Ketamine and Chronic Pain
Unless you have experienced constant pain, you can not start to comprehend how it affects the lifestyles of those who have this incapacitating health condition. Chronic pain appears in many forms and from numerous sources, but regulating it is challenging, no matter what the situation is. One in five American adults experiences chronic pain. If you experience chronic pain, you are aware of the aggravation of trying to control it with drugs and various other therapies. At Cascade Mind and Body Clinic, we also recognize the inconvenience of chronic pain and we have an efficient ketamine treatment solution that can help you reclaim your life.
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How Does Ketamine Help With Chronic Pain? It is believed that the leading cause of chronic pain is due to overactivity of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor in the brain. Ketamine helps the condition by attaching to the NMDA receptor and blocking it from being activated by glutamate, a neurotransmitter, thereby helping to mute the effects of chronic pain symptoms. By connecting to those receptors, ketamine may be able to amplify the number of glutamate neurotransmitters in the empty space between neurons. Glutamate then interacts with the AMPA receptors. Together, these receptors bring about the discharge of multiple molecules that boost the brain’s neuroplasticity — essentially, ketamine infusions allow the brain to reset and restore important nerve connections.
What Are The Side Effects of Ketamine Treatment? As a new treatment option for anxiety, ketamine does have a few minor side effects. These can include a dream-like feeling, disrupted vision, lightheadedness, nausea, or some slight anxious feelings after treatment. Ketamine is an FDA-approved medication utilized in “off-label” use for infusion therapy. Off-label use indicates that it is a treatment that the FDA did not initially authorize. The FDA approves prescription medications only for specific uses, but most medications at some point develop off-label uses as a result of the clinical experience that develops with time. Ketamine may cause a slight elevation in heart rate and blood pressure.
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