Awhile back I sent all of you information on the new treatment for PTSD by Dr. Lipov, here in Chicago. In conjunction with the Army, I just received a call from Phil Kiver, who asked me to email out that to any Veteran who would like to participate in this treatment, your round trip will be paid for to Chicago for the treamtent, from anywhere in the country! Please contact Phil Kiver at 509 999 8645.
Info on the treatment is below:
Google - pentagon scientists inject neck cure PTSD
Finding an effective treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder has been a top Pentagon priority for years. And with an estimated one in five veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan suffering from PTSD, the military’s been willing to consider anything and everything, including yoga, dog therapy and acupuncture, to alleviate symptoms.
But a small new study out of Walter Reed Army Medical Center might offer more than temporary relief — with nothing more than a quick jab to the neck.
It’s a procedure called stellate ganglion block (STB), and involves injecting local anesthetic into a bundle of nerves located in the neck. The bundle are a locus for the sympathetic nervous system, which regulates the body’s “fight-or-flight” stress response.
Led by Lieutenant Colonel Sean Mulvaney, Pentagon scientists gave STB injections to two soldiers, one on active duty and another who’d been suffering from PTSD symptoms since serving in the Gulf War nearly two decades ago. Their study reports that both men “experienced immediate, significant and durable relief” after the 10-minute procedure, and no longer exhibit symptoms that would qualify them for a PTSD diagnosis.
Seven months later, both had successfully stopped using antidepressant and antipsychotic medications with the guidance of a psychiatrist.
While the research out of Walter Reed only tested two patients, a Chicago-based doctor named Eugene Lipov is already conducting his own double-blind trial on war-vet volunteers. One of his patients, 28-year-old John Sullivan, found little relief with prescription anti-anxiety meds. But the former Marine Corps Sergeant told ABC News that the STB injection completely eliminated his nightmares, flashbacks and ongoing anxiety.
“[It was] not painful and the results were within five minutes — I felt more relaxed and calmed down. It’s been great.”
Lipov has also conducted before-and-after brain scans on patients. Those suffering from PTSD usually exhibit characteristic “hot spots” that light up when a patient is exposed to violent imagery. After an STB treatment, the brains of PTSD patients no longer displayed the abnormal reactions.
But STB treatments, which have been used for decades to treat a handful of illnesses, including Raynaud’s Syndrome, aren’t without risks. Injuries to the nervous or vascular system are the most common, usually from a misplaced needle. Still, STB is likely to be met with more enthusiasm from the Pentagon than another potential PTSD treatment. MDMA, the key ingredient in ecstasy, was in the spotlight last week after successful results of a study on 21 veterans. But according to the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, who sponsored the study, the Department of Veterans Affairs has thus far refused to collaborate on future research.
Read More http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2010/04/pentagon-scientists-inject-necks-to-cure-ptsd/#ixzz0my4BpbHe
Published Online: 20 Apr 2010
Journal compilation © 2010 World Institute of Pain
- Published on behalf of the World Institute of Pain
CLINICAL REPORT
The Use of Stellate Ganglion Block in the Treatment of Panic/Anxiety Symptoms with Combat-Related Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder; Preliminary Results of Long-Term Follow-Up: A Case Series
Sean W. Mulvaney, MD*; Brian McLean, MD † ; Jason de Leeuw, PsyD, ABPP ‡
*Consortium for Health and Military Performance, Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, Maryland; † Department of Interventional Pain Management and Anesthesia, Tripler Army Medical Center, Honolulu, Hawaii; ‡ Kimbrough Ambulatory Care Center, Fort Meade, Maryland, U.S.A.
Correspondence to Sean W. Mulvaney, MD, Consortium for Health and Military Performance, Military and Emergency Medicine, Uniformed Services University, 4301 Jones Bridge Road, Bethesda, MD 20814, U.S.A. E-mail: seanmulvaney@hotmail.com.
Copyright Journal compilation © 2010 World Institute of Pain
KEYWORDS
post-traumatic stress disorder • stellate ganglion block • anxiety • sympathetic
ABSTRACT
Objective: Report the successful use of stellate ganglion blocks (SGBs) in two patients experiencing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Background: Successful treatment of PTSD with SGB has been reported previously. A similar protocol was employed at Walter Reed Army Medical Center to treat two soldiers with chronic, combat-related PTSD.
Methods: Both patients received a SGB on the right side at C6 level. The patients' PTSD symptoms were evaluated using the Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist (PCL). The PCL was administered the day prior to treatment, to establish a baseline, and the day after treatment. The PCL was also utilized during follow-up visits to quantify the patient's symptomotology. The SGB was administered by an anesthesiologist and the psychometric tests administered by a psychologist.
Results: Both patients experienced immediate, significant and durable relief as measured by the PCL (score minimum 17, maximum 85). In both instances, the pre-treatment score suggested a PTSD diagnosis whereas the post-treatment scores did not. One patient requested repeat treatment after 3 months, and the post-treatment score remained below the PTSD cutoff after 7 additional months of follow-up. Both patients discontinued all antidepressant and antipsychotic medications while maintaining their improved PCL score.
Conclusion: Selective blockade of the right stellate ganglion at C6 level is a safe and minimally invasive procedure that may provide durable relief from PTSD symptoms, allowing the safe discontinuation of psychiatric medications. ▪
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