Premier Center First to Offer Advanced Treatment for Pain in Southern California

    BURBANK, CA, March 19, 2016 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Reginald Ajakwe, MD and Raymond Tatevossian, MD of Comprehensive Pain Physicians are pleased to announce the first commercial implantation of the Senza spinal cord stimulator (SCS) in Los Angeles. The Senza SCS system, which delivers Nevro's proprietary HF10 therapy (Nevro Corporation, Menlo Park, CA), is a recently FDA-approved spinal cord stimulator that has demonstrated superior results compared to traditional SCS for the treatment of back and leg pain in a large multi-center study in the United States.

"We're honored and excited to be the first pain management physicians in Los Angeles to offer this promising technology to patients with chronic lower back and leg pain," said Dr. Tatevossian. "The results of the SENZA-RCT is an excellent modality for patients who have had failed spine surgery because it allows patients to have improved qualify of life and less reliance on pain meds. We have patients who have noted near complete pain relief for the first time in 5 years or more," said Dr. Ajakwe.

100 million people in the U.S. suffer from common chronic pain conditions1, and chronic pain is the primary cause of adult disability in the United States2. The majority of these pain conditions are felt in the back or legs. SCS represents another option to treat chronic pain. Dr. Tatevossian explained "there are a variety of treatment options for chronic pain that range from medications to surgical interventions, but this stimulator is an effective and safe therapy that helps to significantly reduce pain scores, improve function, and greatly improve quality of life of our patients."

SCS involves the delivery of electrical signals to the spinal cord in order to alter pain signals to the brain. The electrical pulses are delivered by small electrodes on leads that are placed near the spinal cord and are connected to a compact, battery-powered generator implanted under the skin. SCS is a reversible therapy that has helped hundreds of thousands of people experience relief from chronic pain.

HF10 therapy, Nevro's high-frequency therapy at 10,000 Hz, represents a significant advance in spinal cord stimulation. FDA approval for HF10 therapy included superior labeling over traditional SCS therapy (HF10 therapy is the only SCS therapy with this distinction), validating that HF10 therapy reduces pain more effectively in more patients.

Additionally, HF10 therapy is the only SCS therapy designed to deliver pain relief without paresthesia (a stimulation-induced sensation, such as tingling, burning, or pricking, which is the basis of traditional SCS) and is also the only SCS system approved by the FDA to be used without patient restrictions on driving while receiving therapy.

Citations:
1. Debono DJ, et al. Caring for Patients with Chronic Pain: Pearls and Pitfalls. J Am Osteopath Assoc. 2013 Aug; 113(8):620-7.

2. Relieving Pain in America: A Blueprint for Transforming Prevention, Care, Education, and Research. Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, 2011.

Contact: Jeff Neiman at Emdee Connect - (213) 373-1660 - [email protected]

Dr. Ajakwe and Dr. Tatevossian are co-founders of Comprehensive Pain Physicians located at 201 South Buena Vista Street Suite 238, Burbank, California 91505. Their mission is to provide permanent relief from chronic pain through a comprehensive approach. To learn more, go to http://www.cpppaincenter.com for more information.

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