Stellate Ganglion Block

Q: How can Stellate ganglion block (SGB) be used to treat Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)?

Current evidence suggested that SGB injections could help treat certain symptoms of PTSD. These symptoms include anxiety, insomnia (the inability to sleep), flashbacks, and depression. SGB injections appear to calm the fight or flight response in people affected with PTSD. SGB injections have shown to have minimal side effects and are fairly safe when given by a qualified healthcare professional. Before continuing, I would like to reiterate that SGB injections are not a cure for PTSD, but they do provide a promising treatment for symptoms of the ailment who have had little to no success with other mainstream treatments available today.

Can PTSD be cured? There is no cure for PTSD, but many patients have been able to find symptom relief through treatment. One of the most promising treatments available for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is SGB, which stands for Stellate Ganglion Block.

What is stellate ganglion block? Stellate ganglion block, or SBG, is a procedure available to relieve symptoms caused by PTSD. Research hints that stellate ganglion block could also help some Veterans affected by PTSD who had little success through other treatment methods, which include psychotherapy and medication.

During the SGB procedure, a qualified healthcare provider uses x-ray or ultrasound imaging to guide a needle into a bunch of nerves located near the base of the neck called the stellate ganglion. Then an injection of anesthesia is given by the provider into this bunch of nerves to provide numbing medication. The relief provided by the procedure can last several weeks or more.

SGB for PTSD

How can Stellate ganglion block (SGB) be used to treat Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)? Current evidence suggests that SGB injections could help treat certain symptoms of PTSD. These symptoms include anxiety, insomnia (the inability to sleep), flashbacks, and depression. SGB injections appear to calm the fight or flight response in people affected with PTSD. SGB injections have shown to have minimal side effects and are fairly safe when given by a qualified healthcare professional. Before continuing, I would like to reiterate that SGB injections are not a cure for PTSD, but they do provide a promising treatment for symptoms of the ailment who have had little to no success with other mainstream treatments available today.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Relief

The symptomatic nervous system is responsible for the fight-or-flight response in the body. When presented with a traumatic event, the symptomatic nervous system has been shown to play a part in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. This aggravation causes the nerves located in this system to provide elevated levels of a substance that acts like adrenaline called norepinephrine, which in turn, over activates the fear center of the brain. This results in PTSD symptoms that can last for many years.

Stellate ganglion, which is a collection of nerves in the sympathetic nervous system, appears to control the activation of the brain's fear center, called the amygdala. The recent development of SGB has offered the promise of quickly controlling the symptoms of PTSD for a long time by injecting an anesthetic agent into the stellate ganglion.

The SGB accomplishes this relief by rebooting the symptomatic nervous system resulting in the levels of norepinephrine being reduced and stopping the extra growth in the nerves. This low-risk procedure is done with the assistance of x-ray or ultrasound technology.

Here at Pain & Wellness Institute, we are dedicated to helping you treat the symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder through SGB injections in Tampa, Florida. Contact us today at (813) 873-7777 to learn more about the methods of PTSD treatment we have available. Book your consultation with us today!