NEUROMODULATION PROTOCOL IN SAN DIEGO, CA
Five Evidence-Based Modalities. One Integrated Protocol. No Other Clinic Offers This.
The Seaside Neuromodulation Protocol combines five powerful tools to heal your mind. Specifically, we use calming signals, healing light, and gentle nerve blocks. Furthermore, we add guided breathing and exact diet changes. Consequently, this complete approach creates rapid changes that single treatments always miss. Therefore, you achieve lasting mental and physical peace.
Proprietary Protocol
Five Evidence-Based Methods
Physician-Designed & Medically Supervised
Only Available at Seaside Ketamine
WHY MULTIPLE MODALITIES
THE PHILOSOPHY
Why One Treatment Isn't Enough — and What Happens When You Combine the Right Ones
Mental health and nervous system conditions rarely have a single cause. Depression involves inflammation, metabolic dysfunction, neural pathway rigidity, autonomic imbalance, and conditioned behavioral patterns — all at the same time.
Treating just one of these is like putting out one fire in a building that’s burning in five places.
The Seaside Neuromodulation Protocol was designed by Dr. Gillin to fix multiple body paths at the exact same time. For example, it targets nerve strength, brain rhythms, and high stress. It also improves how you breathe and metabolic health. Indeed, when these systems come together, the results add up. Also, this is not a menu of add-on services. Instead, it is a linked protocol where each tool helps the other. Therefore, every part works together to boost your total healing.
THE FIVE MODALITIES
The Five Pillars of the Neuromodulation Protocol
Vagal Nerve Stimulation — Resetting Your Body's Calm Signal
The vagus nerve is the primary communication highway between your brain and body. It controls your parasympathetic nervous system — the “rest, digest, and repair” mode that helps your body relax.
In people with chronic anxiety, PTSD, depression, and inflammatory conditions, vagal tone is often significantly hurt. Your nervous system is stuck in sympathetic overdrive, because the vagus nerve isn’t doing its job of pulling it back to baseline.
Transcutaneous vagal nerve stimulation (tVNS) uses a small, FDA-cleared device to deliver gentle electrical stimulation to the vagus nerve through the ear — non-invasively activating the parasympathetic pathways that calm the stress response.
Research demonstrates that tVNS reduces inflammatory markers, improves heart rate variability (a key measure of nervous system health), decreases anxiety and depressive symptoms, and enhances emotional regulation. When combined with ketamine therapy, tVNS helps the nervous
Key Research Points
- tVNS shown to reduce cortisol and inflammatory cytokines
- Improves heart rate variability — a biomarker of nervous system resilience
- FDA-cleared devices for at-home daily use between clinic sessions
- Significant evidence for PTSD, depression, and chronic pain conditions
40Hz Gamma Stimulation — Entraining the Brain's Healing Frequency
40Hz gamma oscillations are the brain’s “cleaning and connectivity” frequency. Research from MIT’s Picower Institute has demonstrated that exposure to 40Hz light and sound stimulation activates microglia (the brain’s immune cells), promotes clearance of metabolic waste, reduces neuroinflammation, and enhances neural connectivity.
This research was originally conducted in the context of Alzheimer’s disease, but the implications extend to any condition involving neuroinflammation and impaired brain connectivity — including depression, anxiety, PTSD, and cognitive decline.
At Seaside Ketamine, we use calibrated 40Hz light and sound devices during treatment sessions
Key Research Points:
- MIT Picower Institute research: 40Hz stimulation activates microglial clearance
- Reduces neuroinflammation markers in clinical studies
- Enhances neural connectivity and cognitive function
- Non-invasive, safe, and can be combined with other treatments
Stellate Ganglion Block — Resetting the Sympathetic Nervous System
The stellate ganglion is a cluster of nerves in the neck that serves as a control center for the sympathetic (fight-or-flight) nervous system. In people with PTSD, chronic anxiety, and trauma-related conditions, the stellate ganglion becomes overactive — keeping the body in a constant state of hyperarousal.
A stellate ganglion block (SGB) is a brief procedure where a local anesthetic is injected near the stellate ganglion under ultrasound guidance.
This temporarily interrupts the overactive sympathetic signal, allowing the nervous system to “reset” to a lower baseline of activation.
Research shows 70–80% response rates for PTSD symptoms, with many patients reporting dramatic reduction in hypervigilance, anxiety, sleep disturbance, and emotional reactivity within hours to days of the procedure.
Dr. Gillin’s training in procedural medicine and anesthesiology makes him uniquely qualified to perform SGB safely and precisely. This procedure is offered as part of the Neuromodulation Protocol for patients with significant sympathetic overdrive, particularly those with PTSD and trauma-related conditions.
Key Research Points:
- 70–80% response rate for PTSD symptoms in clinical studies
- Rapid onset — many patients report improvement within hours
- Well-established safety profile (used in pain medicine for decades)
- Performed under ultrasound guidance for precision
- Particularly effective when combined with subsequent psychotherapy
Breathwork — Voluntary Control of the Autonomic Nervous System
Breathing is the only autonomic function you can consciously control — making it a direct lever for shifting your nervous system between sympathetic (stress) and parasympathetic (calm) states.
But not all breathwork is created equal. At Seaside Ketamine, we use structured breathwork protocols based on clinical evidence — not generic “deep breathing” advice.
Specific protocols are matched to specific goals: extended exhale patterns activate the vagus nerve and reduce sympathetic tone; cyclic hyperventilation techniques can increase alertness and emotional processing capacity; box breathing protocols develop interoceptive awareness and stress tolerance.
