AVACEN Medical
Drug-Free, Noninvasive Pain Management

In 2020, nearly 143 million opioid prescriptions were written in the U.S. alone. Although millions of patients depend on opioid-based treatments for chronic or acute pain, surveys show as few as 23 percent of patients found them to be effective. At the same time, addiction is a major issue. Over 10 million people in the U.S. misuse opioids each year, resulting in overdoses and approximately 70,000 deaths in 2020. The evolving sentiment in the medical community is to facilitate non-opioid pain management solutions, supported by 78 percent of surveyed adults preferring non-drug treatment options.

AVACEN Medical—its name derived from Advanced VAscular Circulation ENhancement—is at the helm of bringing forward an opioid-free future.

The company is helping users manage pain while avoiding adverse effects of opioids via its breakthrough AVACEN Treatment Method (ATM), which combines heat and negative pressure to provide systemic pain relief. By slowly infusing heat into the bloodstream via the palm of the hand, microvascular circulation increases, blood viscosity decreases, and oxygenation is enhanced. Increased microcirculation has been shown to improve inflammatory and immune response. This treatment method diminishes pain caused by certain conditions, reducing the dependence on opioids.

“The ATM was designed to provide temporary pain relief via a noninvasive, drug-free, over-the-counter treatment for users suffering from a broad range of pain-related conditions, including arthritis, joint and muscle pain, and potentially other conditions that can cause joint pain, such as CRPS, Raynaud’s, and Lyme disease,” says Anthony Shimkin, President and CEO of AVACEN Medical.

Leveraging Microcirculation to Decrease Stress

AVACEN offers a unique pain management solution through its FDA Cleared, Class II medical devices, including products for professional environments like the new AVACEN PRO+. It is an over-the-counter product that can be purchased without a prescription either through AVACEN distributors or at www. avacen.com. AVACEN’s line of home devices are affordable and easy to use. They are comprised of two elements – a vacuum chamber and a heat-transfer element.

Users wear AVACEN’s uniquely designed mitts and place their hand inside the device’s vacuum chamber. Upon pressing the start button, the device gently seals a cuff around the wrist. The microprocessor then manages the application of negative pressure and heat using a series of over 4,000 computerized instructions.

The heat-transfer pad on the device warms the palm infusing heat into the underlying vascular network using the arterio-venous anastomoses (AVAs), which slowly and safely warms and thins the blood. The warmer, lower-viscosity blood from the palm then travels to the heart, from where it is redistributed throughout the body slowly raising core body temperature, forcing the capillaries to dilate and dissipate the AVACEN infused heat. Dilating the capillaries improves microcirculation. Warmer, lower-viscosity blood relaxes the muscles and engages the parasympathetic nervous system, preventing the body from overworking, reducing stress and encouraging healing.

By improving microcirculation and restoring the body to a more composed state, AVACEN devices enhance the delivery of oxygen and nutrition to cells as well as the removal of toxins. This approach also has been shown to enhance inflammatory and immune response. AVACEN’s treatment method, which takes approximately 20 minutes, results in healthier, more relaxed muscles and stress relief.

Streamlining Access to Novel Pain Management

AVACEN has come a long way since its inception in 2009 when Thomas Muehlbauer developed the breakthrough pain relief technology while working with a leading research university.

AVACEN has been awarded five U.S. and twelve international patents, with others pending for its apparatus and methods that support its innovative medical process called the AVACEN Treatment Method. The patents also cover multiple therapeutic uses to alleviate symptoms associated with a circulatory, neurological, lymphatic, endocrinal dysfunction, or any combination thereof.

“Over 8,000 AVACEN devices have been field-tested globally, supporting over 20 million treatments to date. The vast majority of people using our devices reported significant pain relief within days, but this can vary depending on the severity of conditions and biological makeup of users,” says Shimkin.

AVACEN devices have been granted FDA Class II Clearance for temporary pain relief due to specific indications. Outside of home-based devices, including the company’s new HOME XL offering, AVACEN provides devices for professional clinical settings. These include the PRO+ device, as well as AVACEN’s new CSS device (Cardiac Stress Screening).

This accelerated plethysmography device provides 1-, 3-, and 5-minute scans to check arterial health and heart rate variability.

Enhancing Patient Experiences with Lasting Benefits

AVACEN’s recent overseas user trials continue to support improved outcomes. In two nursing home studies, between 84 percent to 95 percent of users experienced pain reduction or elimination, while 26 percent to 32 percent of users were able to reduce or eliminate medication usage.

One of many success stories involves a patient with arthritis who overcame the need for pharmacological medication. Unable to achieve the expected outcome with various drugs, she switched to an AVACEN device on a recommendation and experienced near immediate relief.

The cost of pain management is also greatly reduced. Rather than out of pocket spending between $5,200 to $7,400 per year on chronic pain medications and doctors’ visits, patients can make a less expensive one-time purchase or monthly lease investment in an AVACEN device and enjoy lasting benefits. Patients no longer have to make inconvenient repeat trips to clinics or emergency rooms, or experience the side effects of opioids and other drugs. With AVACEN’s far more cost-effective alternative, patients and their family members can gain greater control of their pain treatment expenditures.

Over 8,000 AVACEN devices have been field-tested globally, supporting over 20 million treatments to date

AVACEN realizes that in uncommon cases, the company’s devices aren’t effective for users, so AVACEN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Ushering in the Future of Pain Management

AVACEN is intent on making its products available to a broader patient base by leveraging its robust distributor network, including hundreds of independent sales representatives. The company continues to investigate the benefits of microcirculation and how AVACEN devices may help treat a variety of other conditions.

The company is also expanding its global reach. Through the company’s website and select distribution partners, potential customers from around the globe can now purchase AVACEN devices in areas, from Europe to Asia. By blazing a trail of innovation toward more effective and less harmful treatment approaches, AVACEN is working to ensure users have access to a broad range of convenient, cost-effective and opioid-free healthcare treatment options.