Pain Care Labs, the industry leader in noninvasive pain relief devices, announced today the presentation of two studies on the company’s focal vibration device (VibraCool) at the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (AAPM&R) Annual Assembly. One Late Breaking Abstract showed the focal vibration frequency of VibraCool was four times as effective as transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) for back and shoulder pain, and twice as effective for osteoarthritis. Additionally, a separate independent pilot study on opioid use following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) found patients using VibraCool with ice and a proprietary mechanical frequency used only 10 Percocet tablets following surgery, a 35 percent reduction from a published historical cohort at the same institution. The studies proved that the VibraCool neuromodulatory device shows strong potential as alternative home pain relief therapy compared to addictive controlled substances.

“With the nation’s opioid crisis at a critical level, we are very excited about these results. Our technology is proving to be better than physical therapy-strength TENS units for home pain relief. It dramatically reduced opioid use post-surgery, when addiction can start,” says Amy Baxter, MD, CEO and Chief Medical Officer, Pain Care Labs. “VibraCool uses motion and ice to harness two newly discovered physiologic pain pathways: one mechanical frequency blocks pain, one competes with pain for the brain’s attention. The two intense sensations stop pain cold, without pharmaceutical help.”

VibraCool is an FDA-cleared medical device that provides a combination of ice and focal vibration to treat pain. Its high-frequency, low-amplitude oscillation targets mechanoreceptors that inhibit pain via spinal gating mechanisms. In the TENS study, the late-breaking trial used a randomized crossover design of 20 physical therapy patients who rated pain from a variety of causes before and after a 20 minute session. In the ACL pilot, pain and the number of opioid tablets used over seven days were tracked on a mobile phone application for 14 patients. On average, VibraCool patients used fewer opioids than in a published study using opioid reduction coaching, and 12 were off opioids by their follow up visit (4+/-2 days).

“The human body is designed to adapt to motion. Recent research shows specific vibration frequencies benefit physical therapy and improve post-surgical outcomes. When combined with cryotherapy, vibration can block even intense post-operative and rehab pain. By applying the technology we’ve been using for sharp pain for a decade, we can effectively reduce chronic pain with noninvasive, non-pharmaceutical methods. We want to address the nation’s opioid crisis with prevention,” says Baxter.

Future work will include an NIH-funded randomized controlled trial to test the impact of Pain Care Labs’ new low back pain device on opioid use.