• Carlos Castillo-Rangel, Erendy Sinaí Gallardo-García, Fiorella Fadanelli-Sánchez, Vania Sayuri Hernández-Peña, Alex Missael Trujillo-Ramírez, Edith Del Carmen López-Gómez, Luis I García, María Isabel Iñiguez-Luna, Paulina Martínez-Bretón, Rodrigo Ramírez-Rodríguez, Jaime Ordoñez-Granja, Mayra Guadalupe Trujillo-Aboite, and Gerardo Marín.
• Department of Neurosurgery, "Hospital Regional 1◦ de Octubre", Institute of Social Security and Services for State Workers (ISSSTE), Mexico City, Mexico.
• World Neurosurg. 2024 May 1; 185: e741e749e741-e749.

BackgroundChronic pain management remains a challenging aspect of neurosurgical care, with facet arthrosis being a significant contributor to the global burden of low back pain. This study evaluates the effectiveness of cryotherapy as a minimally invasive treatment for patients with facet arthrosis. By focusing on reducing drug dependency and pain intensity, the research aims to contribute to the evolving field of pain management techniques, offering an alternative to traditional pain management strategies.MethodsThrough a retrospective longitudinal analysis of patients with facet osteoarthritis treated via cryotherapy between 2013 and 2023, we evaluated the impact on medication usage and pain levels, utilizing the Visual Analog Scale for pre- and posttreatment comparisons.ResultsThe study encompassed 118 subjects, revealing significant pain alleviation, with Visual Analog Scale scores plummeting from 9.0 initially to 2.0 after treatment. Additionally, 67 patients (56.78%) reported decreased medication consumption. These outcomes underscore cryotherapy's potential as a pivotal tool in chronic pain management.ConclusionsThe findings illuminate cryotherapy's efficacy in diminishing pain and curtailing medication dependency among patients with facet arthrosis. This study reaffirms cryotherapy's role in pain management and propels the discourse on nontraditional therapeutic avenues, highlighting the urgent need for personalized and innovative treatment frameworks.Published by Elsevier Inc.

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