Yes, I've heard of people getting a stellate ganglion block as an experimental treatment for ME/CFS and long COVID (the stellate ganglion is located in the neck). This block can calm the sympathetic nerves in the neck, head, upper chest and upper arm.
SGB is also used to treat Raynaud’s disease, a condition involving cold hands and feet.
One theory is that the cold hands and feet found in many ME/CFS patients are caused by sympathetic nervous system overactivation.
I wonder what causes this sympathetic nervous system hyperactivity in the first place. Ever since I caught the Coxsackie B4 virus which triggered my ME/CFS, I developed constantly cold hands and feet, as well as sweating on the slightest of activity, which I believe are both signs of SNS overactivation.
I'd like to find some effective ways of calming my SNS.
I recently brought a 2018 Health Rising piece about the work of Dr. Ray Perrin to my Chiropractor/PA. He claimed that an SGB would also address some of the issues Dr. Perrin raised. I'm considering getting one done.
I did want to address cold/hands feet. I had them throughout high school and college. When treated by a specialist who discovered thyroid issues and prescribed Armour Thyroid. She seemed to think that I'd have to take it the rest of my life. We fell on hard times and I stopped taking it. My body had reset. I don't have the problem any more.
However, now my immune system has decided to put me into hyperthyroidism (although I've never had major symptoms, just small motor skill issues, racing heart during exertion (mostly showering) and hair loss -- all minimized with medication). I keep wondering whether or not the whole T-cell conversations are related.
I don't really feel like I have SNS problems, but then again, I teach a brain-body movement class 3x/week where we focus extensively on breathing and activating the vagus nerve. I also teach Tai Chi. But I feel that my brain-body movement class is better overall.
