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Ketamine for Pain Management
Chronic pain is defined as pain that persists for more than 12 weeks despite medical treatment. It can be caused by a variety of factors, including underlying medical conditions, injuries, and psychological factors. Despite the name “chronic”, the pain can come and go. It can also move around to different parts of the body.
Types of chronic pain conditions include:
- Arthritis or joint pain
- Back pain
- Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)
- Headaches or migraines
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
- Muscle pain throughout the body (such as Fibromyalgia)
- Neck pain
- Neurogenic pain (Due to dysfunction of the central nervous system)
Chronic pain can have a significant and negative impact on a person’s quality of life, causing them to experience fatigue, depression, anxiety, and sleep disturbances. While there is no cure for chronic pain, there are treatments available that can help manage the symptoms and improve the person’s quality of life.
It is estimated that 25% of adults in the United States suffer from and experience some form of chronic pain. It is one of the most common reasons that people seek medical care. Traditional treatments for pain can include a variety of modalities including supplementation, bodywork such as chiropractic or massage, electrical muscle stimulation (EMS), and prescriptions such as painkillers and muscle relaxers.
While most of these treatments may provide relief in some form or another, the relief is usually temporary. In the case of taking prescriptions, the user runs the risk of addiction and possible overdose in addition to suffering from undesired side effects such as nausea, constipation, drowsiness, impaired thinking, and urinary retention.
At Daytryp Health, we understand the mental, emotional, and physical toll that chronic pain takes on our patients. We’re excited to offer ketamine for chronic pain as a highly effective alternative treatment when traditional modalities no longer provide you with the relief you deserve.
What is Ketamine for Chronic Pain?
Ketamine is a medication that has historically and mainly been used for starting and maintaining anesthesia. It induces a trance-like state while providing pain relief and sedation. During surgery, ketamine is often used in conjunction with other drugs. In recent decades, ketamine has undergone significant research as a potential treatment for everything from anxiety and depression to chronic pain and eating disorders.
How Does Ketamine Treat Chronic Pain?
Ketamine has shown to be an effective treatment for chronic pain, especially for those who have not responded well to other treatments. Its mechanisms of action are not fully understood, but it is thought to work by blocking N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors and altering the way the brain processes pain signals, ultimately resetting them.
How Long Do the Effects of Ketamine Last?
The immediate effects of ketamine wear off within a few hours of treatment. The long-term effects of ketamine treatments for chronic pain vary based on the individual and the condition. One of the added benefits of ketamine for chronic pain is that ketamine also has anti-inflammatory properties. Patients report experiencing relief anywhere from a few weeks, to several months or longer. It is typical that patients follow up with a booster injection or at home ketamine lozenges as maintenance.
At Daytryp, we believe in taking a holistic approach to wellness which involves supporting your emotional, spiritual, and mental health. Research shows that poor mental health has a direct relationship to chronic pain. We encourage our patients to pursue psychotherapy in conjunction with ketamine to achieve the best results when treating chronic pain.
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Submit an inquiry and our team will help you find the best treatment options for you.
What Does Ketamine Treatment for Pain Look Like?
Ketamine treatment for pain consists of between 6-8 sessions, usually administered via an IV infusion. Session lengths can vary based on the pain condition being treated and the severity of the pain. For example, treating CRPS with ketamine infusions may require longer sessions than ketamine infusions for arthritis. After receiving several ketamine infusions for chronic pain, patients typically report a significant reduction in pain levels and intensity.
Sessions are facilitated in treatment rooms that have been carefully designed for your ultimate relaxation and comfort. We strive to provide an incredibly healing and tranquil experience every time you visit our facility.
Does Ketamine for Pain Have Any Side Effects?
During your ketamine treatments for pain, you may experience a feeling of floating or disassociating or dreaming. For most this is a positive or neutral experience and nothing to be afraid of. Patients also report feeling euphoric, happy, and experiencing heightened senses. Nausea can be an undesirable side effect, but our staff will provide you with anti-nausea medication should you feel it coming on. After the treatment, you may feel groggy and slightly disoriented as the ketamine wears off. We recommend clearing your schedule for the remainder of the day following your ketamine treatments for chronic pain.
If you or someone you love is suffering from chronic pain, please contact us today for a free consultation. We look forward to helping you on your journey to freedom and wellness!
Ketamine for Chronic Pain FAQs
Ketamine is an N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist. NMDA receptors are important for pain processing in the central nervous system. By blocking these receptors, ketamine is able to minimize pain.
There is debate surrounding which medication is better for nerve pain, ketamine or lidocaine infusion. Some studies show that ketamine is more effective than lidocaine infusion, while other studies show the opposite. The decision of which medication to use depends on the individual patient’s situation and preferences.
Many of our patients experience relief of chronic pain during their sessions. Though pain can return after the ketamine wears off, patients still report significant reductions in pain intensity within 24 hours of treatment.
Ketamine is an NMDA receptor antagonist, which means it blocks the NMDA receptor and prevents it from being activated. This helps to reduce pain because the NMDA receptor is involved in pain signaling. Ketamine is also a potent analgesic, meaning it has pain-relieving properties. It is thought to work by modulating pain-related neurotransmitters, such as serotonin and glutamate.
Ketamine is a medication typically used for anesthesia. It is an NMDA receptor antagonist, which means it works to block the NMDA receptor. This is important because the NMDA receptor is responsible for pain signals. When ketamine blocks the NMDA receptor, it prevents pain signals from being sent to the brain. This makes it an effective treatment for chronic pain.
There are a few ways to treat fibromyalgia pain with ketamine. One way is to use a low dose of ketamine and combine it with another medication. This can help to increase the effectiveness of the ketamine. Another way to treat fibromyalgia pain with ketamine is to use a higher dose of ketamine. This may be more effective for some people.
Even though ketamine is widely known as an animal tranquilizer, it is also used as a painkiller in humans in the United States. It is a medication that is typically used as an anesthetic but has been proven to help relieve pain.
There is no definitive answer to this question as the dosage of ketamine infusion for chronic pain will vary depending on the individual’s response to the medication. However, a typical starting dose for ketamine infusion for chronic pain would be 0.5 mg per kg of bodyweight, administered over a period of 60 minutes.
In general, Medicare does not cover ketamine infusion for chronic pain.
It is difficult to determine how many ketamine infusions are needed for pain as each individual responds differently to the treatment. In general, however, it is thought that a minimum of three infusions are necessary to see a significant reduction in pain levels. Some people may require more infusions, while others may only need a few.
There is some evidence to suggest that ketamine may be effective in treating pain, though the mechanism by which it does so is not fully understood. It is thought that ketamine may work by blocking pain signals from reaching the brain, or by disrupting the way in which the brain processes pain signals.