Stellate Ganglion Block

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Overview How It Works Conditions It Treats What to Expect FAQs
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A neck injection that calms overactive fight-or-flight nerves to ease certain pain, circulation, and autonomic conditions.

Overview:

The stellate ganglion is a small cluster of sympathetic nerves at the base of the neck that helps regulate the body’s fight-or-flight response to the head, neck, and arm. A stellate ganglion block places local anesthetic around this nerve cluster to temporarily quiet that signaling. It is an established treatment for certain pain and circulation conditions, and is also being studied for its potential role in easing symptoms linked to a dysregulated autonomic nervous system, such as those seen in long COVID or dysautonomia, though this evidence is still developing.

How It Works:

The block is performed at the C6-C7 level of the neck using ultrasound guidance, sometimes combined with fluoroscopy, to safely navigate around nearby arteries, the thyroid, and the airway. A small volume of local anesthetic is injected around the ganglion, and the appointment typically takes about 30 minutes. A successful block often produces temporary, expected signs such as a slightly drooping eyelid or a warm hand on the treated side, confirming the nerves were reached.

Conditions It Treats:

Dysautonomia • Long COVID

What to Expect:

Effects from the anesthetic wear off within hours, and any temporary side effects (eyelid drooping, warm hand, mild hoarseness) resolve as it does. Depending on the condition being treated, benefit may last from hours to several weeks after a single block; because relief can be short-lived, a short series of blocks is sometimes recommended, and response is reassessed before repeating.

Ready to get away from the pain?

Contact Republic Pain Specialists and get relief today.

Frequently Asked Questions

Republic Pain & Longevity is a patient-centered practice that combines interventional pain management with health optimization programs. We diagnose and treat the source of pain through advanced diagnostics and targeted, minimally invasive therapies, while also helping patients build long-term metabolic health, hormone balance, and vitality through personalized, ongoing care.

Traditional pain management focuses on diagnosing and treating a specific pain condition through procedures like nerve blocks, injections, and radiofrequency ablation. Health Optimization takes a broader, proactive approach — using interventional procedures, diagnostic labs, imaging, diet, exercise, coaching, and lifestyle strategies to decrease inflammation, improve energy, metabolic health, and resilience, whether or not you currently have a chronic pain condition.

We treat a wide range of conditions, including knee osteoarthritis, headaches and migraines, back and neck pain, joint pain, SI joint pain and sciatica, muscle spasms and myofascial pain, nerve entrapments, post-surgical pain, TMJ/jaw pain, long COVID and more. See our Conditions page for the full list and details on each.

No. Our treatments are minimally invasive, image-guided procedures — such as nerve blocks, radiofrequency ablation, and targeted joint or soft-tissue injections — designed to reduce pain and restore function without surgery.

The Peak Wellness Plan is our structured Health Optimization program built around advanced lab testing, a detailed clinical assessment, and a personalized care plan followed over nine months — targeting metabolic health, hormone balance, inflammation, weight, sleep, nutrition, and physical function, with ongoing follow-up to track progress. This integrated approach treats chronic pain as a whole-body issue, not just a symptom to numb – combining precise medical intervention with the lifestyle foundations that support lasting relief.

Vibility is our guided lifestyle curriculum — a structured, self-paced resource that supports patients through nutrition, movement, recovery, and everyday habit changes alongside their clinical care. Real-time reporting on weight, sleep, energy, digestion, focus, and mood keeps you accountable.

Yes. Peptide therapy and IV hydration are available individually or as part of our health optimization offerings, and can be incorporated into your personalized care plan where appropriate.

For patients who prefer to pay out of pocket or whose plan doesn’t cover a given service, we offer financing through Cherry Financial.

 

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Your first visit is a consultation with our team to review your history, any prior imaging or labs, and your goals — whether that’s pain relief, health optimization, or both. From there, we build a personalized plan, which may include additional diagnostics, a procedure, or enrollment in a health optimization program.

Contact our office at 979-703-1426 to schedule a consultation.