripheral nerves and reduce the level of pain,” she says. “What happens next is that the nerves stop sending pain signals to the brain, and patients can almost immediately resume normal activity just as they come off the procedure table.” Iovera ® delivers cold therapy via a needle-based procedure. The good news is that there are no injections, medica- tions, painkillers or narcotics used with Iovera ®  therapy can help you with pain immediately by using focused cold therapy applied to painful nerves—without the use of pain medications. the treatment. For patients who are tired of taking pain medications only to end up feeling the pain over and over again, Iovera ® is here to help. Dr. Wong notes that this treatment is not permanent, and it may be necessary to repeat in 90 to 150 days. Each patient can have a different response, and the amount of time before treatment is needed may vary. Who is the right patient? Studies have shown that the majority of patients with knee osteoarthritis can benefit from Iovera ® treatment as presurgical or postsurgical pain treatment. It can also be used as an alternative treatment to pain from osteoarthritis; however, it does not fix the underlying arthritis or degenerative joint disease. Iovera ® is also appropriate to use for conditions such as chronic shoulder pain, occipital neuralgia, Morton’s neuroma and knee pain after surgery. Source: Myoscience (iovera.com) Eileen Wong, MD Dr. Wong joined Adventist Health Glendale after completing her residency in physical medicine and rehabilitation at Loma Linda University Medical Center. There, she served as chief resident and was awarded the Murray Brandstater Leadership Award. Dr. Wong specializes in the non- operative care of musculoskeletal problems using injections, physical therapy, acupuncture and yoga. Her interests include sports medicine, stroke and traumatic brain injury, overuse injuries, and spasticity management. She also has experience in nerve conduction studies and electromyography. 2 WELLNESS