Stellate Ganglion Block
A stellate ganglion block is an injection that helps manage different types of neuropathic pain.
Stellate ganglion blocks are used to help diagnose and relieve pain in your arm, hand, head, neck, chest, and other areas. The stellate ganglion is a small collection of nerves located in the sixth and seventh cervical vertebrae in the neck.
The stellate ganglion nerves are known as sympathetic nerves, and this type of nerve pain can cause burning pain or sensitivity in your arm or hand. This injection can temporarily turn these nerves off and allow your pain management physician to understand the cause of your pain and treat it.
At Pain Specialists of Charleston, our board certified pain management physicians are available to offer you treatment like stellar ganglion blocks, joint injections and more. No referral needed!
Request Appointment | Contact Us | Meet Pain Doctors
WHAT CAN IT TREAT
Pain Conditions:
- Atypical Chest Pain: Chest pain that doesn’t have a typical cause.
- Chronic Post-Surgical Pain: Pain that persists long after surgery.
- Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS): Long-term pain after an injury, stroke, or heart attack.
- Orofacial Pain: Pain in the face or mouth.
- Phantom Limb Pain: Pain felt in a limb that has been amputated.
- Postherpetic Neuralgia: Ongoing pain after a shingles outbreak.
- Shingles: Pain from shingles that affects the head, neck, arm, or upper chest.
Circulation and Nerve Conditions:
- Hyperhidrosis: Excessive sweating.
- Peripheral Vascular Disease: Poor blood circulation in the arteries.
- Raynaud’s Syndrome: Poor blood flow causing fingers and toes to feel numb and cold.
- Scleroderma: A condition causing hardening and tightening of the skin and connective tissues.
Other Conditions:
- Cluster Headaches: Severe, recurring headaches usually affecting one side of the head.
- Intractable Angina: Persistent chest pain not relieved by standard treatments.
- Ménière’s Disease: A disorder affecting the inner ear that can lead to dizziness and hearing loss.
- Refractory Cardiac Arrhythmias: Irregular heartbeats that don’t respond to usual treatments.
Stellate ganglion blocks help diagnose and manage these conditions by targeting the sympathetic nervous system, which may be sending abnormal pain signals.
RISK FACTORS
Common Side Effects (usually go away within a few hours):
- Bruising or soreness where the injection was given
- Drooping eyelids
- Feeling like there’s a lump in your throat
- Hoarse voice
- Red or “bloodshot” eyes
- Stuffy nose
- Trouble swallowing
- Warmth or tingling in your arm or hand
- Watery eyes
Serious Risks (rare but possible):
- Bleeding from a puncture in a blood vessel (like the carotid artery or jugular vein)
- Collapsed lung (pneumothorax)
- Infection
- Injury to the thyroid
- Nerve damage (to nerves like the vagus nerve or brachial plexus)
- Puncture of the esophagus or windpipe
- Temporary drooping of the eyelid and constriction of the pupil (Horner’s syndrome)
WHAT TO EXPECT DURING PROCEDURE
For your appointment, it’s best to wear loose clothing, or your pain management physician may have you change into a gown instead. Be sure to have someone lined up to drive you home, as you will be sedated for the procedure. When you arrive at our pain management clinic in Charleston, one of our team members will admit you and check your vitals.
For the procedure, you can expect:
- An IV to be placed in your arms for sedation during the procedure.
- The procedure area will be cleaned with iodine and covered with sterile drapes.
- The doctor will then numb your skin using a small needle.
- Often with the help of an x-ray, a small needle will be inserted at the base of your neck.
- A local anesthetic will be injected into the stellate ganglion nerves to “turn off” their sensations.
Once the procedure is complete, your injection site will be monitored, your skin will be cleaned, and a bandage will be placed at the site. Your pain management team will provide you with any at-home instructions and next steps to follow.
AFTER THE PROCEDURE
After your procedure is completed, you may experience symptoms for approximately eight to 12 hours. Those symptoms can include:
- A droopy eyelid
- Eye redness
- Stuffy nose
- A full feeling in your throat
- Voice hoarseness
- Warmth in your arm
- Or rarely, numbness or weakness in your arm or hand
The symptoms above are temporary and will subside in the hours following your procedure.
- Until you feel back to yourself again, avoid the following activities:
- Excessive talking
- Eating, including hard candy
- Smoking
- Driving
Following your procedure, keep an ongoing diary of your pain levels so your doctor can track the success of the stellate ganglion block. It’s common to experience total relief, partial relief, or no relief. Your doctor will discuss your pain levels at your next visit.
WHEN SHOULD I SEE A PAIN PHYSICIAN
If you have any of the following symptoms, please call us right away at 843-818-1181 or see one of our board-certified pain management doctors:
- Severe back pain that doesn’t get better with medication and ice.
