Stellate Ganglion Block (SGB)

The stellate ganglion is a cluster of nerves in your neck that serves as a critical relay station for the sympathetic nervous system—the part of your autonomic nervous system responsible for fight-or-flight responses. In individuals with PTSD, chronic anxiety, or trauma-related conditions, this neural hub becomes hyperactive, keeping the body locked in a state of perpetual threat detection. The stellate ganglion block (SGB) is a precise injection of local anesthetic to this nerve cluster, temporarily interrupting the sympathetic overdrive and allowing the nervous system to reset.

Originally developed for pain management, SGB gained attention when military physicians discovered its remarkable efficacy for treating combat-related PTSD. Soldiers who had failed to respond to years of traditional therapy reported dramatic reductions in hypervigilance, nightmares, and anxiety within hours of a single injection. Research suggests that the temporary blockade allows the brain to recalibrate threat responses and restore healthy autonomic balance—a neural reboot that can persist long after the anesthetic wears off.

What makes SGB particularly compelling is its speed and durability. Unlike medications that require daily dosing or therapies that take months to show effects, many patients experience significant symptom relief within 30 minutes that can last for months or even years. The procedure is now being used for PTSD, panic disorder, chronic anxiety, hot flashes, and complex regional pain syndrome. This is precision medicine for the nervous system—targeting the exact neural circuitry where trauma gets locked in.