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Stellate Ganglion Block
Frequently Asked Questions
Most commonly used for complex regional pain syndrome, sympathetically maintained pain, and vascular pain conditions affecting the upper extremity. It is also being studied for other sympathetically driven conditions — ask Dr. Savu if you want to know more about current research in this area.
This varies significantly by patient and condition. Some experience relief for days, others for weeks or months. A series of blocks spaced over time often produces the best results for certain conditions.
That depends on your response and your underlying condition. Some patients get lasting benefit from one or two blocks. Others benefit from a planned series. Dr. Savu will discuss what's appropriate based on your results.
Eat lightly before your appointment. Arrange a driver. Let the office know about blood thinners or anti-inflammatory medications. Continue routine medications for heart, blood pressure, and diabetes unless told otherwise.
The temporary effects listed above are normal. Contact the office if you develop difficulty swallowing, significant difficulty breathing, severe pain, or any new neurological symptoms that concern you. If symptoms are severe and worsening, go to the nearest emergency room or call 911.
about this procedure
Procedure Time: Less than 1 hour
Driver Required: Yes
Total Visit Time: 1-3 Hours
Your body runs two nervous systems at once. The first is the voluntary system — the one you control consciously, like moving your arm or taking a breath. The second is the sympathetic nervous system — running quietly in the background, managing things like heart rate, blood vessel tone, temperature regulation, and certain aspects of pain.
The stellate ganglion is a cluster of sympathetic nerve fibers located in the lower part of your neck. Under normal circumstances it just does its job. But when this part of the nervous system becomes overactivated — from injury, disease, prolonged inflammation, or significant stress — it can get stuck in overdrive. The result can be pain, swelling, burning, temperature changes, and sensitivity in the arm, hand, shoulder, or face that doesn't respond well to typical pain treatments because it's being driven by a different system entirely.
A stellate ganglion block places numbing medicine directly into this nerve cluster to calm it down. By temporarily interrupting the overactive sympathetic signal, the block can reduce or eliminate those symptoms. It works as both a diagnostic test — confirming that the sympathetic nervous system is involved in your pain — and as a treatment, with effects that often last well beyond what the numbing medicine alone would explain.
Benefits
Targets the sympathetic nervous system — an often overlooked driver of certain chronic pain conditions
Can reduce pain, swelling, temperature changes, and sensitivity in the arm, hand, or face
Serves as both a diagnostic tool and a treatment in the same procedure
Relief often lasts longer than the numbing medicine alone
Minimally invasive — no incision, no general anesthesia
May improve circulation and reduce abnormal temperature differences in the affected limb
What to Expect
1
Prep & Positioning
You'll be positioned lying on your back with your neck slightly extended. A small pillow or roll may be placed under your shoulders to improve access. The team will explain what to expect before the procedure begins.
2
cLEANSE & nUMBING
The skin of the neck is cleaned with a sterile solution and local anesthetic is used to numb the area. You'll feel a brief sting from the numbing injection before the skin goes numb.
3
Guided Injection
Using ultrasound or fluoroscopic guidance, Dr. Savu carefully advances the needle to the stellate ganglion in the lower neck. Once placement is confirmed, numbing medicine is injected. The injection itself takes only a few minutes.
4
Observation Period
You'll be observed while expected temporary side effects develop — these are normal signs the block is working and include a slightly drooping eyelid, warmth or flushing on one side of the face, mild nasal congestion on the treated side, or a temporarily hoarse voice. These resolve within a few hours. You'll be released to your driver once the team confirms everything looks as expected.
This procedure may be right for you if you have:
Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) affecting the arm or hand
Pain, swelling, or abnormal temperature changes in the upper extremity
Sympathetically maintained pain that hasn't responded to standard treatments
Vascular pain conditions affecting the arm, hand, or face
Symptoms that suggest an overactive sympathetic nervous system is contributing to your pain