In this Post
- What is Ketamine Exactly?
- How Does Ketamine Aid with Pain Relief?
- What to Expect from the Treatments
Do you suffer from Chronic Pain? Are you wondering how to manage your Chronic Pain with Ketamine IV Infusions? Unfortunately, in decades past, Chronic Pain has been a very challenging pain disorder to treat. For many, common procedures and prescription drugs often fail to relieve Chronic Pain conditions. However, there is new hope with Ketamine IV Infusions for the treatment of Chronic Pain, particularly in the treatment of Fibromyalgia and Migraines.
Ever since Ketamine was first discovered in the 1960s, we have known that it has numerous ways by which it impacts pain. Scientists have been using different research studies to examine how Ketamine actually works on pain pathways. A key component behind the research supporting Ketamine use is the growing effort to find a long-term replacement for opioids, and Ketamine has proven a safe and non-addictive alternative.
What is Ketamine Exactly?
Scientifically, Ketamine is a drug with sedative (sleep-producing), analgesic (pain-relieving), and amnesic (short-term memory loss) effects. It combats pain by acting against a specific chemical receptor known as N-methyl-D-aspartate, or NMDA, which is found in the nervous system and, in part, modulates pain. These neurotransmitters are decreased at pain receptors in the brain and spinal cord. Additionally, Ketamine interacts with other receptors as well, broadening its clinical uses. As noted in my recent article “Is Ketamine Safe,” “Ketamine is deemed a complete anesthetic with minimal effects on cardiovascular function, respiratory drive, and airway reflexes. It is used extensively for pediatric and adult treatment in surgery, emergency departments, trauma medicine, and war zones.”
How Does Ketamine Aid with Pain Relief?
If you are reading this article, you already know that Chronic Pain is difficult to treat. It can be both physically and emotionally taxing because the pain itself can be unbearable, while the emotional toll on your personal life and the lives of your loved ones can be equally as taxing. Chronic Pain is not only difficult to treat but it is largely misunderstood, but the good news is that there is hope. While Chronic Pain is challenging to treat, we have found that Ketamine infusions are often able to get your nerves to stop sending pain signals which effectively allows you to get back to your regular life.
Generally, a patient with Chronic Pain may benefit from Ketamine IV Infusion treatments if they have not had much success with other pain medications or treatments. It is also important to know that Ketamine reduces some types of pain more effectively than others. Most commonly, Ketamine Infusion treatments are effective for the following types of pain:
- Migraines
- Fibromyalgia
- Traumatic spinal cord injury
- Complex regional pain syndrome
- Some types of cancer-related back pain
- Certain kinds of nerve and back pain
My patients who have had success with Ketamine infusions like them because their pain relief can last much longer than with some other types of treatment. Many patients report feeling better for days, weeks, or even months, depending on what kind of pain they have.
The important thing to understand about Ketamine IV infusions is that the dose of Ketamine that is administered during a Ketamine infusion treatment is significantly lower than what is administered to patients undergoing anesthesia. The reason for introducing Ketamine into the bloodstream through IV infusion is to provide stimulation to the brain to help it create new neurotransmitters that ideally provide more effective communication between the brain and the body. The result is significantly lessened pain and a retraining of the brain because it learns to decrease the sensation of pain over time.
What to Expect from the Treatments
Most patients can expect that treatments will include 2-to-4 hour sessions that can be spread over a few days. Due to the complexity of Chronic Pain management, pain regimens are very individualized to the patient. The majority of my patients report feeling effects within the first day or so and are recommended to continue their regular care.
If you would like to learn more about Avesta Ketamine and Wellness, please review our About Us page, our Ketamine For Chronic Pain page.
