Stellate Ganglion Block

Stellate Ganglion Block may be performed to decrease pain and increase the circulation and blood supply to the affected limb. A stellate ganglion block may be performed for people who have circulation problems or the following nerve injuries: Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy, Causalgia, Herpes Zoster and Phantom Limb Pain. Stellate Ganglion Injection is an injection of local anesthetic in the "sympathetic nerve tissue" – the nerves which are a part of Sympathetic Nervous System. The nerves are located on the either side of the voice box, in the neck. The injection consists of a local anesthetic (like lidocaine or bupivacaine). Epinephrine (adrenaline) may be added to prolong the effects of the injection (see figure below).

Immediately after the injection, you may feel your upper extremity getting warm. In addition, you may notice that your pain may be gone or quite less. You may also notice "a lump in the throat" as well as hoarse voice, droopy and red eye, and some nasal congestion on the side of the injection. You may also develop a headache. The local anesthetic wears off in a few hours. However, the blockade of sympathetic nerves may last for many more hours. Usually, the duration of relief gets longer after each injection. If you respond to the first injection, you will be recommended for repeat injections. Usually, a series of such injections is needed to treat the problem. Some may need only 2 to 4 and some may need more. The response to such injections varies from patient to patient.

It is very difficult to predict if the injection(s) will indeed help you or not. The patients who present early during their illness tend to respond better than those who have this treatment after about six months of symptoms do. Patients in the advanced stages of disease may not respond adequately.