Stellate Ganglion Block

Service Description

Stellate ganglion block (SGB) has been performed to treat sympathetically mediated pain conditions since the 1940s. The procedure involves injection of local anesthetic in and around the stellate ganglion (located at the base of the neck) to temporarily block its function. A 1990 report described a case of reflex sympathetic dystrophy co-occurring with PTSD8 in which right-sided SGB treatments reduced PTSD symptoms. Evidence-Based PTSD Management: 1. Stellate Ganglion Blocks (SGBs) provide a fast and effective long-term treatment of extreme PTSD in patients. 2. The SGB procedure is an injection around a group of nerves outside the spinal column, done under ultrasound and fluoroscopic guidance. 3. In our practice, it is performed by Fellowship-Trained Interventional Pain Anesthesiologists. 4. The the first multisite, randomized clinical trial of SGB outcomes on PTSD symptoms showing efficacy was published in a major journal. "Effect of the Stellate Ganglion Block Treatment on Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms-A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Psychiatry 2019". The participants underwent an SGB and showed a continued improvement over time. The stress intensity score showed normal to mild levels of PTSD. Anxiety, depression, and psychological pain also had the same trend. 5. In pain science, we theorize that stress relief occurs due to a change in the balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems, which act differently from the "fight or flight" reflex. That is the stress system. When we calm down the sympathetic system with this nerve block, the relaxation system takes back control of the stress response. With the SBG, we flip that switch off and induce a sudden calming effect. 6. In a typical patient, the greater the stress at the time of the block, the greater the feeling of relief. 7. For patient safety, we follow the American Society of Anesthesiologists standards for nerve procedures, as well as accessibility to resuscitation equipment, which is vital to the safe performance of SGB by the Capitol Pain Physician.

Contact Details

• 9111 Edmonston Road suite 206, Greenbelt, MD, USA

  (301) 664-2657

  office@capitolpainmd.com