Cryoanalgesia?

Defined

Cryoanalgesia is a process that has been used for years and is in recent years been becoming more and more focused so that it has reached a very high success rate for the treatment of pain on a prolonged temporary basis.

Basically, this method of pain relief is a way of actually freezing nerves or certain areas so that they are no longer painful. This is a technique that has been practiced throughout time. For instance, some people have used an ice cube to freeze their earlobe before attempting to pierce it at home. While this is not a strict form of how this technique is used, it does function under the same principles.

Common Uses

This procedure is commonly used for people who experience chronic pain in certain areas, most especially in the area of the feet and ankles. These problems tend to be most common in people who have other health problems, such as diabetes, weight problems that put unnecessary stress on the foot and ankle and injuries to this area of the body.

Preparations and Risks

Preparing to go through cryoanalgesia is fairly simple. Your doctor may have detailed plans for you to follow before coming in for the procedure, but in general, most of the preparing involves how you will do after the surgery.

Most people are able to get back into their normal routine fairly soon after having this procedure done. It is recommended however, that the individual limit their physical activity for the first 24-48 hours after undergoing the procedure. Part of this is because there may be a tendency to overdo things and cause more damage to oneself than is already there.

The risks of the procedure are very minimal and are dependent on the skill of the doctor doing the procedure. The risk is that the appropriate nerve may not be found and that only the area around the nerve will be numbed. Again, these risks are very minimal due to the fact that advances in medicine are likely to make finding the appropriate nerve a simpler task.

What to Expect

This procedure is relatively simple. There is a small incision made in order to be able to get the instrument under the skin. This incision is so small in fact that there is no need for sutures when the procedure is complete. The nerve area is stimulated so that the appropriate nerve or nerves can be found. That nerve or group of nerves is then numbed using this procedure so that it no longer feels pain.

This pain relief method tends to last for around six months. Normally this procedure is done when all other pain relief methods have failed and the patient is experiencing chronic pain that may even inhibit their day to day functioning.

Resources

References: https://www.njfootandankledocs.com/cryo.php