WellStone is offering Alabama veterans and first responders a no-cost option for the stellate ganglion block, or SGB – an outpatient injection that targets a neck nerve cluster and has shown promise for easing hyperarousal and other post-traumatic stress symptoms. 

The effort began in Cullman with local VFW leaders and state lawmakers and now operates through WellStone with follow-up visits to track outcomes.

The program began in Cullman in 2021 with local VFW leadership and support from area businesses and lawmakers, and it continues today with statewide availability through WellStone.

“The SGB is a minimally invasive outpatient procedure targeting the stellate ganglion nerve bundle in the neck,” Richard James Werschin, a service-connected disabled veteran and U.S. Army Retiree said. 

“It helps reset the brain’s fight-or-flight response. The injection takes approximately one hour; they put you under general anesthesia, so it’s the best sleep of your life, and most side effects are minimal. Many veterans, like myself, experience almost immediate and lasting symptom relief, especially from hypervigilance,” he said.

Werschin added, “This program was made possible by Senator Garlan Gudger, Representative Randall Shedd, and the Cullman County VFW, and it is coordinated by two outstanding social workers and veterans coordinators through WellStone, who made the entire process seamless and respectful.”

WellStone reports that, across four years of participants in its project, follow-up assessments show an average 60% reduction in PTSD symptoms. The procedure, typically priced around $800, is covered by the program for eligible Alabamians.

Veterans or first responders start with a confidential screening through WellStone Cullman’s Access to Care line (256-255-1020), complete a PTSD scale and clinical assessment in Cullman, and – if eligible – are scheduled for the injection at Nesbitt Pain Associates on the Ascension St. Vincent’s Birmingham campus. 

The project’s roots are local. In 2021, the Cullman County VFW and community partners championed SGB access, and State Sen. Garlan Gudger (R-Cullman) and former State Rep. Randall Shedd secured $200,000 in the state budget to pilot no-cost injections for veterans across a nine-county area – a model later broadened through WellStone.

“If you’re a veteran in Alabama, battling PTSD and cannot count to ten while in a stressful situation or extremely upset, please call WellStone,” Werschin said. “

This could be the turning point you didn’t know was possible.”