In this week's episode of the Spine & Nerve podcast, Dr. Nicolas Karvelas and Dr. Brian Joves discuss a recent study that looks at treating post traumatic stress disorder with an Interventional technique called a stellate ganglion block.

A stellate ganglion block is a procedure that is most commonly used in chronic neuropathic pain processes such as complex regional pain syndrome. The stellate ganglion is the sympathetic chain the lives in the cervicothoracic region and is responsible for the sympathetically mediated processes (think fight or flight responses) in this region. This procedure blocks the stellate ganglion (as the name suggests) and therefore blocks the signals from transmitting.

Multiple case reports have been published over the past decade, however just last month (November 2019), a randomized controlled double blind study was published in JAMA psychiatry with impressive results.

Listen in as the doctors discuss this recent literature and practical ways to approach this challenging issue.

Effect of Stellate Ganglion Block Treatment on Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms. JAMA Psychiatry, November 2019. Kristine L. Rae Olmsted, et Al. http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2019.3474

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This podcast is for information and educational purposes only, it is not meant to be medical advice. If anything discussed may pertain to you, please seek council with your healthcare provider. The views expressed are those of the individuals expressing them, they may not represent the views of Spine & Nerve.