Washington D.C. – Congressman Scott Perry (PA-10) re-introduced his Treatment and Relief through Emerging and Accessible Therapy (TREAT) of PTSD Act to provide access to lifesaving Stellate Ganglion Block (SGB) therapy for Veterans suffering with PTSD.
“Far too many of our Veterans come home to find the war comes home with them,” said Congressman Perry, a combat Veteran with nearly 40 years in uniform. “Our current PTSD treatments provide relief for only a fraction of our Veterans, and some really encouraging treatments are either unavailable or offered at too few facilities. We have a moral duty to do everything possible to ease the suffering of those who risk(ed) it all to protect our freedoms and way of life. This bill offers unrestricted access to SGB therapy - a proven and amazing PTSD treatment, the results of which I’ve witnessed personally.”
SGB therapy is an outpatient procedure that’s been used since the 1920s. It’s safe, effective, and affordable - especially in cases where other treatments have failed - and proven to alleviate common PTSD symptoms such as exaggerated responses and anxiety. By injecting an anesthetic agent onto 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, and with traditional therapies as needed, that can bring long-term relief to our injured Veterans.
As of 2018, only 11 out of America’s 170 VA facilities reported using SGB or making it available. Making matters worse, a Veteran must fail traditional treatments before being considered for SGB therapy. The time, distance, and monetary burdens demanded from finding SGB elsewhere frequently prove too much, which leaves far too many of our Veterans with options like self-medicating, self-harm, and - too often - suicide. Our Nation suffers 20 Veteran suicides every single day; enough is enough.
This bill ensures that Veterans have unrestricted access to SGB therapy without having to travel vast distances or failing other treatments first. It directs the Secretary of the VA to expand SGB access to Veterans upon PTSD diagnoses by making it a covered treatment under federal law.
Congressman
Scott Perry
Serving Pennsylvania's 10th Congressional District