Stellate Ganglion Block

The Stellate Ganglion Block is an injection that is used to diagnose and treat pain coming from the sympathetic nerves. Shingles and complex regional pain syndromes are commonly treated with a Stellate Ganglion Block.

To receive this treatment, a patient lies on his/her back and anesthetics are administered to help the patient relax and to numb the associated tissue down to the Ganglion nerves. A needle is then inserted through the anesthetized tissue, and a contrast dye is injected to identify the painful areas. The Stellate Ganglion Block, an injection combining anesthetics, saline and anti-inflammatory medicine, are inserted around the Ganglion nerves to prevent pain signals from reaching the brain.