Stellate Ganglion Block (SGB)

A procedure that involves injecting a long-acting local anesthetic into the side of the neck near the cervical sympathetic chain, the nerve responsible for the sympathetic nervous system. This nerve connects the brain’s fight-or-flight response to the body.

SGB has been safely used for over a century to treat sympathetically mediated pain syndromes and other autonomic disorders.

The Limitations of Traditional Anxiety Treatments

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Despite the availability of effective psychopharmacologic and psychotherapeutic treatments for anxiety disorders, many patients continue to experience symptoms. Several real-world challenges complicate treatment, including limited access to effective psychotherapy, particularly in low-income and rural areas.

Additionally, comorbid conditions such as substance use disorders can complicate treatment, often reducing its effectiveness. Medications used to treat anxiety can also cause side effects like palpitations, jitteriness, nausea, drowsiness, and insomnia, which can be difficult for patients to manage.

Treatment resistance is a significant concern, with only 45% to 65% of patients responding to initial treatment with either psychotherapy or pharmacotherapy, and remission rates are even lower, ranging from approximately 40% to 51%. These challenges emphasize the urgent need for novel therapeutics to lessen the impact of anxiety disorders on individuals and society.

The procedure takes less than 15 minutes.
Noticeable benefits often appearing within 30 minutes, and it carries minimal long-term side effects.
SGB provides long-term relief from symptoms of conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

SGB Studies and Data

Efficiency

The use of SGB to treat PTSD was first described by Lebovitz et al. in 1990. Over the past 12 years, SGB has successfully treated thousands of PTSD patients, with more than 18 original studies published in peer-reviewed literature supporting its efficacy for this indication.

Long-term Improvement

Numerous peer-reviewed studies demonstrate the long-term improvement in chronic anxiety symptoms associated with PTSD following SGB, primarily by addressing autonomic nervous system dysfunction.

Benefits

Given the significant symptom overlap between trauma- and stressor-related disorders and anxiety disorders, there is increasing interest in the potential benefits of SGB for anxiety disorders as well.

Relief

Extensive anecdotal evidence from the use of SGB in trauma survivors over the past 12 years suggests that this procedure could also offer relief for individuals suffering from anxiety disorders.