ULTRASOUND GUIDED TREATMENT: STELLATE GANGLION BLOCK FOR PTSD & ANXIETY -by Dr. James Lynch
The stellate ganglion block (SGB) is a procedure in which an injection of a long-acting local anesthetic, using ultrasound guidance, is made in the side of the neck around the main nerve that controls the “fight or flight” response (the sympathetic nervous system). This nerve, (the cervical sympathetic chain) which is a two-way conduit, connects the parts of the brain that control the fight or flight response (referred to as the central autonomic network) to the rest of the body. By blocking or “turning off” the traffic in the cervical sympathetic chain, it is believed that the parts of the brain that control the fight or flight response are allowed to completely reset, resulting in long-term relief of the associated anxiety symptoms. Multiple peer-reviewed medical studies show that SGB results in significant long-term improvement in chronic anxiety symptoms associated with post-traumatic stress injury (PTSI). The SGB takes less than 15 minutes to perform, and benefits are seen in as little as 30 minutes.How to Detect & Manage INFLAMMATION the Non-Invasive Way
Historically speaking, the most favored (and sensible) way to identify the results of any treatment is by tracking the body's immediate response to it. Controlled testing must show the patient's condition PRE and POST effects, where true data-finding is collecting the necessary EVIDENCE of its claims. The investigator can pull a significant amount of data from this form of validation testing: including stage-by-stage bodily response to future projections of possible side effects. Modern diagnostic science looks to imaging for its safe, non-invasive yet quantifiable analyses of what’s under the skin. In this latest review, ultrasound offers a flicker-free visual (10-30 frames per second) of muscle contraction. The “real-time” advantage of video under a 3D Doppler Ultrasound easily and clearly shows the frequency of the muscle bundle’s firing (twitching) indicating fatigue and potential pathology.
WELLNESS ESSENTIALS: INFLAMMATION 101
Part of the complex biological response of body tissues to harmful stimuli (such as pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants) is inflammation. It is also a protective response involving immune cells, blood vessels, and molecular mediators. The function of inflammation is to eliminate the initial cause of cell injury, clear out necrotic cells and tissues damaged from the original insult and the inflammatory process, and initiate tissue repair.
The five cardinal signs are heat, pain, redness, swelling, and loss of function. Inflammation is a generic response, and therefore it is considered as a mechanism of innate immunity. Too little inflammation could lead to progressive tissue destruction by the harmful stimulus (e.g. bacteria) and compromise the survival of the organism. In contrast, too much inflammation, in the form of chronic inflammation, is associated with various diseases, such as hay fever, periodontal disease, atherosclerosis, and osteoarthritis.
ACUTE inflammation is the initial response of the body to harmful stimuli from the blood into the injured tissues. A series of biochemical events propagates and matures the inflammatory response within the injured tissue. Prolonged or CHRONIC inflammation, leads to a progressive shift in the type of cells in the inflamed area and is characterized by simultaneous destruction & healing of the tissue from the inflammatory process.
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