Stellate Ganglion Block
Stellate Ganglion
The stellate ganglion is a part of the sympathetic nervous system, which controls the fight or flight responses. It increases heart rate, blood pressure, and feelings of anxiety or doom. Many times, due to previous traumatic experiences or an innate anxiety disorder, the sympathetic system can cause over-anxiousness with a racing heart rate, high blood pressure, difficulty catching your breath, and a feeling of impending doom. Patients may also have severe forms of PTSD with severe sympathetic override in those situations.
- Role: Essential part of the sympathetic nervous system, vital for fight or flight responses.
- Effects: Can lead to increased heart rate, elevated blood pressure, and feelings of anxiety.
- Triggers: Past trauma or anxiety disorders can amplify sympathetic responses, leading to symptoms like racing heart and difficulty breathing.
- PTSD Connection: Severe PTSD can be exacerbated by sympathetic overactivity in stress.
- Common Treatment Options: May include psychiatric consultations, medication, psychotherapy and Stellate Ganglion Block.
What is Stellate Ganglion Block
Although common treatments include psychiatric consultation, medication treatment and psychotherapy, stellate ganglion block has shown to be effective at controlling such episodes by reducing the severity and number of episodes. It does it by controlling sympathetic hyperdrive causing the common symptoms of PTSD.
Stellate ganglion block has been used in pain management for several decades for control of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. Last decade the studies have shown that Stellate ganglion also controls the patients PTSD symptoms offering reduced sympathetic drive during episodes and maintain calmness and improved sleep.
Many civilians may experience PTSD from harassment, bullying or hazing, childhood trauma or abuse, childhood neglect, childhood sexual assault, death or injury of a loved one, divorce, domestic abuse, loss of pregnancy etc. which can be treated with Stellate Ganglion Block along with ongoing psychiatric management reducing the anxiety levels and PTSD symptoms.
Dr Boddu is a Board Certified Anesthesiologist and Board Certified Pain Medicine specialist who has more than 25 years of experience performing stellate ganglion block.
