Stellate Ganglion Block Shows Promise for PTSD Treatment with 68-78% Success Rate in Israel
Key Insights
Stella's stellate ganglion (search) block treatment demonstrates superior efficacy with 68-78% success rates compared to traditional PTSD (search) therapies that succeed less than half the time.
The minimally invasive procedure involves injecting local anesthetic (search) into nerve bundles at the neck base, providing immediate symptom relief by resetting the sympathetic nervous system (search).
Clinical data from over 280 patients shows significant improvements in anxiety (search) scores, with Israeli patients experiencing average PCL score drops from 51 to 33 points.
Stella Global (search)'s stellate ganglion (search) block treatment is demonstrating remarkable success rates in treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD (search)), offering new hope for patients who have failed to respond to conventional therapies. The minimally invasive procedure, now available in Israel through Medica hospitals (search) in Tel Aviv and Haifa since 2022, reports success rates of 68% to 78% compared to traditional first-line treatments that succeed less than half the time.
Revolutionary Approach to PTSD Treatment
The Stella treatment represents a paradigm shift in understanding PTSD (search), moving beyond viewing it as purely a mental health disorder to recognizing the measurable biological changes trauma triggers in the nervous system. Jason Blankfield, special forces IDF combat veteran and Stella general manager, explained that growing research and advances in imaging technology have revealed how trauma contributes to the development and persistence of PTSD symptoms through physical pathways.
"We inject a low amount of a local anesthetic (search), just like you get at the dentist or like an epidural for a lady about to give birth," Blankfield said. "We do something called a nerve block."
The treatment protocol involves two short procedures, each lasting approximately 10 minutes. Using ultrasound guidance, a pain specialist or anesthesiologist injects local anesthetic (search) into nerve bundles at the base of the neck—first on the right side, followed about a week later on the left. These nerves are central to the feedback loop between the brain and sympathetic nervous system (search), which controls the body's fight-or-flight response.
Clinical Evidence and Patient Outcomes
A peer-reviewed study published in 2023 tracked more than 280 patients who received stellate ganglion (search) block treatment, providing compelling evidence of its efficacy. Participants began with an average Generalized Anxiety (search) Disorder-7 (GAD-7) score of 15.9, reflecting severe anxiety. Within one week, scores dropped by an average of nine points, with 211 patients showing clinically meaningful improvement. After one month, the average decline was 8.3 points, with 200 patients continuing to experience significant relief.
The improvement was more than double the minimum threshold doctors consider meaningful in treating anxiety (search), demonstrating the treatment's substantial clinical impact.
Results in Israel mirror these international findings. Among 150 local patients treated by Stella Israel (search), the average PCL score—a widely used tool to measure PTSD (search) symptom severity—fell from 51 to 33. Since a drop of just 10 points is considered clinically significant, most patients experienced benefits well beyond that threshold.
Mechanism of Action and Immediate Effects
The stellate ganglion (search) block works by temporarily "blocking" nerve bundles for six to eight hours, reducing norepinephrine and nerve growth factors (search) to essentially reset the system. Blankfield likens the effect to restarting a heart during cardiac arrest—the anesthetic temporarily switches off ganglion nerve cells in the peripheral nervous system, allowing them to operate as they did before trauma disrupted them.
Patients often describe immediate calm following the procedure, with notable improvements in hyperarousal, panic attacks, irritability, and sleep. This rapid symptom reduction enables patients to engage more effectively in subsequent therapeutic interventions.
"We are starting to see people going back to work, reapplying for reserves, moving back home with their kids," Blankfield said. "Here, we understand there are parts of the symptoms we can treat. They are treatable, full stop."
Patient Success Stories
Josh Malchman, a 32-year-old IDF Special Operations Engineering Unit veteran officially recognized by the Defense Ministry (search) as having PTSD (search), exemplifies the treatment's transformative potential. After years of struggling with severe insomnia (search), night terrors, and requiring heavy medication doses, his symptoms worsened dramatically following October 7.
Following Stella treatment, Malchman experienced immediate results: he no longer needed medication to fall asleep, drastically reduced his medical cannabis use, and stopped taking most other medications.
"I could not believe the quiet I had in my head," Malchman told The Media Line. "You are so used to the noise, and all of a sudden, everything is quiet. I can sleep through the night."
Regulatory Status and Access
In the United States, stellate ganglion (search) block is FDA-approved for pain management and can be used off-label for PTSD (search). In Israel, Stella holds 29A approval from the Ministry of Health, allowing treatment using FDA-approved local anesthetics such as ropivacaine or bupivacaine.
The treatment's accessibility has been significantly enhanced through philanthropic support, with nearly $2 million raised from private donors in the United States. Following data collection over the past year, soldiers now receive treatment fully covered by the Defense Ministry (search), while reservists pay only 10% of costs, Nova festival survivors receive free treatment, and evacuees from northern and southern regions access heavily discounted rates.
Addressing Growing Need
The urgency for effective PTSD (search) treatments has intensified following October 7, which unleashed a surge of trauma across Israel with skyrocketing rates of anxiety (search), depression (search), and PTSD symptoms. Some studies estimate that as many as 3 million of Israel's 10 million citizens may show signs of PTSD by the time the current conflict ends.
While the technique has been used for approximately a century to treat pain disorders, particularly complex regional pain syndrome (search) affecting the upper limbs, its application for PTSD (search) began only about 20 years ago when doctors in the US and Australia began exploring its potential.
Blankfield emphasized that while Stella is not a "magic pill," it provides significant relief and, crucially, restores hope for patients who have exhausted conventional treatment options. The company plans to conduct larger-scale clinical trials to secure full approval and eventual inclusion in Israel's health basket.
"When I started with Stella, zero patients had access to it. Now, thousands do. I won't stop until millions have access," Blankfield reflected on the progress made in recent years.