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Essentials of Interventional Techniques in Managing Chronic Pain pp 519–529Cite as

Sphenopalatine Ganglion Blocks

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Abstract

The sphenopalatine ganglion (SPG), also termed the pterygopalatine ganglion, consists of a parasympathetic ganglion with multiple connections to the general sensory fibers of the head and to the internal carotid plexus without synapses. This ganglion can be blocked using a multitude of techniques to treat refractory facial, headache, and other types of pain. Documented techniques include an infrazygomatic, intranasal, and transnasal approach. The evidence for performing an SPG block is moderate in quality and has only weak recommendations. If this procedure is to be performed, diagnostic blocks should be performed initially and reproducibly with fluoroscopy before proceeding to neurolysis.

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Acknowledgments

This book chapter is modified and updated from a previous book chapter, “Sphenopalatine Ganglion Block” by Miles Day, MD, in Interventional Techniques in Chronic Spinal Pain published by ASIPP Publishing. Permission has been obtained from ASIPP Publishing.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Balcones Pain Consultants, Cedar Park, TX, USA

    Bryan Skulpoonkitti

  2. Department of Anesthesiology, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA

    Miles Day

Authors
  1. Bryan Skulpoonkitti
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  2. Miles Day
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Bryan Skulpoonkitti .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Pain Management Center of Paducah, Paducah, Kentucky

    Laxmaiah Manchikanti

  2. Department of Anesthesia, LSU Health Science Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

    Alan D. Kaye

  3. Mid Atlantic Spine and Pain Physicians, Newark, Delaware

    Frank J.E. Falco

  4. Service Line Chief of Interventional Radiology, Director of Interventional Neuroradiology, Chief of NeuroInterventional Spine Service, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

    Joshua A. Hirsch

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Skulpoonkitti, B., Day, M. (2018). Sphenopalatine Ganglion Blocks. In: Manchikanti, L., Kaye, A., Falco, F., Hirsch, J. (eds) Essentials of Interventional Techniques in Managing Chronic Pain. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-60361-2_33

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-60361-2_33

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-60359-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-60361-2

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