Doctor Treats PTSD With Injection To Block Memories

 The procedure you are about to read could be a breakthrough in treating post traumatic stress disorder(PTSD).  In which a local anesthetic is injected at the base of the neck. the medical procedure is called stellate ganglion block (SGB).  And since this medical procedure (SGB) might seem too professional for you, I thought I should first simplify the medical terminology for you. 

What is a stellate ganglion block?

A stellate ganglion block is an injection around a nerve junction or ‘cross-roads’ where many nerves meet, called the stellate ganglion. This crossroads can sometimes be responsible for sending pain and other stimuli messages to the brain. Stimuli from the head, face, neck, arm and even the heart can send messages through this point.

 By injecting local anaesthetic and sometimes anti-inflammatory steroids around this place, the pain messages can be blocked and the pain reduced.

 What is the stellate ganglion?

There is a group of nerves in the body called sympathetic nerves. They control the things we do not need to think about such as sweating, blood pressure and heart rate. A ganglion is a bundle of nerves that comes together in a particular place sending out many branches. In this case, the sympathetic nerves to the head, face, neck, arm and heart all come together at this star-shaped ganglion. Stellate means star-shaped; so this particular bundle of sympathetic nerves is named the stellate ganglion. The nerves are located on either side of the voice box, at the base of the neck.

posted by Dr. Ashraf Ezzat

From news channel5.com

CHICAGO – All it takes is one loud noise to trigger a flood of awful memories. Post traumatic stress disorder haunts one in every six soldiers coming back from Iraq and nearly 8,000,000 Americans in all.

Standard treatment means therapy and meds that don’t always work and have side effects. One doctor is treating PTSD with an injection that he said can block the painful memories. 

This used to be John Sullivan’s reality. 

“I was firing a rocket propelled grenade, an RPG. When I pulled the trigger, it malfunctioned, and it blew up the tube,” said Sullivan. “It Injured seven other marines and killed three, all good friends of mine.” 

Thirteen surgeries, several skin grafts and two years of therapy later, he’s in a much more peaceful place. That doesn’t mean he’s safe from the effects of war. 

“I was riding on a bus with my uncle going to a baseball game and the tire blew out – started having a panic attack,” recalled Sullivan. 

Sullivan was diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder. Anti-anxiety meds didn’t work, so he’s trying an experimental treatment, an injection to the neck to stop PTSD. 

“The way I look at PTSD, it’s a biological problem. It’s no different than a broken arm,” said Eugene Lipov, MD, Medical Director of Advanced Pain Center. 

Dr. Eugene Lipov is the first to use a local anesthetic to treat PTSD. It’s called stellate ganglion block – SGB. It’s been used since the 1920s to treat pain. In this 10-minute procedure, Dr. Lipov injects it next to a bundle of nerves in the neck. 

“It works in 30 minutes. What else works in 30 minutes,” explained Dr. Lipov. “The drugs take two, three months, maybe six, if ever.” 

Lipov said when a traumatic event is experienced, nerves in the brain sprout like flowers. By applying the local anesthetic, the nerve growth factor returns to normal. In a recent study at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, doctors found the shot provided “immediate, significant and durable relief” for two soldiers who didn’t respond to pills. 

Other doctors said more safety studies need to be done before the treatment is widely used. Sullivan said, for him, it worked.

“I’m not really taking any more anxiety medication or sleeping medication,” said Sullivan. “I can sleep through the night without having panic attacks and waking up with cold sweats and screaming, I can go and function.” 

This Marine is still fighting for a peaceful life. 

Dr. Lipov said one injection could last years, even a lifetime. It costs between $500 and $1,000. He’s currently performing a single blind study to provide the data needed to make this a more widely accepted treatment. There is no cost for patients in the study. Dr. Lipov does have FDA clearance to use the injection on patients. 

RESEARCH SUMMARY:

BACKGROUND: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a type of anxiety disorder. It can occur after you’ve seen or experienced a traumatic event that involved the threat of injury or death. According to the National Center for PTSD, statistics indicate that approximately 7 to 8 percent of people in the United States will likely develop PTSD in their lifetime.  For combat veterans and rape victims, the chance of developing PTSD is as high as 30 percent. 

LIVING WITH PTSD: Untreated PTSD can have devastating, far-reaching consequences. It can prevent someone from functioning in daily life and can ruin relationships. Economically, PTSD can have significant consequences as well. As of 2005, more than 200,000 veterans were receiving disability compensation for this illness, at a cost of $4.3 billion. This represents an 80-percent increase in the number of military people receiving disability benefits for PTSD.

TREATMENTS: Treatments for PTSD usually include psychological and medical therapies.

NEW VACCINE: Dr. Eugene Lipov is the first doctor to use a local anesthetic, called stellate ganglion block (SGB), to treat PTSD.  Stellate ganglion block is an injection of a local anesthetic into the front of the neck, next to the stellate ganglion, a collection of nerves in the neck. In small studies, the 10-minute procedure appears to provide immediate relief to patients. 

Dr. Lipov says when a traumatic event is experienced, it leads to an increase in the nerve growth factor. This spike causes nerves to sprout, leading to feelings of anxiety. By applying the local anesthetic to block the specific nerve group in the neck, the growth factor returns to normal and symptoms subside.

Doctors at Walter Reed Army Medical Center recently replicated Dr. Lipov’s results and found that the injection provided immediate and durable relief for two soldiers who didn’t respond to pills. “It works in 30 minutes; what else works in 30 minutes? The drugs take two to three months, maybe six months if ever,” Dr. Lipov told Ivanhoe. Lipov isn’t sure how long the injection lasts but says it could last several years or even provide a lifetime of relief in some cases. Other doctors say more studies need to be done before this treatment is widely used.

Dr. Ashraf Ezzat

Ashraf Ezzat is an Egyptian born in Cairo and based in Alexandria. He graduated from the faculty of Medicine at Alexandria University.

Keen not to be entirely consumed by the medical profession, Dr. Ezzat invests a lot of his time in research and writing. History of the ancient Near East and of Ancient Egypt has long been an area of special interest to him.

In his writings, he approaches ancient history not as some tales from the remote times but as a causative factor in our existing life; and to him, it’s as relevant and vibrant as the current moment.

In his research and writings, Dr. Ezzat is always on a quest trying to find out why the ancient wisdom had been obstructed and ancient spirituality diminished whereas the Judeo-Christian teachings and faith took hold and prospered.

Dr. Ezzat has written extensively in Arabic tackling many issues and topics in the field of Egyptology and comparative religion. He is the author of Egypt knew no Pharaohs nor Israelites.

He writes regularly at many well-known online websites such as Dissident Voice and What Really Happened.

Dr. Ezzat is also an independent filmmaker. His debut film was back in 2011 The Annals of Egypt Revolution and in 2012 he made Tale of Osiris a short animation for children.

In 2013 his short The Pyramids: story of creation was screened at many international film festivals in Europe. And he is working now on his first documentary “Egypt knew no Pharaohs nor Israelites”.