J Korean Pain Soc.  2001 Jun;14(1):37-40.

The Change of Blood Flow Velocity of Radial Artery after Linear Polarized Infrared Light Radiation near the Stellate Ganglion: Comparing with the Stellate Ganglion Block

• Han SM
• Lee SC

Abstract

BACKGROUND: It had been reported by authors that linear polarized infrared light radiation (Superizer: SL) near the stellate ganglion had a similar effect on the change of skin temperature of hand compared with the stellate ganglion block (SGB). We hypothesized that this was due to dilatation of vessels and an increased blood flow. The aim of this study was to measure the velocity of blood flow in peripheral vessels after linear polarized infrared light radiation near the stellate ganglion and to compare the effect of SL with that of SGB using local anesthetics.
METHODS
Forty patients whose clinical criteria were matched for the symptoms of SGB were selected for study. We radiated the stellate ganglion by linear polarized infrared light radiation and measured the blood flow of radial artery using Ultrasound Doppler blood flow meter before and after 10, 20 and 30 minutes post-radiation. After 3 days, SGB was performed using 8 ml of 1% mepivacaine to the same patient, and the radial artery blood flow was measured in the same manner.
RESULTS
The blood flow velocity was increased by 40% and 27% at 10 min and 20 min after SL and by 42% and 41% at 10 min and 20 min after SGB. However, there was no statistically significant difference in blood flow velocity between SGL and SGB.
CONCLUSIONS
We could conclude that linear polarized radiation is a clinically simple and useful noninvasive therapeutic tool in clinical area.

Keyword

Infrared light radiation; Stellate ganglion block

MeSH Terms

Anesthetics, Local
Blood Flow Velocity*
Dilatation
Hand
Humans
Mepivacaine
Radial Artery*
Skin Temperature
Stellate Ganglion*
Ultrasonography
Anesthetics, Local
Mepivacaine