When it becomes difficult to maintain a patients pain through medications, a nerve block may be ordered by the physician. Nerve blocks can be helpful in that they can improve symptoms, determine the source of pain, and can predict if the pain will respond to other treatment options. The procedure includes numbing the skin and using a medication to numb the nerve. Eg. occipital nerve block. These injections sometimes last for six months or longer. If the patient responds for each injection but only for a small period of time, Cryotherapy can be used for a longer effect (usually around 12months). Places may include; feet, hands, limbs, head/face, etc.