Sphenopalatine Ganglion Injection

Sphenopalatine ganglion injections are used to treat acute and chronic facial pain as well as head pain. The sphenopalatine ganglion is a bundle of nerves located behind the nose deep in the middle of the face. The sphenopalatine ganglion injection may be performed a variety of ways including transnasal, transoral, and the lateral approach.

The transnasal approach is the most commonly used and involves the patient lying down on their back. An anesthetic is used to numb the cheek and fluoroscopy is used to guide the needle before injecting an anesthetic into the ganglion. A successful block is evident by great pain relief. This procedure usually takes between 15-30 minutes.