A study published in Military Magazine found stellate ganglion blocks relieved symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder in 75 percent of patients, according to a news release.
Stellate ganglion blocks involve injecting a local anesthetic into a bundle of the autonomic nerve fibers of the neck and have been used to treat chronic pain for more than 50 years.
Traditional medication and psychotherapy have an average success rate of 30 percent, says Eugene G. Lipov, MD, a Chicago anesthesiologist pain management expert and lead author of the study. Although small — the study consisted of eight patients — the results represent the possibility of another application for the procedure.
Dr. Lipov was the first physician to report stellate ganglion blocks relieved PTSD symptoms three years ago, and researchers at Walter Reed Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., and the Naval Medical Center in San Diego have confirmed his results.
Based on the positive results of the study, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn awarded an $82,000 grant to study the effects on Illinois veterans. The study will begin later this month and will measure the levels of the protein nerve growth factor and cortisol in patients before and after the block.
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Stellate ganglion blocks involve injecting a local anesthetic into a bundle of the autonomic nerve fibers of the neck and have been used to treat chronic pain for more than 50 years.
Traditional medication and psychotherapy have an average success rate of 30 percent, says Eugene G. Lipov, MD, a Chicago anesthesiologist pain management expert and lead author of the study. Although small — the study consisted of eight patients — the results represent the possibility of another application for the procedure.
Dr. Lipov was the first physician to report stellate ganglion blocks relieved PTSD symptoms three years ago, and researchers at Walter Reed Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., and the Naval Medical Center in San Diego have confirmed his results.
Based on the positive results of the study, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn awarded an $82,000 grant to study the effects on Illinois veterans. The study will begin later this month and will measure the levels of the protein nerve growth factor and cortisol in patients before and after the block.
Related Articles on Pain Management:
J&J and University of Queensland to Develop Chronic Pain Drugs Using Spider Venom
Orthopaedic & Spine Institute in Texas Adds Chronic Pain Management
Florida Pain Regulations Might Hurt Care for Some Patients in Pain