RESEARCH

Research Study for Special Operations Forces Veteran

U.S. Special Operations Forces veterans are invited to learn about an IRB-approved research study evaluating clinical outcomes associated with a medical procedure known as a Bilateral Cervical Sympathetic Block (BCSB), also referred to as a Dual Stellate Ganglion Block. This study is designed as a prospective case series and follows participants over time through research questionnaires.

The study is conducted in partnership with RESET Medical and Wellness Center, with Michael Louwers, MD serving as Principal Investigator, and is supported by the Operator Relief Fund.

Participation in the research study involves completing brief online questionnaires before and after the BCSB procedure over an approximately nine-month follow-up period. Research participation is voluntary and separate from clinical care. Choosing not to participate, or withdrawing at any time, will not affect access to medical care or support services through either organization.

Eligible individuals include former U.S. Special Operations Forces service members who are 18 years of age or older and are experiencing post-traumatic stress (PTS) and PTS-related symptoms.

Eligibility is determined through an initial screening process.

To learn more and determine whether you may be eligible, please request support using the “Request Support” tab on this website.

This research study has been reviewed and approved by an independent Institutional Review Board. Additional study information is available on ClinicalTrials.gov (Study ID: NCT07473505).

ORF Research Studies

  • ORF ASGB Study Report Aug 2024

ORF Literature Reviews

  • A Literature Review of Bilateral Cervical Sympathetic Blocks

Reviews

  • Stellate ganglion block for post-traumatic stress disorder: A comprehensive review of evidence, technique considerations, and symptom outcomes in military and non-military patients.

  • Stellate ganglion block for psychiatric disorders: A systematic review of the clinical research landscape. 

  • Stellate ganglion block in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder: A review of historical and recent literature.

SGB/DSGB for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

  • Stellate ganglion block effectiveness for PTSD, anxiety, and depression in psychiatric outpatients: A retrospective analysis.

  • Cervical sympathetic blockade in a patient with post-traumatic stress disorder: A case report.

  • Efficacy of cervical sympathetic blockade in the treatment of primary and secondary PTSD symptoms: A case series.

  • The successful use of left-sided stellate ganglion block in patients who fail to respond to right-sided stellate ganglion block for PTSD symptoms: A retrospective analysis of 205 patients. 

  • Stellate ganglion block used to treat symptoms associated with combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder: A case series of 166 patients.

  • Long-term durability of bilateral two-level stellate ganglion blocks in post-traumatic stress disorder: A six-month retrospective analysis.

  • Stellate ganglion block for PTSD and chronic low back pain: A case report of three veterans.

SGB/DSGB for Anxiety

  • Efficacy of stellate ganglion block in the treatment of anxiety symptoms from combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder: A case series.

  •  Stellate ganglion block reduces anxiety symptoms by half: A case series of 285 patients.

  • Three-month durability of bilateral two-level stellate ganglion blocks in patients with generalized anxiety disorder: A retrospective analysis.

SGB/DSGB for Suicidal Ideation

  • Cervical sympathetic blockade produces a significant reduction in suicidal ideation in a PTSD cohort: A case series of 254 patients. 

SGB/DSGB for Other Mental Health Disorders

  • Stellate ganglion block in disparate treatment-resistant mental health disorders: A case series. 

SGB/DSGB for Traumatic Brain Injury

  • The successful use of bilateral two-level ultrasound-guided stellate ganglion block to improve traumatic brain injury symptoms: A retrospective analysis of 23 patients.

  • The effect of bilateral, two-level cervical sympathetic chain blocks on specific symptom clusters for traumatic brain injury, independent of concomitant PTSD symptoms.

  • Three-month durability of bilateral two-level stellate ganglion blocks for traumatic brain injury: A retrospective analysis.

  • Bilateral dual-level cervical sympathetic blocks to treat post-traumatic brain injury sequelae: A case report. 

SGB/DSGB Combined With Other Treatments for PTSD

  • Pulsed radiofrequency-enhanced dual sympathetic block for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder. 

  • Botox-enhanced stellate ganglion blockade for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder.

  • Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in a patient receiving stellate ganglion blocks for PTSD.

  • Ketamine plus cervical sympathetic blockade appears more effective than blockade alone in reducing PTSD and depression symptoms: A case series.

  • Efficacy of combined subanesthetic ketamine infusion and cervical sympathetic blockade as a symptomatic treatment of PTSD and TBI in a special forces patient: A one-year follow-up case report.

  • Successful use of stellate ganglion block and pulsed radiofrequency in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder: A case report.

Ongoing and Registered Clinical Trials Involving SGB/DSGB

  • Evaluating the Efficacy of Combined Cognitive Processing Therapy and Stellate Ganglion Blocks for PTSD

  • Stellate Ganglion Block for PTSD (SGB-PTSD)

  • Stellate Ganglion Block to Augment Trauma-focused Therapy Among Veterans With PTSD

  • Integrative Bilateral Cervical Sympathetic Blocks for Trauma-Related Symptoms in Special Operations Veterans: A Prospective Case Series

  • A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial of Stellate Ganglion Block in the Treatment of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

  • Combining Stellate Ganglion Block With Prolonged Exposure for PTSD

  • Stellate Ganglion Block in the Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

  • Enhancing Cognitive Processing Therapy for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Via Stellate Ganglion Block Treatment: A Pilot Trial (SGB)

  • Augmenting Massed Prolonged Exposure With a Stellate Ganglion Block to Treat PTSD

  • Ketamine, SGB and Combination Treatment for TBI-associated Headache or PTSD

  • Effects of Stellate Ganglion Block in Post-traumatic Stress Disorder

  • Effectiveness and Acceptability of Stellate Ganglion Block for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms – Effectiveness

  • Effectiveness and Acceptability of Stellate Ganglion Block for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms – Acceptability