Ketamine for Chronic Pain

Chronic pain is often hard to treat with conventional medical care. However, there is evidence to suggest it can respond well to ketamine infusions. At The Beloved Medicine Clinic, Pain and Spine, John Melek, MD, MSC, and Engy Melek, MD, RD, LD, offer ketamine for chronic pain to help restore their patients’ quality of life. Ketamine infusions are especially effective for those who don’t feel better with traditional treatment. To determine if ketamine infusions can help you, call the office or request an appointment online today.

What is ketamine for chronic pain?

Ketamine infusions for chronic pain are treatments that are administered intravenously. When you receive a ketamine infusion, your provider at The Beloved Medicine Clinic, Pain and Spine inserts an IV into an arm vein, then gradually introduces medication into the vein.

Ketamine is an anesthetic medicine that’s common during surgery and has a decades-long history of safety. When ketamine is infused at a low dose, it relieves pain and reduces symptoms associated with psychological disorders and pain hypersensitivity. In most patients, a ketamine infusion produces fast results, often relieving symptoms after the first session.

Ketamine works by changing several biochemical pathways in your brain. One way it relieves pain is by blocking receptors that transmit pain signals. 

What chronic pain conditions improve with ketamine?

Low-dose ketamine infusions relieve pain caused by conditions such as:

• Fibromyalgia
• Neuropathic pain
• Low back pain
• Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS)
• Phantom limb pain
• Migraines
• Postherpetic neuralgia
• Lyme disease
• Cancer pain

What should I expect when receiving ketamine for chronic pain?

After you relax in a comfortable chair, your provider establishes an IV line, and the infusion begins. A ketamine infusion may take 1-2 hours because a slow infusion produces optimal results.

The Beloved Medicine Clinic, Pain and Spine team closely supervises you throughout your infusion. When treatment is complete, you stay in the office and rest for a while before going home.

When do I see results following a ketamine infusion?

After the first few treatments, your provider can determine how well you respond to ketamine. Some people may not respond, but many experience a significant improvement during their first ketamine treatment.

A series of infusions leads to results that last several weeks, months, or in some cases, even longer. To maintain your results, you may need maintenance sessions, which are easy and relaxing.

To learn if you’re a good candidate for ketamine infusions, call The Beloved Medicine Clinic, Pain and Spine, or request an appointment online today.