A 2024 comprehensive review found SGB efficacy for PTSD symptoms ranges from 70–83% of treated patients achieving clinically significant positive outcomes across the full range of existing studies
Stellate Ganglion Block in Katy, TX: Rapid Relief for PTSD, Anxiety, and Trauma
Katy has grown into one of the largest and most diverse suburban communities in the Houston metro — a city where military families, energy professionals, educators, and first responders all share the same zip codes and the same Katy ISD schools. What many of those families also share, without necessarily naming it, is the weight of trauma that doesn’t resolve on its own: PTSD that persists after years of therapy, anxiety that’s become the permanent background of daily life, or chronic stress that’s accumulated so long it no longer feels like a symptom. Stellate ganglion block targets the underlying biology of that persistent state — the overactivated sympathetic nerve cluster maintaining it — with a minimally invasive procedure that many Katy patients find produces meaningful relief within days. Dr. Ho, board-certified anesthesiologist and former pediatrician, performs this ultrasound-guided procedure at Catalyst Health & Wellness, serving Katy and patients from Fulshear, Cypress, Sugar Land, Cinco Ranch, and west Houston. Three locations, open 5am–9pm, every day of the week.
Katy TX, Trauma Looks Different
Katy’s growth story is remarkable: from a rice-farming railroad town to a suburban hub of nearly 400,000 people across its greater area, attracting residents from dozens of countries and professional backgrounds. That diversity creates a community where trauma looks genuinely different from household to household. A veteran managing combat PTSD in a Cinco Ranch subdivision. A military spouse carrying chronic anxiety through years of deployment cycles. An energy professional absorbing occupational stress in a Fulshear master-planned community. A first responder who’s never labeled what they’ve experienced but knows sleep hasn’t been the same since. A parent carrying the physical and emotional weight of childhood trauma that no adult treatment has fully resolved.
What all of these presentations share, despite their different origins and labels, is the same biological mechanism: a sympathetic nervous system locked into an overactivated state — elevated norepinephrine, a hyperresponsive amygdala, and a body that won’t fully stand down. That mechanism is what stellate ganglion block directly addresses. A 2025 case series published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine documented what happens when SGB is applied to a particularly challenging combination: PTSD with comorbid chronic low back pain, in three female veterans who had already failed extensive conventional treatment including medications, psychotherapy, epidural steroid injections, radiofrequency ablation, and peripheral nerve stimulation. All three patients showed meaningful improvements in both PTSD and pain symptoms following SGB — reflecting the shared pathophysiology of “central sensitization” linking both conditions. For Katy’s diverse community, where trauma rarely arrives without physical consequences, that finding directly expands what SGB can address.
What is Stellate Ganglion Block?
The stellate ganglion sits at the base of the neck — a cluster of sympathetic nerves formed by the fusion of the inferior cervical ganglion and the first thoracic ganglion, positioned just anterior to the seventh cervical vertebra. It serves as the primary relay node connecting the brain’s autonomic control centers to the sympathetic nerve supply of the head, upper body, and cardiovascular system. In healthy stress physiology, this node activates during perceived danger and quiets through parasympathetic rebalancing when the threat passes. After trauma, that rebalancing mechanism fails — the stellate ganglion keeps signaling, norepinephrine stays elevated, and the amygdala remains hyperresponsive to stimuli that would be neutral in a regulated nervous system.
Research consistently shows powerful results:
What Our Patients Say
How Stellate Ganglion Block Works
Understanding SGB's mechanism helps explain why it reaches what therapy and medication often can't — and why, for Katy patients managing both PTSD and chronic physical symptoms, it can address both simultaneously.
Resetting the Sympathetic Nervous System
The biological cascade driving PTSD begins with nerve growth factor (NGF). Traumatic experience triggers elevated NGF, which causes sympathetic nerve fibers to sprout and densify — physically increasing the number of nerve connections sending threat signals from the stellate ganglion to the amygdala and cardiovascular system. This elevated nerve density drives chronic norepinephrine production, maintains the amygdala in a state of persistent hyperresponsiveness, and keeps the body physiologically prepared for threats that no longer exist. What makes this cascade clinically important is that it's self-sustaining: elevated NGF maintains elevated norepinephrine, which reinforces the neural circuitry driving sympathetic overactivation, which generates more NGF.
