FAQs

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can manifest through various symptoms that can be categorised into four main clusters. These symptoms typically arise after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event and persist for an extended period. The symptoms of PTSD include:

It is important to note that individuals with PTSD may not experience all of these symptoms, and the severity and duration can vary from person to person. Complete your online Quiz to find out more about your PTSD severity. Click here <link to quiz> to complete the PCL-5 questionnaire which will produce a score out of 80. More about the PCL-5 is explained ​​here

Click ​​here to learn more about the PCL-5

Stella patients are asked to complete questionnaires before and following the treatment to assess any clinical significant change in the symptoms. This will  be at various intervals, e.g. Day 7 and Day 30 to assess any meaningful change.

While we recognise that the questionnaires may be framed as if they pertain to a specific occurrence or event in your life. In this instance, we advise responding with a broader perspective encompassing your overall symptoms and their potential influence on quality of life.

Click here to read more about the latest research in relation to anxiety.

DSR, Stella's SGB procedure has shown efficacy for a wide range of traumas. Many of our patients have experienced multiple traumas over their life, including early childhood trauma. In fact, it is more rare to treat a patient with a single traumatic exposure, as opposed to an individual who has suffered from two or more different forms of trauma.Because Stella treats a large number of veterans and first responders, a significant number of our patients have had high levels of cumulative, multi-layered trauma. Our research on the biggest sample to date of patients treated with SGB for trauma shows that regardless of the source of trauma, Stella's DSR procedure shows good outcomes for most patients regardless of the type of trauma and when it occurred.
‍In other words, we have seen great outcomes both with patients whose trauma was sustained during their early childhood and patients with more recent forms of trauma. While individual outcomes vary, there is reason to hope that Treatment by Stella can bring relief to suffering.

SGB is an injection of a local anesthetic into the stellate ganglion, a nerve bundle in the neck connected to the fight or flight system, to help people feel calm again in their own bodies.

This data is obtained from the Australian retrospective study Efficacy-of-Right-Sided-Cervical-Sympathetic-Block-in-Treating-Post-Traumatic-Stress-Disorder-in-Australian-Cohorts-A-Retrospective-Analysis published in the Research and Practice in Anesthesiology. Paul Verrills, Eugene Lipov, Robert Wright, Zubin Sethi - September 25th 2023. https://openventio.org/wp-content/uploads/Efficacy-of-Right-Sided-Cervical-Sympathetic-Block-in-Treating-Post-Traumatic-Stress-Disorder-in-Australian-Cohorts-A-Retrospective-Analysis-RPAOJ-7-136.pdf

The Stella Centre provides coordination, care and support throughout the treatment process. During a free scheduled consultation, the care team will share information about the treatment, check eligibility,  information on what to expect, explain the associated risks, offer suitable treatment locations, discuss financing options, and coordinate with the Stella provider your treatment date. 

Our clinical team uses validated measures to gauge your symptoms. These measures may include the Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist (PCL-5) for symptoms of PTSD/ emotional trauma, the Generalised Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) for anxiety, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) for depression, and the Rivermead Post-Concussion Symptoms Questionnaire (RPQ) for Traumatic Brain Injury.

Stella patients are asked to complete questionnaires before and after the treatment to assess any clinical significant change in the symptoms.

While we recognise that the questionnaires may be framed as if they pertain to a specific occurrence or event in your life. In this instance, we advise responding with a broader perspective encompassing your overall symptoms and their potential influence on quality of life.

To initiate the process, we kindly request you to engage with our Patient Care Coordinator.

Do I need a doctor’s referral ?

Yes , you need a medical practitioner to write a referral to our Stella provider. In order to obtain a referral to the suitable Stella provider - you will need to have a consultation with us first to determine the suitable specialists. In some locations, we may have few options available and taking into account your private health insurance  insurance status.

Can a psychologist or counsellor refer me?

Many of our patients found out about the Stellate Ganglion Block and Stella centre via their mental health representative. However, a GP or psychiatrist referral is still required inorder to get treated. To obtain the “correct” referral, you will need to speak with us to determine who the referral needs to be addressed to. Our providers are not published on our website.

At Stella, we have seen that patients who receive comprehensive care that includes biological treatments and insight-oriented talk therapy receive optimal benefits. For this reason, we strongly recommend a treatment plan that combines both biological and psychological care. Click here (Getting better outcomes with talk therapy) to watch our Chief Psychologist Dr Shauna Springer discuss this topic.
Ongoing or concurrent Mental health support is strongly recommended for patients who receive the Dual Sympathetic Reset/ Stella's Stellate Ganglion Block (SGB) Treatment  - the clinical team will assess patients for this criteria. In addition, we collaborate with many independent mental health providers and can offer a referral to a therapist who works with us to help our patients get the best outcomes possible.
What you will need is a referral from your GP or Psychiatrist to receive the SGB treatment - our patient care team will discuss this with you and once you've been prescreened - we will provide a referral request detailing what we need and why from your doctor to write the referral.

