Stellate Ganglion Block in Houston, Texas
The stellate ganglion sits at the base of the neck and governs sympathetic supply to the head, neck, and arm. Blocking it does something that surprises patients: within minutes, the hand warms, the eyelid droops slightly, and pain that has been relentless for months becomes negotiable.
What is a Stellate Ganglion Block?
A stellate ganglion block places local anesthetic onto the cervicothoracic sympathetic ganglion at the level of C6 or C7, under ultrasound or fluoroscopic guidance. It interrupts sympathetic outflow to the upper limb and the face on that side.
It serves as both a diagnostic test for sympathetically maintained pain and, in responders, a therapeutic intervention repeated in a short series.
What It Treats
- Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) of the arm or hand
- Phantom limb pain after upper-limb amputation
- Post-herpetic neuralgia of the head, neck, or upper chest
- Vascular insufficiency of the arm, including Raynaud's phenomenon
- Refractory angina in selected patients
- Hyperhidrosis of the hand
- Post-traumatic stress disorder , an emerging and still-investigational application
Signs the Block Worked
A successful stellate ganglion block produces a recognizable cluster of temporary effects on the treated side, known as Horner's syndrome: a drooping eyelid, a constricted pupil, and reduced facial sweating. The hand becomes visibly warmer. These findings resolve within hours.
They are expected and reassuring, not complications. Their absence suggests the block did not reach the ganglion and that any pain relief should be interpreted cautiously.
A Careful Procedure at Remix Medical
The stellate ganglion sits among the carotid artery, jugular vein, and vertebral artery. This is not a landmark procedure. Contact Remix Medical to schedule a consultation with a board-certified pain management physician in Houston.