Khan, Mashfee H, Kirkpatrick, Kennedy P, Deng, Yi et al. · Cureus · 2022 · DOI
This study describes one patient with long COVID who received a stellate ganglion block (SGB)—an injection that calms an overactive nervous system. The treatment helped reduce their fatigue, post-exertional malaise (worsening after activity), shortness of breath, and stomach problems. Because the nervous system controls many body functions, blocking specific nerve signals may help relieve symptoms driven by this dysregulation.
ME/CFS and long COVID share autonomic nervous system dysfunction as a potential mechanism, making this exploration of SGB relevant to both populations. If nerve blocks prove effective in larger, controlled trials, they could offer a new treatment option for patients with dysautonomia-related symptoms. This case report provides preliminary support for further investigation of autonomic-targeted interventions in post-viral illness.
A single case report cannot prove SGB is effective for long COVID—spontaneous improvement, placebo effect, or other concurrent treatments may explain symptom relief. This study does not compare SGB to placebo or standard care, establish how many patients might benefit, or demonstrate long-term durability of any improvement. Generalization from one patient to the broader long COVID population is not scientifically valid.
About the PEM badge: “PEM required” means post-exertional malaise was an explicit required diagnostic criterion for participant inclusion in this study — not that PEM was studied, observed, or discussed. Studies using criteria that do not require PEM (e.g. Fukuda, Oxford) are tagged “PEM not required”. How the atlas works →
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