(ABC) - Soldiers in increasing numbers are being diagnosed with combat-related depression or post-traumatic stress disorder. A new treatment for the condition shows some promise-- though it needs more investigation.
According to the Veterans Administration, 10 to 20 percent of veterans returning from wars in Iraq and Afghanistan suffer from post traumatic stress disorder, PTSD.
A team at Walter Reed Army Medical Center studied two soldiers with PTSD. One served in Fallujah and the other in the first Gulf War. Both were being treated unsuccessfully with drugs for more than a year. And both suffered adverse effects of the medications.
Each patient was given an injection near a group of nerves in the neck. It' s called a stellate ganglion block or SGB, a 10 minute procedure using a local anesthesia. Such nerve blocks have been used to treat chronic pain and other ailments for decades.
The Walter Reed team found that the SGB treatment was successful. Both patients experienced immediate, significant, and durable relief.
While the scope of the study was limited, it confirms earlier research on the use of nerve blocks to treat PTSD. Further clinical trials are needed, but could offer relief for thousands of PSTD sufferers
Whether this procedure is safe and can help patients with PTSD remains to be proven in a clinical trial.
