Stellate Ganglion Block
BRMC Treating Patients in North Central Arkansas & South Central Missouri
A stellate ganglion block is a procedure whereby we inject local anesthetic
into the stellate ganglion. This part of the anatomy is a cluster of nerves
situated in your neck between the collar bone and jaw. A stellate ganglion
block is a brief, minimally invasive procedure that has the potential
to treat a vast range of medical conditions with relatively little risk.
This procedure can provide pain relief in the chest, upper extremities,
and face, improve circulation in the face and upper body, lessen perspiration
in the face and upper body, lessen hot flashes and sleeping problems,
and potentially help lessen the effects of PTSD.
Several medical conditions that are commonly treated using stellate ganglion
blocks include:
- Vascular complications in the upper limbs
- Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy
- Hyperhidrosis – excessive perspiration in the face and upper body
- Herpetic Neuralgia – nerve pain felt after shingles
- Raynaud’s Phenomenon – when blood vessels in the hands and
feet narrow due to the cold
- CPRS – complex regional pain syndrome –sympathetic pain that
occurs when there is an injury and at times when there is not
The Procedure
On the day of your scheduled appointment, please arrive at least 20 minutes
early. Our skilled nurses will begin an IV if you want to be sedated and
then they will conduct a nurse pre-operation assessment. Afterwards, they
will lead you to the procedure room where you will lie down on the hospital
bed. Once you are situated and comfortable, our nurses will provide you
with sedation in order to make you even more comfortable. At this point
in the procedure, we place a cold cleaning solution on all our patients
to lessen the risk of infection. Using x-ray guidance, our doctor will
identify the procedure site and inject numbing medicine to decrease the
feeling on your skin. This injection may sting slightly but the pain is
minimal and will pass quickly. Using x-ray guidance again, our doctor
will place the spinal needle into position and inject dye in order to
confirm that the needle was situated properly. Then, medication comprised
of a steroid and local anesthetics will be injected into the procedure
site, covering the affected nerves entirely. Many patients reported feeling
instant pain relief. The doctor will remove the needle and you will be
directed to a recovery room for a brief observation period. The procedure
in its entirety only takes about 15 minutes and the recovery period will
only be about 15 minutes more. Then, you will be released and free to
recover in the comfort of your own home.
What to Expect Afterward
In your upper extremities, you may notice a warm feeling. This is expected
and natural. You may also notice that your pain levels have decreased
and you have increased functionality in your upper extremities. We advise
most patients to take it easy and recover for the rest of the day but
you are free to engage in physical, day-to-day activities whenever you
feel ready. The pain relief from this procedure may last from a couple
days up to several months. For some patients, repeat injections are needed
for long term pain relief. This safe and effective procedure is simply
repeated as above if a patient needs more injections. After the procedure,
physical therapy is typically prescribed in order to restore full functionality
and range of motion to your upper extremities. Physical therapy is a very
important step to take immediately after the procedure if you want to
fully benefit from the effects of the injection.
Risks of the Procedure
Stellate ganglion blocks are widely considered to be a safe, effective,
and noninvasive method of pain relief. The procedure has been perfected
over the past several decades and the risks are low. However, they can
include a misplaced needle, infection, bleeding, a collapsed lung, nerve
damage, punctured surrounding organs, punctured blood vessels, allergic
drug reactions, and/or paralysis. Fortunately, these are exceedingly rare.
To learn more about stellate ganglion blocks, please call Interventional
Pain Management, a department of BRMC, at (870) 508-5900.