A dual stellate ganglion block (SGB) procedure may help reduce anxiety symptoms in people who do not respond adequately to standard treatments, according to a clinical trial conducted by doctors at a private medical college hospital in Chickballapur near Bengaluru.
The study examined whether targeting the sympathetic nervous system, which plays a role in the body’s stress response, could help patients with treatment-resistant anxiety.
Researchers reported that participants who underwent the dual nerve block experienced a significantly greater reduction in anxiety symptoms compared with those who received a sham procedure.
A stellate ganglion block involves administering a local anaesthetic near a group of nerves in the neck known as the stellate ganglion. These nerves are part of the sympathetic nervous system, which regulates several involuntary responses, including those associated with stress.
According to the researchers, reducing excessive activity in the sympathetic nervous system through the procedure may help ease some symptoms of anxiety.
The findings are relevant to patients whose symptoms continue despite conventional treatment. However, a clinical trial showing benefit does not by itself establish the procedure as a standard treatment for anxiety.
Further research will be important to understand the procedure’s effectiveness, safety and longer-term outcomes, as well as which patients could potentially benefit from it.
The findings add to research exploring alternatives for people with treatment-resistant anxiety, while highlighting the need for continued clinical evaluation before wider adoption.