What Is a Stellate Ganglion?
The stellate ganglion is a cluster of nerve cells in the neck, part of the sympathetic nervous system that helps regulate heart rate, blood pressure, sweating, and blood vessel constriction. A stellate ganglion block delivers a local anesthetic to this area to calm sympathetic nervous system activity, and it’s used both to treat certain pain conditions and to help diagnose the source of specific symptoms.
This injection can be used for:
- Managing pain in the neck, head, arm, or chest related to nerve injury, infection, or angina (reduced blood flow to heart muscle)
- Reducing excess sweating in the head, face, arms, and hands
- Diagnosing the source of certain pain patterns
Stellate Ganglion Block for Long COVID Symptoms
Long COVID describes ongoing health problems — fatigue, difficulty breathing, muscle aches, brain fog, and others — that persist after recovering from a COVID-19 infection. A stellate ganglion block is one option our specialists may discuss with patients whose long COVID symptoms appear connected to sympathetic nervous system dysregulation, since calming that overactivity may reduce inflammation and improve blood flow to affected areas.
Research on stellate ganglion blocks for long COVID is still developing, and results vary by patient. This isn’t a cure for long COVID, and it isn’t the right fit for everyone — it’s one option among several, and we’ll talk through whether it makes sense for your specific symptoms during a consultation. As with any injection procedure, there are risks, including the potential for nerve irritation or infection, which we’ll walk you through beforehand.
What to Expect
The procedure is done on an outpatient basis using image guidance to precisely target the stellate ganglion. Most patients are in and out within an hour, and some notice symptom changes within the first day or two, though response varies. Some patients benefit from more than one injection depending on how they respond.