SGB interrupts this loop at its anatomical source. By temporarily blocking stellate ganglion nerve conduction, the anesthetic allows NGF to normalize, norepinephrine to drop, and the amygdala's threat-detection calibration to reset. For Katy patients also managing chronic pain — back pain, muscle tension, persistent physical symptoms — the 2025 Journal of Clinical Medicine case series documented an additional dimension of this reset: SGB's anti-inflammatory properties reduce neuroinflammation, which is the shared mechanism linking PTSD and chronic pain through "central sensitization." The nervous system, once calm, stops amplifying pain signals the way a sensitized system does.
Reducing Brain Inflammation and Hyperactivity
Beyond the sympathetic reset, SGB produces measurable downstream changes in amygdala function. In PTSD, the amygdala is chronically overactivated — treating neutral stimuli as threatening, driving intrusive memories, and fueling the emotional reactivity that makes parenting, partnering, and working under a chronic load so exhausting. VA neuroimaging researchers at Long Beach first documented measurable changes in amygdala activity following SGB in 2015, correlating those imaging changes with patient-reported symptom improvement. The mechanism suggests that the stellate ganglion's connections to the amygdala are what make a 15–20 minute neck procedure capable of changing how the brain processes fear — not a superficial effect, but a recalibration at the neurological source.
For Katy's diverse community — where trauma arrives in many forms and often carries physical as well as psychological weight — this bidirectional effect (sympathetic reset plus reduced neuroinflammation plus amygdala recalibration) explains why SGB consistently produces improvements that feel categorically different from anything patients have tried before.
Conditions We Treat with Stellate Ganglion Block in Katy
SGB addresses sympathetic nervous system dysregulation across a range of conditions. At Catalyst Health & Wellness, we offer SGB for:
PTSD
Rapid relief from hyperarousal, hypervigilance, and trauma symptoms
Read MoreAnxiety Disorders
Reducing the physical manifestations of severe anxiety
Read MorePanic Disorder
Calming the fight-or-flight response that drives panic attacks
Read MoreCombat-Related Trauma
Extensively studied in military populations with strong results
Read MoreComplex Trauma
Addressing symptoms from prolonged or repeated traumatic experiences
Read MoreTrauma with Physical Symptoms
Especially effective when anxiety manifests physically
Read MoreSGB integrates powerfully with Catalyst's other treatments. Many Katy patients find that SGB's nervous system reset makes ketamine therapy, Spravato, or trauma-focused psychotherapy more effective than prior attempts.
Your Stellate Ganglion Block Journey at Catalyst Health & Wellness
Every step has been designed to be clear, supported, and genuinely accessible for Katy patients managing full suburban lives with demanding schedules.
Step 1: Free Phone Consultation
No cost, no commitment. A clinical team member discusses your symptoms, treatment history, and goals. You receive an honest clinical assessment of whether SGB makes sense for your situation — including a direct answer if it doesn’t.
Step 2: Medical Evaluation
Dr. Ho conducts a thorough pre-procedure evaluation: medical history, current medications, prior procedures, and contraindication review. Every question is addressed before anything is scheduled.
Step 3: Day of Procedure
Budget two to three hours at the clinic. Arrange transportation — post-procedure driving isn’t advisable. Comfortable clothing with an accessible collar area. Normal eating unless instructed otherwise.
Step 4: The SGB Procedure
Dr. Ho uses real-time ultrasound imaging to visualize the stellate ganglion and surrounding anatomy before needle placement. Skin is numbed first. The anesthetic is delivered under continuous imaging guidance. The injection takes approximately 15–20 minutes. Warmth, slight hoarseness, or a sense of physical release are expected signs confirming the block is working.
Step 5: Recovery & Observation
One to two hours of monitored recovery follows. Temporary Horner syndrome effects — drooping eyelid, hoarseness, warmth — indicate successful stellate ganglion interruption and resolve within hours. Our team remains present throughout.
Step 6: Assessing Response & Follow-Up
Changes typically emerge within hours to days. Our team follows up to track response and determine next steps: a second procedure two weeks later, maintenance scheduling, or complementary treatment options at Catalyst.
The Science Behind Stellate Ganglion Block
A systematic review published in Chronic Stress examined 17 published studies on SGB for psychiatric disorders, finding preliminary evidence supporting feasibility for sympathetic nervous system dysregulation conditions. Improvements were observed within 5 minutes and lasted one month or longer.
