Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Sphenopalatine block and tinnitus,swallowing problems and other disorders

I just had a patient in the office who we did a spenopaltine block on 1 week ago with major relief of shoulder pain (I was not treating) and reduction of tinnitus and droopy eyelids that we were sleeping. My patients chief complaint is swallowing problems that were better almost immediately after the SPG block

I have seen patients with severe insomnia sleep well without medications, other patients who have had relief from restless leg and other diverse conditions.

I usually do SPG blocks for sinus pain and pressure, migraine prevention or treating cluster headaches. However, when patients have "wierd" symptoms it is nice to have the SPG block as a possible treatment.

The Sphenopalatine ganglion is an autnomic nervous center and if we see only temporary relief frow symptoms it is possible to send patients to a neurologist for a stellate ganglion block for longer lasting relief.