Louisiana Pain Specialists is proud to announce that we have partnered with The Stella Center, the leaders in trauma and PTSD treatment. As the 1st Stella partner in the greater New Orleans region and only the 2nd Stella in the entire Gulf Coast, Louisiana Pain Specialists is helping treat patients suffering from PTSD with the stellate ganglion block (SGB). Our team loves that we can add this treatment option to the list of therapies we can offer our patients who might have otherwise failed more traditional treatment modalities.
As a Stella Center partner, our physicians aim to provide relief of the symptoms of PTSD with the by treating the physical injury of trauma with the stellate ganglion block. A widely studied, highly effective, and minimally invasive procedure, this therapy can “reset” the brain’s overactivity to a “pre-trauma” state. It is a fast, effective, and lasting treatment for emotional trauma and PTSD, usually within one or two clinical visits.
What is a Stellate Ganglion Block?
The stellate ganglion is a key component of the sympathetic nervous system, sometimes called the “fight of flight” nervous system. In PTSD, the “fight of flight” nervous system gets “stuck” in the “on” position. The stellate ganglion block injection effectively works by dulling down a person’s “fight or flight” system. Using image-guided techniques, a stellate ganglion block is an injection of long-acting local anesthetic into the stellate ganglion, a nerve bundle near the base of the neck. The procedure takes fewer than 15 minutes to perform, and benefits are seen in as little as 30 minutes.
Stellate ganglion blocks have been used for decades to treat a variety of medical conditions, including nerve injuries and circulation issues. Recent studies show that these injections may help reduce the symptoms of PTSD by the administration a long-acting anesthetic into the stellate. By “numbing” or blocking this nerve pathway, the chronic “fight or flight” response is turned off for several hours, which allows the brain to reset. This “resetting” may result in long-term relief of PTSD symptoms.
Success rate for stellate ganglion blocks for PTSD is approximately 70-80%, which is much higher than that of conventional treatments. Some patients experience almost immediate relief from their PTSD symptoms after the injection. While the benefits are not typically permanent, it can help those suffering from PTSD take control of their symptoms, to live a calmer and less anxious lifestyle, so they can improve the way they respond to their symptoms and to other forms of PTSD treatment. to improved quality of life, including improvement in daily activities, sleep, mood, employment, and relationships.
If you or a loved one suffer from PTSD, contact our office today to discuss this effective, minimally invasive treatment. Our team of highly trained physicians wants to help you take your life back from your PTSD symptoms.