The 2020 randomized controlled trial in JAMA Psychiatry enrolled 113 active-duty service members across three military hospitals. Two SGBs two weeks apart produced a mean PTSD symptom reduction of −12.6 points versus −6.1 for sham — establishing Level 1B clinical evidence, the highest standard yet achieved for SGB.
The 2025 case series published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine presented three female veterans with treatment-resistant PTSD and comorbid chronic low back pain — all of whom had failed extensive prior treatment including medications, psychotherapy, epidural injections, radiofrequency ablation, and peripheral nerve stimulation. Following SGB, all three showed meaningful improvements in both PTSD and pain symptoms. The researchers identified “central sensitization” — the shared pathophysiological mechanism linking PTSD and chronic pain — as the target through which SGB’s sympatholytic and anti-inflammatory properties produce simultaneous benefit across both conditions. A 2023 VA study of over 5 million service users confirmed that more than half of PTSD patients have comorbid chronic pain, establishing the clinical significance of this combination finding.
Key research findings:
- SGB produces simultaneous benefit for PTSD and comorbid chronic pain by addressing central sensitization — the shared neuroinflammatory mechanism linking both conditions
- The 2020 JAMA Psychiatry RCT established Level 1B evidence — the highest clinical standard yet achieved for SGB in PTSD treatment
- More than half of PTSD patients have comorbid chronic pain — a population for whom SGB’s dual mechanism offers particular clinical relevance
- Effects appear within minutes to hours and last one month or longer, with 96% of patients in the 2025 Uniformed Services University study maintaining significant improvement at six months
Why Choose Catalyst Health & Wellness for Stellate Ganglion Block in Katy
01
Led by Dr. Ho – Anesthesiology Expertise
SGB requires nerve block anatomy expertise, ultrasound guidance proficiency, and the clinical judgment to manage anesthetic delivery adjacent to major vascular structures. Dr. Ho's board certification in anesthesiology places him in the small group of physicians whose core training centers on these skills. For Katy's diverse community — military families accustomed to evaluating medical competence, energy professionals who understand the value of the right specialist, parents who hold every provider their family sees to a high standard — that credential is the reason to choose Catalyst. His former career as a pediatrician ensures clinical precision is paired with warmth and genuine attentiveness.
02
Ultrasound-Guided Precision
RTI International, which coordinated the landmark 2020 JAMA Psychiatry trial, describes ultrasound as “the gold standard” for SGB due to its accuracy in visualizing the stellate ganglion structure. Every SGB at Catalyst uses real-time ultrasound. The 2025 Journal of Clinical Medicine case series also used ultrasound guidance specifically. This is how the procedure should be done.
03
Whole-Person Approach
Katy’s community diversity means trauma arrives in many forms and contexts. From the first call, our team engages with your complete picture: symptoms, prior treatment history, what’s worked partially and what hasn’t, what recovery would actually mean for your daily life in Katy. Treatment plans reflect that full assessment and are coordinated with existing care providers. What this means:
- Treatment shaped around your specific trauma type, symptom profile, and treatment history
- Active coordination with your existing therapist, psychiatrist, or VA provider
- Guidance on combining SGB with other Catalyst treatments for optimal outcomes
- Ongoing clinical support extending well beyond the procedure itself
04
Extended Hours & Flexible Scheduling
Each SGB session requires two to three hours at the clinic. For Katy residents managing school schedules, I-10 commutes, and the full suburban family calendar that defines life here, fitting a standard-hours appointment into the week is often genuinely impossible. Our 5am to 9pm schedule, Monday through Sunday at all three Houston locations, solves that. Pre-dawn appointments before the school run, evening sessions after work, weekend procedures — all available, all week.
05
Comprehensive Treatment Options
SGB works best as part of a comprehensive approach to trauma recovery. We offer additional treatments that can complement your care:
IV Ketamine Therapy
Rapid relief for PTSD, depression, and anxiety
IM Ketamine Therapy
Intramuscular ketamine for those who prefer this method
Spravato Treatment
FDA-approved nasal esketamine for treatment-resistant depression
TMS Therapy
Non-invasive brain stimulation for depression and OCD
Many patients find that combining SGB with ketamine therapy produces the most comprehensive relief from trauma symptoms.
06
Safe, Comfortable Environment
We understand that people with trauma need to feel safe. Every detail of our treatment environment has been designed with your comfort in mind. Our staff is trained in trauma-informed care, and we move at your pace throughout the entire process. You’ll never be rushed or pressured.