These protocols are taught as practical skills you can use daily — both as preparation for ketamine sessions and as standalone nervous system regulation tools. When practiced consistently, they produce measurable changes in heart rate variability, cortisol levels, and anxiety scores.
Breathwork Protocols We Use:
- Extended Exhale (4-7-8 pattern): Activates parasympathetic nervous system, ideal for anxiety and sleep
- Box Breathing (4-4-4-4): Builds stress tolerance and focus, used in preparation for sessions
- Cyclic Sighing: Stanford research demonstrates superior mood improvement compared to meditation
- Coherent Breathing (5.5 breaths/min): Optimizes heart rate variability — a key biomarker of nervous system health
Metabolic Optimization — Fueling the Brain for Change
Neuromodulation doesn’t happen in a vacuum. The brain needs adequate metabolic support to rewire — proper mitochondrial function, reduced inflammation, balanced blood sugar, and sufficient nutrients.
The fifth pillar of our Neuromodulation Protocol is metabolic psychiatry — the comprehensive assessment and optimization of the biological systems that power the brain. Through our partnership with Seaside Longevity, This is what makes the Seaside Neuromodulation Protocol fundamentally different from clinics that offer individual neuromodulation services.
Learn more about our Metabolic Psychiatry approach → → /metabolic-psychiatry/
HOW THE PROTOCOL WORKS TOGETHER
How the Five Methods Work Together — The Sequencing Matters
The Neuromodulation Protocol isn’t five separate treatments used in isolation. It’s a joint sequence where each method builds
Metabolic Foundation (Ongoing)
Lab assessment through Seaside Longevity identifies and addresses metabolic barriers — inflammation, insulin resistance, nutrient deficiencies — that would limit neuroplasticity. This runs throughout the
protocol.
Vagal Nerve Stimulation (Daily)
tVNS begins building parasympathetic tone from day one. You use an at-home device daily, and we incorporate clinical tVNS during treatment sessions. This lowers baseline autonomic activation.
Stellate Ganglion Block (If Indicated)
For patients with significant PTSD or sympathetic overdrive, SGB is performed early in the protocol to reset the sympathetic nervous system and create a calmer baseline for subsequent treatments.
Ketamine + 40Hz Gamma Sessions
During ketamine treatment sessions, 40Hz gamma stimulation is applied to enhance neuroplasticity and promote neuroinflammatory clearance. This is the core changing window.
Breathwork Integration (Daily + Sessions)
Structured breathwork is practiced daily and incorporated into pre/post ketamine sessions. This develops autonomous nervous system regulation skills that sustain changes long-term.
WHO IT’S FOR
Who Benefits from the Neuromodulation Protocol?
The full Neuromodulation Protocol is designed for patients who want the most comprehensive neurological and metabolic approach available. It’s particularly
Patients who haven't responded to medication and therapy, particularly those with significant hyperarousal, hypervigilance, and sleep disturbance.
Chronic Anxiety with Autonomic Dysfunction
When anxiety is caused by physical symptoms — racing heart, shallow breathing, GI distress, muscle tension — that indicate nervous system dysregulation.
Depression with Inflammatory Markers
When depression co occurs with inflammation, metabolic dysfunction, or autoimmune conditions, suggesting a biological component that needs to be look alongside mood treatment.
CRPS, fibromyalgia, and neuropathic pain conditions where central sensitization and sympathetic overdrive maintain the pain cycle.
Patients Seeking Comprehensive Care
Those who want an integrated, leave no stone left out approach rather than different treatments.
Poor Responders to Ketamine Alone —
Patients who responded partially to ketamine but haven't met the lasting improvement they're looking for.
Not every patient needs the full protocol. During your evaluation, we will recommend which methods are most relevant to your specific condition
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions About the Neuromodulation Protocol
Do I need to use all five treatments?
No, you do not need every single treatment. Specifically, we match the program for your exact needs. Indeed, during your first visit, we will pick the best tools for your mind. Furthermore, some people use all five methods. However, others only need two. Consequently, your personal checkup decides your exact healing plan.
Q: Is the stellate ganglion block painful?
We use gentle numbing medicine and advanced tools to guide the needle perfectly. Specifically, most patients only feel brief pressure for a few seconds. Furthermore, Dr. Gillin uses his deep expertise to keep you completely safe. Consequently, you remain highly comfortable during this very short process.
Q: Can I do tVNS at home?
A: Yes. We use FDA cleared tVNS devices that you can use daily at home. In clinic sessions use clinical grade stimulation, and your at-home practice maintains and builds vagal tone between visits.
How long does the full healing program take?
A standard program lasts six to twelve weeks. Specifically, your exact time depends on your needs. In fact, it changes based on your chosen treatments. Furthermore, you will continue using the breathing tools at home. You will also use your healthy diet plans. Consequently, these daily habits build lasting health over time. Therefore, your health grows long after your clinic visits end.
Q: Is this covered by insurance?
A: Individual components may have varying coverage. Spravato is often covered by insurance. Stellate ganglion block may be covered depending on your plan and diagnosis. tVNS devices and metabolic testing are typically self pay. We’ll discuss costs and coverage during your call.
Q: Is there research for this combination?
A: Each individual method has strong research support. The specific combination we offer is our own protocol based on Dr. Gillin’s clinical experience and the growing body of research backing multimodal neuromodulation approaches. We track outcomes carefully and continue to refine the protocol based on patient results.
No Other Clinic in San Diego Offers This Level of Integrated Neurological
Schedule a free call to learn which method of the Neuromodulation Protocol could help you.