Sometimes injections performed to treat peripheral nerve pain only provide temporary relief. In order to achieve longer lasting relief, Cryoneurolysis may be performed. This procedure involves freezing the peripheral nerve that is causing the patient’s chronic pain. This is most commonly used for peripheral nerves in an extremity, an occipital nerve for treatment of headaches, or an intercostal nerve for treatment of a post-thoracotomy syndrome (pain following thoracic surgery). In cryoneurolysis a large probe is inserted near the peripheral nerve. Once the peripheral nerve has been identified with electrical stimulation, the nerve is frozen to -70oC. This results in an effective block of the nerve for approximately a 4-8 month period during which time hopefully the initial nerve problem will heal so the pain will not recur.