Natasha Smith, diagnosed in 2010 with occipital neuralgia, suffered from debilitating headache pain almost daily for over seven years. Having to take medical leave from work and with virtually no quality of life, Natasha was losing hope of ever having a life without constant head pain. A nonsurgical option called Iovera Cryotherapy through the Comprehensive Headache Center at Ochsner Baptist, has left her pain-free since 2016 and has restored her life and hope.

Iovera works through injections in the nerves on either or both sides of the neck and head by temporarily degenerating the nerves through a freezing process. There are no chemicals or medications, just by using an ice tipped needle.

For Natasha, the Iovera treatment has been worth traveling from Lafayette, LA. “I had really lost all hope. From the beginning when I came to Ochsner, I was reassured my care team knew what I was going through and I trusted them enough to be one of the first patients to have this done. Now, I am back at work and feel like I have my life back.”

Watch Natasha’s story and learn more about this treatment in the video on this page.