Treatments · Diagnostic & Therapeutic Injections
Stellate Ganglion Block
A sympathetic nerve block targeting the stellate ganglion in the neck — used for CRPS and other sympathetically-mediated pain affecting the upper extremity, head, or neck.
What it involves
The stellate ganglion is a cluster of sympathetic nerve tissue located at the base of the neck, in front of the spine, that supplies sympathetic signaling to the head, neck, and arm on that side. Under fluoroscopic or ultrasound guidance, local anesthetic is injected precisely at the ganglion to interrupt that sympathetic outflow.
It's used specifically for CRPS or other sympathetically-mediated pain affecting the upper extremity, head, or neck — the same procedure that targets the lower extremity is a different injection at a different level, the lumbar sympathetic block.
How it works
Interrupting sympathetic signaling at the stellate ganglion often produces visible, immediate signs the block is working — warming and flushing of the treated arm and hand as blood vessels dilate — alongside reduced pain. That combination is both diagnostic (confirming a sympathetic component to the pain) and often therapeutic in its own right.
A single block can provide meaningful relief, but the more durable benefit for CRPS often comes from a short series of repeated blocks, giving the abnormal sympathetic signaling pattern a chance to settle rather than simply interrupting it once.
How We Build Your Plan
The clinical reasoning behind this recommendation
What's the diagnosis?
Confirmed CRPS or sympathetically-mediated pain affecting the upper extremity, head, or neck — often supported by the temperature and color changes characteristic of sympathetic involvement.
What's the mechanism?
Local anesthetic delivered at the stellate ganglion interrupts sympathetic nervous system signaling to the head, neck, and arm, addressing the abnormal vasomotor and pain amplification pattern that defines CRPS rather than just the pain itself.
What are the options?
A single block for diagnostic confirmation, or a short series of blocks for patients who respond well, aiming for durable improvement rather than repeated one-off relief.
Why this approach?
For CRPS affecting the upper body, Dr. Foster targets the stellate ganglion specifically because it's the sympathetic relay point for that region — a lumbar sympathetic block wouldn't reach the right nerves for an arm or hand presentation.
What are the tradeoffs?
This is a low-risk, outpatient procedure, but because of the ganglion's location near several important neck structures, temporary side effects like a hoarse voice or a drooping eyelid are common and expected, not signs of a complication.
What to Expect
A brief procedure with some expected, temporary effects
The injection itself typically takes about 5 minutes, done under image guidance on an outpatient basis. Because the stellate ganglion sits near several important neck structures, it's normal to briefly experience a hoarse voice, a drooping eyelid, or a flushed, warm feeling on the treated side — expected signs the sympathetic block is working, not complications, and they resolve within a few hours.
Patients are monitored for a short period after the procedure before going home. If a series of blocks is planned, each one follows the same brief, outpatient pattern.
Conditions This Treats
Conditions this treatment addresses
Dealing with CRPS affecting your arm, hand, head, or neck?
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