title: Stellate Ganglion Block in the Treatment of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder: A Review of Historical and Recent Literature.
abstract: Concerns over the rising prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), particularly among military service members returning from combat, and over barriers that hinder individuals from seeking out or adhering to standard therapies have contributed to interest in alternative therapies for the disorder. A novel alternative therapy for PTSD-stellate ganglion block (SGB)-may be considered lacking in formal evidence of efficacy despite having shown considerable promise. This review of the recent and historical literature related to SGB finds evidence of substantial beneficial psychiatric effects and substantiates that this fast-acting, somatic treatment may provide positive results for patients with PTSD and may reduce barriers to therapy, particularly among military populations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A.
authors.forename: Mary R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Summers
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Health & Engineering, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A.
authors.forename: Remington L
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-0534-1889
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Nevin
mesh_terms: D000772:Anesthesia, Local; D001340:Autonomic Nerve Block / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000523:psychology; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic / Q000379:methods; D013233:Stellate Ganglion; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014728:Veterans / Q000523:psychology
keywords: anxiety; military; post-traumatic stress; review; stellate ganglion block; veterans