From the 60 Minutes report, “could a simple shot in the neck be a break-through for the debilitating symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder? The toll from PTSD is growing. About 20 veterans a day commit suicide in what the VA is now calling an epidemic. Only 40% find relief from PTSD with current treatments. The new procedure called stellate ganglion block, or SGB, is so fast-acting that many believe it could be a game changer. Used for decades to treat chronic pain, it's only recently been tried for PTSD.”
Dakota Meyer, the first living Marine to be awarded the Medal of Honor since the Vietnam war, says after the shot “it feels like “a million pounds was taken off me...I feel normal...If you took being downtown New York City in rush-hour traffic to, all of a sudden, driving down a quiet country road with nowhere to be.”
The report points out that SGB does not cure patients of PTSD. Rather, it calms their hyperactive brain, allowing them to be more open to regular therapies.Patients often feel results within minutes, and the effects can last months.