Pain Management
How does Cryoanalgesia Work?
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Principles of Cryoanalgesia and Nerve Location
Cryoanalgesia for pain management involves the
locating and freezing of the nerve associated with the
pain. The relevant nerve is located either by palpation
and observation of the patient’s response or by using
the probe tip and a nerve stimulation feature.
In a case where neuro-stimulation is indicated, the
cryoprobe is inserted in the area of the pain,
accurate tip positioning is achieved by activating the
nerve stimulation function and observing the patient’s
response as the location of the probe tip is
repositioned. The probe tip is the active electrode of the
built-in nerve stimulator and the circuit is completed
via a patient grounding pad.
The output stimulator allows a choice of frequencies
to achieve a motor or sensory nerve response. This
feature, combined with a choice of polarity for the wave
form and a voltage rate of between 0v and 5v, allows the
clinician to accurately locate the nerve prior to
initiating the freeze cycle.
Once the probe is positioned accurately on the nerve
the freeze cycle is initiated. In a typical treatment
the freeze is conducted for 3 minutes followed by a 30
second defrost and then a final 3 minute freeze is
conducted. The number of freezes and the length of the
freeze cycle will depend on the type of equipment and
the clinical evaluation. |
