The treatment involves injecting a local anesthetic next to a group of nerves in the neck. It's called a stellate ganglion block. Chicago-area pain specialist Eugene Lipov has been experimenting with the procedure for several years and has seen some promising results.
Now, a team at Walter Reed Army Medical Center is looking at the method. Researchers tested it on two soldiers who were not responding to conventional drugs for PTSD.
The block procedure involves shots that take only about 10 minutes to apply. According to results in the journal Pain Practice, both patients experienced immediate and significant relief.
Researchers caution that the treatment still needs more investigation.
