Stellate Ganglion Block (SGB)

A calm, gentle way to quiet your body’s alarm system

A stellate ganglion block, or SGB, is a small shot of numbing medicine in the neck. It gives your nervous system a chance to rest and reset.

Schedule Your Visit → Learn How It Works

We clean and numb your skin first. Most visits are quick and easy.

What is the stellate ganglion?

Deep in your neck, there is a small bundle of nerves. It is called the stellate ganglion. Think of it like a switchboard. It carries signals between your brain and many parts of your body.

When your body has been under stress for a long time, this switchboard can get stuck in “alarm mode.” Your heart may race. You may feel on edge. It can be hard to relax or sleep.

Easy way to picture it: the stellate ganglion is like a volume knob for your body’s alarm signals. The block gently turns that volume down.

Old medical drawing of the nerve bundles in the neck, with the stellate ganglion labeled — A drawing from the medical book showing the nerve bundle (the “stellate ganglion”) in the neck.

Your brain and your body are always talking

The stellate ganglion helps carry messages between your brain and organs like your eyes, heart, and lungs, and to your arm.

When those messages are too loud for too long, your body stays tense. Calming the messages for a little while can help your body settle down.

Old medical diagram showing nerve paths from the brain and stellate ganglion to the eye, heart, lung, and arm — A map from the book showing how the nerves connect to the eyes, heart, lungs, and arm.

What does the block do?

During an SGB, your provider places a small amount of numbing medicine, called 2% lidocaine, close to the stellate ganglion nerve bundle in your neck.

The medicine works for about 20 to 30 minutes. During that time, it blocks the signals that travel between your brain and the organs connected to the stellate ganglion.

It is a little like pressing pause on a noisy alarm — so your body gets a quiet moment to reset.

Old medical schematic drawing showing how pain signals can form a loop in the body — From the book: how pain signals can get stuck in a loop — and how the block can help break it.

Lidocaine — a gentle numbing medicine

20–30

Minutes the medicine works

Small spot on the side of the neck

Ultrasound

Guides the medicine to the right place

What happens at your visit

We take it one gentle step at a time. Here is exactly what to expect.

You get comfortable

You lie back and relax. Your care team explains everything before anything happens.

We clean the skin

We clean the side of your neck with a skin cleaner called chlorhexidine to keep everything safe.

Cold spray numbs the skin

We use a cold spray so the skin is numb before the needle. Most people feel only the cold.

Ultrasound guides the way

Ultrasound lets your provider see inside the neck and place the 2% lidocaine close to the nerve bundle.

You are not alone. Your care team stays with you the whole time and watches how you feel.

Want to learn more? Read the book

These pictures come from a classic medical book about the stellate ganglion block by Dr. Daniel C. Moore. You can flip through the pages right here.

Stellate Ganglion Block — Daniel C. Moore, M.D. 60 pages

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Scroll inside the window to read the book. On a phone, tap Open full screen to read it more easily.

Common questions

Does it hurt?

We clean your skin and numb it with a cold spray first. Most people feel pressure more than pain. The needle part is quick.

How long does the medicine work?

The numbing medicine (2% lidocaine) works for about 20 to 30 minutes. During that time it blocks the signals between your brain and the organs connected to the stellate ganglion.

How do you know where to put the medicine?

Your provider uses ultrasound. It is a safe way to see inside your neck, so the medicine is placed close to the right nerve bundle.

Is the skin cleaned first?

Yes. We clean the side of your neck with a skin cleaner called chlorhexidine before we begin. This helps keep everything safe and clean.

What should I do next?

If you think an SGB might help you, the next step is easy. Visit our scheduling page and pick a time that works for you.