Political Quotes

“this amendment increases and decreases the amount appropriated in the medical services account in the MILCON-VA appropriations bill to furnish stellate ganglion blocks, or SGB, in every VA facility, not just some of them. SGB therapy is an outpatient procedure that has been used since the 1920s. It is safe, effective, and affordable, especially in cases where other treatments have failed, and is proven to alleviate common PTSD or PTSI symptoms, such as exaggerated responses and anxiety, with almost no known side effects. By injecting an anesthetic agent into the stellate ganglion, nerves in the neck that control the fight or flight reflex, it helps bring relief to regions of the cerebral cortex thought to be abnormally activated in sufferers of PTSD. SGB changes the paradigm of treatment from the failing perception of simply a mental disorder to that of a treatable injury. With traditional therapies as needed, that can bring long-term relief to the injured veterans. As of 2018, only 11 out of all of America's 170 VA facilities reported using SGB or making it available. Making matters worse, a veteran must fail all other traditional treatments before being considered for SGB therapy, which, anecdotally, is effective 85 percent of the time. The time, distance, and monetary burdens demanded from finding SGB elsewhere frequently prove too much.”