51. Stellate Ganglion Block for Pain and Parasympathetic Nerve Reset

Drs. Peter McCullough and Groysman

Stellate Ganglion Block for Head, Neck, and Upper Body Pain Syndromes

Cedars-Sinai: A stellate ganglion block is done to: Diagnose the cause of pain in the face and head, arms and chest. Manage pain in the head, neck, chest or arm caused by nerve injuries, the effects of an attack of shingles (herpes zoster) or angina that doesn't go away. Reduce sweating in the face, head, arms and hands.

Cleveland Clinic: A stellate ganglion block is an injection of medication into a collection of nerves at the bottom of the front side of your neck. It can help treat a variety of circulation and pain conditions, such as complex regional pain syndrome and peripheral artery disease. Researchers are studying how it may help mental health conditions like PTSD.

Stellate Ganglion Block Improves Refractory Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Associated Memory Dysfunction: A Case Report and Systematic Literature Review

The prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has reached epidemic proportions among U.S. veterans, many of whom also have concurrent alcohol use disorder. This case report describes improvements in PTSD symptom severity and memory dysfunction in a combat-exposed veteran with persistent PTSD and alcohol use disorder following two treatments of stellate ganglion block (SGB). PTSD severity was measured using the PTSD Checklist, Military Version. Memory function was evaluated using the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test. One month after the first SGB, a 43.6% reduction in PTSD severity was observed along with increases in immediate memory (50%), recent memory (28%), and recognition memory (25%). Following a second SGB, PTSD severity decreased by 57.7% and memory function substantially improved, with pronounced changes in immediate memory (50%), recent memory (58%), and recognition memory (36%). One year after SGB treatments, the patient has stopped drinking alcohol, continues to have sustained relief from PTSD, has improved memory function, and has become gainfully employed. Future studies that employ robust epidemiologic methodologies are needed to generate confirmatory evidence that would substantiate SGB's clinical utility as an adjunctive treatment option for PTSD.