- New or lasting numbness or weakness in your legs.
- Signs of infection where you had an injection.
If you lose control of your bladder or bowels or have trouble breathing, go to the nearest emergency room immediately.
MEET DOCTOR EDWARD M. TAVEL, JR., MD
- Over 20+ Years of Specialty Training
- Double-Board Certified in Anesthesiology and Pain Management
AWARDS & ASSOCIATIONS
AS SEEN ON
CONDITIONS WE MANAGE
- Knee Pain
- Chest Pain
- Shoulder Pain
- Back Pain
- Hip Pain
- Neck Pain
- & More
TREATMENTS WE OFFER
- Epidural Steroid Injection including cervical, thoracic and lumbar injections
- Joint Injections including knees, shoulders and hips injections
- Caudal Epidural Injection
- Hip Joint Injection
- Lumbar Sympathetic Block
- Facet Joint Injection
- Medial Branch Block
- Radiofrequency Ablation (Rhizotomy)
- Sacroiliac Joint Injection
- Discography
- Neurostimulation, also known as Spinal Cord Stimulation
- Stellate Ganglion Block
- Transforaminal Selective Nerve Root Block Injection
- Medical Massage Therapy
- Clinical Trials
- …and MORE!
ABOUT PAIN SPECIALISTS OF CHARLESTON
At Pain Specialists of Charleston, our mission is to provide you with relief from your chronic pain through the latest, most innovative pain management treatments available. Whether you’re suffering from back pain, whiplash, or anything in between, we can help you get back to feeling like yourself once again.
Plus, no referral is necessary!
At our pain management clinic, our experienced team approaches your pain through a variety of services to best meet your needs. This includes anesthesiology, neurology, psychology, and nursing. Our providers believe in collaborating with your healthcare team – your primary care physician, specialists, chiropractor, physical therapist, and especially you, the patient, to bring you the care you need.
Our private practice is powered by a talented, carefully selected leadership team.
Request Appointment | Contact Us | Meet Pain Doctors
FAQs
Who should not get a stellate ganglion block?
If you are scheduled for a stellate ganglion block, the procedure cannot be completed if you currently have any active infections, uncontrolled cough, fever, flu cold, are on blood thinners or have very high blood pressure. Talk to your doctor if you have recently had a heart attack or have glaucoma, severe emphysema, lateral nerve palsy, cardiac conduction abnormalities or use anticoagulants to seek advice on the procedure.
Can stellate ganglion blocks treat anxiety and depression?
A stellate ganglion block can provide patients with anxiety and depression symptom relief for approximately one month to years following the procedure. Studies show stellate ganglion blocks can improve chronic anxiety symptoms associated with PTSD by targeting the autonomic nervous system. Contact your pain management physician to see if this is an option for you.
How successful are stellate ganglion blocks?
Some people have reported long-term relief that led to a decrease in medication use and the ability to participate in physical therapy, while others have reported relief immediately following the injection but the pain returning after the local anesthetic wears off. Relief does vary between patients, so talk to your doctor about the different outcomes you can expect.
How long does a stellate ganglion nerve block last?
The amount of time a stellate ganglion block lasts depends on the person. Some people experience being pain free for days or weeks. Others need a series of injections to manage their pain. For those who need multiple blocks, relief tends to last longer after each treatment.
Can stellate ganglion blocks treat covid?
Research on this topic is new, but stellate ganglion blocks may be used to treat long COVID symptoms. Long COVID symptoms include:
- Fatigue
- Brain fog
- Loss of smell
- Change in taste
- Orthostatic intolerance (unpleasant symptoms that occur after standing up from a lying or sitting position)
Stellate ganglion blocks are known for increasing blood flow, which may help ease long COVID symptoms.
How common is a stellate ganglion?
Only approximately 80% of people worldwide have a stellate ganglion. To have a stellate ganglion, two ganglia must fuse together. The inferior (underneath) cervical ganglion and the first thoracic ganglion are the two that have to fuse. In those who do not have a stellate ganglion, which means these two ganglia didn’t fuse together in the typical manner.
What is a stellate ganglion block?
A stellate ganglion block injects anesthesia into a bundle of nerves in your neck called the stellate ganglion. These nerves sit on both sides of your voice box, and the injection can help relieve head, neck, upper arm, or upper chest pain, among others. It is a type of non-surgical treatment for pain, and it helps increase circulation and blood flow to your arm.
When to see a doctor for a stellate ganglion block?
If you’re dealing with chronic neuropathic pain, symptoms of pain conditions, nerve injuries, atypical chest pain, or other types of nerve pain, talk to your pain doctor about a stellate ganglion block for your needs.
For any further questions, simply reach our team directly for questions prior to your visit.
