Stellate Ganglion Block (SGB) for Women’s Health

Stellate Ganglion Block: what it is and what it treats

Stellate ganglion block (SGB) is a minimally invasive outpatient procedure we administer to minimize symptoms related to menopause. Research has shown that women receiving SGB often experience:

Fewer hot flashes
Better sleep
Improved mood stability
Reduced anxiety

For many, the treatment restores a sense of balance and well-being, supporting both physical comfort and emotional resilience during this transition. Offered as part of Orthohealing Center’s comprehensive women’s health approach, SGB can help women navigate midlife and beyond with greater ease, vitality, and confidence.

The intervention also commonly addresses:

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Generalized anxiety disorder
Panic attacks
Migraines
Neuropathic pain (e.g., trigeminal neuralgia)
Post-herpetic neuralgia
Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS)
Trauma-related disorders

As stress, anxiety, and depression can hinder our ability to overcome inflammation, these mental states can negatively impact healing and recovery from chronic orthopedic conditions. Used to reset an overactive sympathetic nervous system, stellate ganglion blocks have the ability to optimize healing and enhance treatment outcomes.

How an SGB works

Dr. Danielle Aufiero performing stellate ganglion block therapy on a patient to reduce chronic pain During this minimally invasive procedure, a small amount of local anesthetic is injected around a cluster of nerves in the front of the neck—the stellate ganglion. These nerves play a key role in regulating the body’s stress response and nervous system. For perimenopausal, menopausal, and post-menopausal women struggling with excessive stress or anxiety, they may become overactive and even stuck in “fight or flight” mode—a process that can drive inflammation and what is sometimes referred to as inflammaging.

Hormonal changes during this transitional stage of life can make it harder for women to recover from stress, further amplifying symptoms. By temporarily calming this nerve center, SGB helps “reset” the nervous system, reduce inflammation, and ease the physical and emotional symptoms linked to chronic stress. While the exact way SGB minimizes post-menopausal symptoms isn’t fully understood, research points to several possible mechanisms:

It may reduce overheating and ease hot flashes by calming sympathetic nerve activity in the hypothalamus (the brain’s temperature control center)
Declining estrogen increases nerve growth factor, which raises brain norepinephrine and may trigger hot flashes and night sweats—SGB can help by lowering norepinephrine in circulation
By blocking the cervical sympathetic chain, SGB has demonstrated the ability to reduce excessive blood flow to improve vasomotor symptoms such as night sweats and temperature spikes

Related studies

Click through on the links below to access studies supporting the use of stellate ganglion blocks for perimenopausal, menopausal, and post-menopausal women.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6341375/#:~:text=In%20postmenopausal%20women%2C%20the%20strategy,efficacy%20of%20these%20natural%20products

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39077777/