Stellate Ganglion Block

What is Stellate Ganglion Block?

A stellate ganglion block is an injection of local anesthetic that reduces pain, inflammation, and other symptoms from the stellate ganglion – a group of nerves in the neck. 

This therapy helps mitigate the symptoms of various chronic pain conditions such as: 

• Phantom limb pain
• Reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD)
• Causalgia
• Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN)

What Types of Pain Does a Stellate Ganglion Block Treat?

Pain in the head, neck, upper arm, and upper chest.

May also help increase circulation and blood flow to your arm.

How Does a Stellate Ganglion Block Work?

During the procedure, a fluoroscope and contrast dye will be used to inject the pain medication into the stellate ganglion. 

Expectations and Recovery

Patients are typically allowed to return home shortly after the procedure.

The duration of pain relief from a stellate ganglion nerve block is different from patient to patient. You could be pain-free for days, even weeks, but patients typically need a series of injections to prolong pain relief.

What Typically Causes Neck Problems?

Common causes of neck pain include:

• Cervical herniated disc
• Nerve irritation caused by bone spurs
• Arthritis in the neck
• Spinal stenosis
• Degenerative disc disease

What Symptoms are Common to Neck Problems?

Neck pain can range from tingling or dull aching to sudden or sharp pains that disrupt your normal habits. This pain can also radiate out into other areas, such as your arms.

Make sure to report your symptoms to your doctor, including:

• Stiffness
• Difficulty turning your head
• Neck spinal pain, neck pain, or severe neck ache
• Soreness
• Radiating pain to other areas of your body (like your arms)
• Tingling in your arms or fingers
• Numbness in your upper limbs
• Shooting pain in your neck
• Pain in the center back of your neck

What Symptoms are Typical of Head Pain?

Common symptoms of head pain include:

• Moderate to severe pain on either or both sides of the head
• Pulsing or throbbing
• Sinus pain, pain in the temple area
• Head pain in the morning
• Dull pain, or pain on the top of your head 
• Persistent, constant head pain
• Pain that worsens with activity
• Lasting pain from hours to days
• Nausea or vomiting
• Tightness or pressure in or around the head
• Pain focused behind one or both eyes
• Tearing or redness of an eye or a drooping eyelid

Other Conservative Treatments for Neck Pain

Other treatments and procedures used to relieve long term neck pain include:

• Neck Pain Exercises and Stretching
  • In order to strengthen the cervical spine and surrounding muscles, exercises and stretching can be implemented, in conjunction with steroid injections if prior pain relief is necessary.

• Epidural Steroid Injections
  • For short-term pain relief (typically 3-4 months), steroid injections can be used to treat neck pain and can be combined with physical therapy and exercise for maximum benefit.

• Radiofrequency Ablation (Rhizotomy)
  • A minimally invasive procedure in the neck, middle or lower back, that destroys nerve fibers in the back that carry pain signals. It is performed under fluoroscopy (live x-ray).

• Spinal Cord Stimulation
  • If other therapies aren’t effective for treating your pain, an implantable pain management device can be an option. These devices administer mild electrical pulses to block the transmission of pain.