Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
BioHealth Pain Management Specialists
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating condition that can harm your work performance, personal relationships, and physical health. Yet only about 40% of veterans respond well to conventional PTSD treatments. Dr. Rostam Khoshsar at BioHealth Pain Management is a leading pioneer in the use of a stellate ganglion block (SGB) for PTSD. Veterans and civilians whose symptoms haven’t responded to traditional treatment can benefit from this fast, safe, effective approach. To learn more or schedule a consultation, call the office in Torrance, CA, or book an appointment online today.
Frequently Asked Questions
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that affects 8 million men and women in the United States every year in response to a traumatic experience.
Trauma triggers your brain’s flight or fight response. Fear, anger, nervousness, and other negative emotions are normal following a traumatic event.
When you can’t process the experience, however, your brain remains in a state of flight or fight, leading to ongoing distress and an increase in symptoms.
Events that can lead to PTSD include:
- Combat experience
- Physical or sexual assault
- Domestic abuse
- Car accidents
- Natural disasters
- Witnessing a death or act of violence
About 10% of women and 4% of men in the United States develop PTSD during their lifetime.
The most common symptoms associated with PTSD include:
- Involuntary memories or flashbacks
- Edginess or irritability
- Avoiding places, people, or activities that remind you of the event
- Negative thoughts about yourself and others
- Social detachment
- Lack of interest in activities you once enjoyed
- Guilt, shame, or hopelessness
- Easy startle response
- Difficulty sleeping
- Trouble concentrating
- Erratic behavior
If you experienced a traumatic event and your symptoms persist for more than a few months, consider seeing a qualified health provider for an evaluation.
Conventional treatments for PTSD include talk therapy combined with medication. This approach can help some patients, but PTSD symptoms don’t always resolve after traditional treatment.
Dr. Khoshsar offers a cutting-edge new treatment option for PTSD known as stellate ganglion block (SGB). As an expert who participated in research using SGB to help veterans suffering from PTSD, Dr. Khoshsar is a pioneer of this promising new injectable treatment option.
SGB is an anesthetic procedure that’s typically used for severe pain conditions. The anesthetic is injected into the neck to block signals in a bundle of nerves known as the stellate ganglion. These nerves innervate the upper body and help control your brain’s flight or fight response.
Current research demonstrates that blocking signals in these nerves can deactivate the flight or fight response, quickly and effectively reducing PTSD symptoms in a majority of patients for up to six months, with little to no side effects.
To learn more about this revolutionary option for PTSD, call BioHealth Pain Management or make an appointment online today.