Getting Started with Stellate Ganglion Block in Katy
Katy was named after the MKT railroad that once passed through it — a community shaped by movement, connection, and the infrastructure that makes things possible. If PTSD, anxiety, or trauma has been blocking your access to what you’ve built here — your family, your career, your community — SGB offers a biologically grounded, evidence-supported path that opens that access again. The research is solid. The procedure is safe. The physician is the right specialist.
Call (713) 772-5315 for your free consultation. We’ll discuss your history honestly, answer every question, and give you a clear picture of whether SGB makes clinical sense for your situation. No charge, no pressure, complete confidentiality.
Our Heights and Southwest locations are both accessible from Katy via I-10. All three Catalyst locations open 5am to 9pm, every day.
Monday-Sunday, 5am-9pm
Free consultation
Rapid relief
Three Houston locations
Expert anesthesiology care
Commonly Asked Questions
Get Help NowHow quickly does stellate ganglion block work?
Many patients notice improvement within days of the procedure, and some experience relief within minutes. Research shows that effects can appear within 5 minutes and last a month or longer. This rapid onset is one of SGB’s most remarkable features, especially for people who’ve been suffering with trauma symptoms for years.
Is stellate ganglion block safe?
Yes, SGB has been performed safely since the 1920s for various conditions. The procedure has a well-established safety profile with decades of clinical use. Common temporary effects include drooping eyelid, hoarse voice, and warmth on the treated side—all of which resolve within hours. Dr. Ho’s expertise as an anesthesiologist and use of ultrasound guidance ensures the highest safety standards.
Does the procedure hurt?
Most patients experience minimal discomfort. You’ll feel a small pinch from the initial numbing injection, followed by pressure as the medication is administered. The procedure itself takes only minutes, and most patients tolerate it very well. Dr. Ho’s gentle technique and experience help ensure your comfort.
How many SGB treatments will I need?
Many patients experience significant improvement after one or two treatments. Research protocols typically involve two SGBs administered two weeks apart. Some patients benefit from additional treatments over time. We’ll assess your response and recommend a treatment schedule based on your individual results.
How long do the effects last?
Effects typically last one month or longer, with some patients experiencing sustained improvement for many months. A 2025 study found that 96% of patients maintained significant improvement at 6-month follow-up. If symptoms return, the procedure can be repeated.
Can I combine SGB with other treatments?
Yes, many patients find that SGB works best as part of a comprehensive treatment approach. Combining SGB with ketamine therapy, for example, can provide both rapid sympathetic nervous system reset and enhanced neuroplasticity for processing trauma. SGB may also make traditional trauma therapy more tolerable and effective.
Do I need to talk about my trauma during treatment?
No. Unlike trauma-focused therapies that require detailed discussion of traumatic events, SGB works on the biological mechanisms underlying PTSD symptoms. You can share as much or as little as you’re comfortable with. The procedure addresses the physical hyperarousal component of trauma without requiring you to revisit painful memories.
Will insurance cover stellate ganglion block for PTSD?
Coverage varies by insurance plan. SGB for PTSD may be covered by some insurers, particularly when documented as treatment for a recognized condition with failed conventional treatments. We can help verify your benefits and discuss payment options during your consultation.
Our Locations
Blog & insight
Insights on Healing, Growth, and Mental Wellness
June 13, 2026
FAQ: Common Questions About Ketamine Treatment Answered
If you've been researching ketamine therapy in Houston, chances are you've come across a lot of conflicting information. One article calls it a miracle cure. Another paints it as a risky party drug. Somewhere in between sits the truth, and you deserve straightforward answers before making any decision about your mental health or chronic pain…
June 10, 2026
Can Ketamine Therapy Help with Both Depression and Anxiety?
If you've spent years battling depression only to find anxiety creeping in alongside it (or vice versa), you're not imagining the connection. These two conditions show up together far more often than people realize, and the overlap can make recovery feel like trying to untangle a knot that keeps tightening. Traditional antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications…
June 7, 2026
Neuropathic Pain and Ketamine: Relief When Nerve Pain Won’t Quit
If you live with neuropathic pain, you already know it doesn't behave like ordinary pain. It burns when nothing touched you. It shocks down your leg while you're sitting still. It turns the brush of a bedsheet into something sharp. And the medications your doctor prescribed, the gabapentin, the duloxetine, maybe even opioids, take the…
Make an Appointment
Our mission is to empower individuals to overcome life’s challenges through professional psychological support.