*The FDA has not approved intravenous ketamine or NAD+ for the treatment of any psychiatric or pain condition. These articles reference off-label use. Like all medical treatments, the discussed therapies carry risks and benefits. Speak with a doctor at Clarus Health to learn if these therapies may be right for you.
Stellate Ganglion Block for PTSD: Transforming Trauma Recovery, Sleep Patterns, and Hypervigilance
Can the Stellate Ganglion Block help your specific PTSD symptoms?
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) affects 6% of the general population and up to 20% of service members. Traditional talk therapy takes time, medications are rarely optimally effective and have side effects - and both are compounded by stigma. Learn how the Stellate Ganglion Block (SGB) is an entirely different approach to rapidly relieving key clusters of PTSD symptoms.
The Four Main PTSD Clusters
PTSD has four primary clusters:
- Intrusive memories, called "reexperiencing" (flashbacks, nightmares)
- Avoidance of triggers
- Negative changes in in cognition or mood (hopelessness, memory problems, feeling numb and detached)
- Changes in physical and emotional reactions, also called "arousal" (easily startled/frightened, hypervigilant, irritability, angry outbursts, aggressive behavior, guilt/same)
The Stellate Ganglion Block is being studied in specific clusters to help those affected patients the most.
What is the Stellate Ganglion Block (SGB)?
The Stellate Ganglion Block is a 15 minute procedure that calms the body's fight-flight response. It can relieve many PTSD-related symptoms through several mechanisms:
- Reduced brain norepinephrine via reduced nerve growth factor
- Improved amygdala regulation
- Inducing relaxation and sedation
- Melatonin release
- Reducing "ex-consequentia" reasoning (i.e., “if I’m anxious, there must be danger")
Symptom relief is often rapid and can last 2 to 3 months. It is often so effective that most service members will recommend this procedure to a friend.
Which PTSD Symptom Clusters Respond Best to SGB?
The Stellate Ganglion Block provides a strong reduction in PTSD clusters of intrusive memories and physical/emotional reactivity. The main symptoms that improved included:
- Intrusive memory cluster symptoms that improved: physical and emotional reactions to triggers and intrusive thoughts
- Reactivity cluster symptoms: hypervigilance, difficulty concentrating, sleep disturbance
Addressing these symptom clusters are important for two reasons:
- Hyperarousal PTSD symptoms increase resistance to treatment
- Relieving these symptom clusters with SGB can improve the success of subsequent cognitive processing therapy
How Does IV Ketamine Augment the Effects of SGB in PTSD?
The Stellate Ganglion Block can provide a pathway for long term healing. This is likely because of its powerful effects on neuroplasticity.
The neuroplastic effects of the Stellate Ganglion Block (SGB) complement the neuroplasticity provided by IV Ketamine for PTSD. This can provide a rapid symptom improvement to allow additional therapies to become effective. This is key because of the inflammatory response associated with undertreated PTSD that can sabotage the entire body. This is seen through five key characteristics:
- Cortisol
- Salivary alpha-amylase
- Interleukin-6
- Heart rate
- Heart rate variability
IV Ketamine is particularly effective in PTSD because of the ability to rapidly find the optimal dose (unlike oral or intranasal forms of ketamine).
Find Healing from your PTSD Today
You deserve to learn your treatment options for safe and rapid results. You should always speak with your doctors to learn about the risks and benefits of SGB and IV Ketamine therapy so you can make an informed decision. Learn more about the right therapy for your PTSD by contacting Clarus Health today.
For more information, you can read recent Nature articles on PTSD inflammatory changes, IV Ketamine and dose response in PTSD, and the Stellate Ganglion Block (SGB) symptom cluster specificity.
Anthony Kaveh MD
Dr. Kaveh is a Stanford and Harvard-trained anesthesiologist and integrative medicine specialist. He has over 800,000 followers on social media and has guided hundreds of patients throughout transformative healing experiences. He is an authority on Ketamine, NAD, and SGB therapies. He is a registered continuing education lecturer in the Bay Area.
