Ketamine Therapy: An Effective Treatment for Chronic Pain
If you’re suffering from chronic pain, then you’re one of the thousands of other people all over the world experiencing the same discomfort. Having chronic pain means a lifetime of suffering and isn’t something you can get rid of by taking some painkillers or applying an ointment. What’s worse is that there’s no cure-all solution for it as it can be caused by a wide variety of conditions.
However, new research shows that ketamine, a well known anesthetic, can actually be used in sub-anesthetic doses to treat pain. Read on to find out more about this breakthrough discovery.
What Causes Chronic Pain?
One of the reasons why chronic pain isn’t easy to treat is because it’s different for every person, making it hard to pinpoint the exact cause of the pain. As such, chronic pain can be caused by a number of factors, from initial injuries like back sprain and pulled muscle to nerve damage. In those cases, the primary reason for the pain is because of the damaged nerves, which means that treating an underlying injury may not help resolve the issue at hand. Chronic pain can manifest in a number of ways and some of its common signs and symptoms are as follows:
Joint Pain
Muscle Aches
Burning Pain
Fatigue
Sleep Problems
Loss of Stamina and Flexibility due to Decreased Activity
Mood Problems, Including Depression, Anxiety, and Irritability
Can Ketamine be Used as a Treatment Option?
Ketamine has been used by medical professionals for a long time as an anesthetic. Eventually, it gained a bad reputation because of people abusing the drug due to its hallucinogenic effects. However, that has since changed as researchers have discovered new ways to use ketamine for medicinal purposes. Research shows that ketamine is effective in mental health treatment as well as pain management.
How Can Ketamine Help Treat Pain?
More often than not, traditional pain management options often treat pain symptoms as they occur, rather than preventing pain in the first place. Some of the more common pain management options include the use of physical therapy, integrative or alternative techniques, and pharmacological solutions. Now, ketamine treatment shows promise in offering relief to those suffering chronic pain.
A 2009 study published in the National Institute of Health showcases ketamine’s ability to block pain. The researchers linked ketamine to inhibiting the release of glutamate within the glia. The effect causes the blocking of the neural transmission of pain signals.
Ketamine also works by repairing and altering neural pathways and replacing damaged nerve pulses with new and healthy ones. Recently, the use of ketamine infusion therapy has become widely accepted as an effective treatment for fibromyalgia, CRPS, Lyme disease, migraine headaches, and other conditions with symptoms of chronic pain.
Does Ketamine Have Side Effects?
Like any other drug or form of pain relief, side effects are expected to happen if you take too much of it. Patients have reported experiencing hallucinations, drowsiness, dizziness, dissociation, and a “spaced out” feeling. These are all minor side effects that can be minimized as long as you follow the specialist’s recommended dosage. We have also seen inflammation in the bladder and possible effects in the liver if taking long term, high doses of ketamine. These symptoms appear to predominantly correct with stopping the ketamine use.
Conclusion
Ketamine infusions may just be the the alternative treatment that pain sufferers have prayed for so long. It provides a way forward and lasting relief from chronic pain. To find out if ketamine therapy is for you, ask your local physician for any recommendations.
Dr. Stephanie Lyn Coleman works with ketamine, predominantly to treat mental health, with sublingual or intramuscular injections. Some pain conditions may be amenable to this style of treatment and others may need longer intravenous infusions. Reach out and schedule your free consultation to find out more!
