When the Sympathetic Nervous System Doesn't Function Properly, 
The Fight-or-Flight System is Stuck in the "On" Position
  • ​For many people who have experienced trauma, "hyperarousal" is a predominant feature.  This cluster of symptoms has been attributed to a “dysfunctional sympathetic tone” where the body’s response to stressors is inappropriately amplified.  
  • ​Hyperarousal symptoms, caused by a stimulated sympathetic nervous system, include irritability, angry outbursts, and poor sleep.  The physical symptoms which accompany re-experiencing traumatic events ("flashbacks") including racing heart, sweating, and increased body tone are also sympathetically driven.
  • These symptoms can be debilitating , ruin relationships, and serve as barriers to effective therapy. 
Neuroscience-informed Treatment
​​Stellate Ganglion Block (SGB) is an injection of local anesthetic in the neck to temporarily block the nerves which controls the body’s fight-or-flight response.

This outpatient procedure which is performed under ultrasound guidance takes less than thirty minutes, and its effects can be seen immediately. 
What is Stellate Ganglion Block?
Watch this 90-second Video
​for a Brief Introduction  
Watch this 45-minute Webinar to Learn
​More and to See if SGB Is Right for You

Precision Mental Health for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

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Since 2010, several US military treatment facilities have used Stellate Ganglion Block effectively to help thousands of service members suffering from symptoms associated with PTSD. 

​This has been an effort to help keep warriors on combat teams at top performance—to hone the edge of a knife that has dulled with hard use. 

There are 13 original studies published since 2008 in the peer-reviewed medical literature documenting SGB’s successful treatment of PTSD symptoms.  In November 2019, a large multi-center, randomized clinical trial was published in JAMA Psychiatry demonstrating twice the effect of SGB over a sham (placebo) procedure.  Now with “gold standard” Level 1 evidence supporting SGB, many clinicians believe this procedure should be incorporated into standard PTSD care.   

A NEW Model for Trauma Care: 
The Fusion of Biological and Psychological Approaches​ 

By  Dr. Shauna Springer at Stella Center, Dr. James Lynch and Dr. John Okiishi at  Fort Bragg, NC

Research Articles

Select Journal Articles from the Peer-reviewed Medical Literature