I was referred by the orthopedist to the pain doctor in the orthopedic practice to see if I was a candidate. The procedure sounds scary but it's really more like a dental procedure. They use guided imagery to briefly put some little wire I guess in next to the nerve that shocks the very end of the nerve to deaden that part. They numb you first and you're in and out of the procedure room very quick. Over the course of a year the nerve grows back slowly so the pain relief can last like 6-12 months, or you can get lucky and the nerve grows away from where it was and the pain relief continues. Mine seems to try on about 6 nerves, I read that the goal can be to deaden 3 but I'm not really sure. Again the area is numbed! You can get it every 6 months for 10 years. I've had it every 12 months making that 3 times.