A system for pulmonary treatment, comprising: a pulmonary treatment device having an energy delivery element positionable through at least a portion of a trachea into an airway and configured to deliver energy to a wall of the airway to alter nerve tissue located at a target site in or proximate to the wall of the airway; and a protection device having a protection member positionable in an esophagus while the pulmonary treatment device is positioned in the airway, the protection member being configured to absorb heat from a wall of the esophagus to inhibit damage to esophageal tissue, a media delivery system fluidicallv coupled to the pulmonary treatment device and the protection device , the media delivery system being configured to deliver cooling media through the pulmonary treatment device to cool the energy delivery element and configured to deliver cooling media through the protection device to cool the protection member a control module coupled to the pulmonary treatment device. wherein the control module has one or more communication devices configured to communicate with the media delivery system or the control module includes the media delivery system so that a single unit can control operation of the pulmonary treatment device and the protection device , wherein the system is configured such that by adjusting the rate of power delivery to the energy delivery element , a rate at which cooling media is supplied through the pulmonary treatment device , a rate at which media is supplied through the protection device , and temperatures of the cooling media in the pulmonary treatment device and the protection device , the nerve tissue at the target site is altered while damage to esophageal tissue and non-target tissue is inhibited. a pulmonary treatment device having an energy delivery element positionable through at least a portion of a trachea into an airway and configured to deliver energy to a wall of the airway to alter nerve tissue located at a target site in or proximate to the wall of the airway; and a protection device having a protection member positionable in an esophagus while the pulmonary treatment device is positioned in the airway, the protection member being configured to absorb heat from a wall of the esophagus to inhibit damage to esophageal tissue, a media delivery system fluidicallv coupled to the pulmonary treatment device and the protection device , the media delivery system being configured to deliver cooling media through the pulmonary treatment device to cool the energy delivery element and configured to deliver cooling media through the protection device to cool the protection member a control module coupled to the pulmonary treatment device. wherein the control module has one or more communication devices configured to communicate with the media delivery system or the control module includes the media delivery system so that a single unit can control operation of the pulmonary treatment device and the protection device , wherein the system is configured such that by adjusting the rate of power delivery to the energy delivery element , a rate at which cooling media is supplied through the pulmonary treatment device , a rate at which media is supplied through the protection device , and temperatures of the cooling media in the pulmonary treatment device and the protection device , the nerve tissue at the target site is altered while damage to esophageal tissue and non-target tissue is inhibited. <EOS>