A clinical trial by doctors at a private medical college hospital in Chickballapur near Bengaluru has found that a dual stellate ganglion block (SGB) procedure may help reduce anxiety symptoms in patients who do not respond to standard treatment.
The researchers found that those who underwent the procedure had a significantly greater reduction in anxiety symptoms than those who received a sham procedure. Led by G. Niraj, senior consultant, anaesthesiology, and a multidisciplinary team of pain medicine physicians, psychiatrists, and clinical psychologists at the Sri Madhusudan Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (SMSIMSR) in Chickballapur, the randomised controlled trial evaluated dual SGB specifically for treatment-resistant anxiety. The study focused on patients whose anxiety had persisted despite standard treatment. Treatment-resistant anxiety was defined as failure to respond to at least one first-line medication and one first-line psychotherapy, each given for at least eight weeks. Most patients in the study had tried several medications. He stressed that SGB was not intended to replace psychological therapy or medication. Dr.
The study , published in the July-August 2026 issue of Pain Physician , an open-access journal, involved 63 patients with moderate to severe treatment-resistant anxiety. Forty-six of the 63 participants had tried at least two medications. The study involved 63 patients, of whom 42 received the dual SGB procedure and 21 received the sham treatment. The patients were followed for 12 weeks.
“It provides another valuable option for patients with poorly controlled anxiety,” he said. Niraj and his colleagues said the findings could have implications for mental healthcare in both rural and urban areas, particularly where access to long-term psychological therapy is limited. The researchers said a clinic-based intervention, when used appropriately alongside existing mental health treatment, could provide a valuable option for patients with difficult-to-treat anxiety.