The Stellate Ganglion Block (SGB) is a medical procedure that involves the injection of a local anaesthetic into the stellate ganglion, a cluster of nerves located in the neck. Historically, it has been and still is used to diagnose and treat various conditions, including upper limb pain, CRPS, other chronic pain and regional circulatory disorders.

This is a procedure that has now been studied and utilised as a potential treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) with the aim of modulating the sympathetic nervous system. By doing so, it is believed to potentially alleviate symptoms associated with PTSD, such as hyperarousal, anxiety, and flashbacks. Link to Dr Lipov video.

The effectiveness of SGB for PTSD is still being researched heavily- link here to studies being conducted by Stella Centre.  Some studies have already shown promising results in reducing PTSD symptoms especially when first line and second line treatments have failed to improve a patient's quality of life. It is important to consult with a healthcare professional who can provide guidance and discuss the potential risks and benefits of SGB as a treatment option for PTSD.

The term "Dual Sympathetic Reset" is used to describe Stella’s  unique approach and specific protocol involving the Stellate Ganglion Block for PTSD

The effectiveness of SGB for PTSD is still being researched extensively. Some studies have already shown promising results in reducing PTSD symptoms especially when first line and second line treatments have failed to improve a patient's quality of life. It is important to consult with a healthcare professional who can provide guidance and discuss the potential risks and benefits of SGB as a treatment option for PTSD.

What kind of doctors perform Stella’s Dual Sympathetic Reset and what image guidance do they use?

Stella providers: These medical practitioners are typically specialists, either in pain management or interventional radiology.

Image guidance: There are three types of image guided techniques that doctors will utilise to perform the SGB.

In Australia, we have medical practitioners using Ultrasound guidance, CT or Fluoroscopy.  The most popular image guided techniques utilised in Australia are CT and fluoroscopy.  You can access educational videos if you want to learn more about these techniques:

Each human body is unique, and each person's experience of trauma is distinct. The efficacy of SGB (Stellate Ganglion Block) exhibits significant individual variability among patients, with the relief of symptoms differing slightly from one individual to another. Considering the comprehensive scope of the DSM-5 diagnostic manual, which outlines a staggering 636,000 possible combinations of symptoms leading to a PTSD diagnosis, it becomes evident that patients can manifest a wide array of symptoms. Additionally, factors such as age, gender, genetics, and the duration of symptom manifestation further contribute to the diverse presentation of trauma-related conditions in individuals.

In light of this intricate interplay, the duration of SGB's effectiveness varies, influencing how long a positive response is maintained. Some patients may find the need for a "top-up" or a repeat treatment, particularly when exposed to stressful environments that can trigger symptoms, necessitating ongoing care to address evolving needs.

We have an internal clinical process called a prescreen. A nurse will review your symptoms and health history to determine if you are a good candidate for the Stellate Ganglion Block also known as Stella’s Dual Sympathetic Reset. We will discuss any health conditions that you have to ensure that they do not interfere with the treatment's ability to relieve your symptoms.

Procedure dates and times will be determined by the provider’s availability. On average, our patients schedule their treatment within 4 weeks of their consultations depending on their location and treatment. This is a specialists service and we will work with the stella provider to offer you the best available date provided that we have completed the internal checks and received your referral from your treating clinicians (GP or Psychiatrist).

Securing your booking /procedure date: Your booking is secured upon completing the Informed Financial Consent.

The potential side effects of a stellate ganglion block (SGB) can include temporary hoarseness or voice changes, difficulty swallowing, drooping eyelid or Horner syndrome, temporary numbness or weakness in the arm or hand. These are expected and will revolve in 6-8 hours. Other side effects are rare but can include changes in blood pressure or heart rate, headache, infection, bleeding, allergic reactions, and rarely, nerve injury or puncture of surrounding structures. This is all covered during the consent process and on the day of the procedure with the practitioner.

Stella's consults/ assessments, follow-up appointments are free. The cost of your procedure, and information regarding medicare rebates and private health insurance will be discussed at length during your phone consultation with us and provided to you following the call.  Hospital admission applies in certain Stella locations and this will be discussed with you during the consultation. But just like any procedure there is more than one party involved - you have the Stella doctor, and you may have hospital /facility fees /radiology imaging and  anaesthetic fees if sedated.These costs will be billed separately by the different providers.

Patients who are insured:

Just like any other interventional procedure, if you have premium private health insurance - i.e. top hospital cover (not extras or bronze) - you may have the below but the exact amount  depends on your insurer and policy. We have provided only indicative costs here.

Is financing available?

Yes we offer financing through TLC. https://tlc.com.au/