Ketamine therapy is a relatively new approach to treating chronic pain. It involves administering low doses of ketamine, a dissociative anesthetic, intravenously. While it’s primarily known for its anesthetic properties, it has also been shown to be effective in managing chronic pain.

Ketamine treats pain via multiple pathways. First, and most unique, it is an NMDA receptor antagonist, blocking certain pain signals in the spinal cord so your brain is not continuously bombarded by them. Second, it alters the way the opioid and cannabinoid receptors in your body work, making your body more sensitive to your own pain-relieving molecules as well as medicines (like opioids and cannabis) that work to relieve discomfort. Additionally, ketamine has anti-inflammatory properties, decreases the sensitivity of nerves to pain signals, and allows your central nervous system to actually change the way it responds to stimulation.

Ketamine therapy has been shown to be effective in treating a variety of chronic pain conditions, including:

• Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS)
• Fibromyalgia
• Neuropathic pain
• Post-herpetic neuralgia
• Phantom limb pain
• Post-surgical pain
• Migraine headaches, cluster headaches

The side effects of a ketamine infusion are generally mild. Nausea is one of the more common side effects, and we are equipped to administer anti-nausea medication in tandem with your ketamine infusion. Other side effects include dizziness, fuzzy vision, a sense of floating, or mild, non-threatening hallucinations. These side effects typically wear off within 1–2 hours of a ketamine infusion.

While ketamine therapy can provide significant pain relief for many patients, it is not a cure for chronic pain.  Our clinic views ketamine treatment as part of a comprehensive approach that includes monitoring, adjunct therapies, and ongoing evaluation.  Our intention is to create long-term, lasting change.  Ketamine infusions are an important part of an overall treatment plan that may also include physical therapy, getting off opioids, supplements, acupuncture, reprogramming your brain, undertaking a mindfulness practice, and more.