Ketamine Infusion for Chronic Pain

Chronic Pain Treatment

Chronic pain can compromise the quality of life of a patient, and restrict their activities. A number of underlying causes and ailments may contribute to the development of chronic pain. If the condition is mild, it may be possible to manage the pain with physical therapy, diet, exercise and taking anti-inflammatories such as Ibuprofen.

However, in a large number of cases, superficial efforts may not suffice to address chronic pain or help the patient cope with it. Several prescription pain medications, muscle relaxers, opiates, and steroids come with their own side effects and may be addictive. Against these options, Ketamine infusion treatments may prove to be a more effective and safer alternative.

Dr. Mandell Discusses Ketamine Infusion Therapy for Pain Treatment

Multiple infusions of ketamine received intravenously under the guidance of an experienced treatment provider can produce longer lasting and more sustainable relief from chronic pain. Dedicated anesthesiologist Dr. Steven L Mandel, founder of Ketamine Clinics of Los Angeles, provides ketamine IV treatments to patients in Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, California, and surrounding locations.

Efficacy of Ketamine for Chronic Pain

Chronic pain can develop a psychological dimension over time, and may even trigger the onset of depression. In these conditions, a more ideal treatment for chronic pain could be IV ketamine infusion therapy, which will address both physical pain and the symptoms of depression.

Ketamine infusion treatments are designed to block and reset pain receptors in the brain and balance out key neurons and hormones by altering glutamate and GABA levels. This enables a simultaneous treatment of physical as well as psychological discomfort caused due to chronic pain. To make the ketamine therapy more effective, an experienced provider will customize the care plan to fit the patient’s specific needs.

What is CRPS/RSD?

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), also known as Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD), is a severe chronic pain condition that is continuous and worsens over time. This condition typically affects a leg or an arm at first, and gradually extends through other parts of the body. Nine in 10 patients report a spreading of the pain and one in three patients experience symptoms throughout the body.

The complexity and inadequate clinical awareness about this pain makes the current treatments very limited in scope and largely ineffective. CRPS is considered the most painful, long term chronic pain condition with a score of 42 out of a possible 50 on the McGill pain scale, making it worse than events such as amputation and childbirth.

Relief from CRPS/RSD

In case of CRPS/RSD, a process called central sensitization is known to intensify pain by increasing the number of NMDA receptors, which amplify the pain signal. Ketamine infusion therapy will interfere with the NMDA receptor and help to block and reset the pain signaling, delivering relief where other treatments have failed.

When NMDA receptors of peripheral nerves are blocked, the transmission of peripheral nerve pain is intercepted before it reaches the spinal cord and brain. This allows for rebooting of central pain centers and desensitization to peripheral pain signals. Dr. Mandel receives patients from Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, and other cities in Southern California for Ketamine infusion treatments.

For more information about treatments for depression, bipolar, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), fibromyalgia, pain syndromes and other conditions contact us at the Ketamine Clinics of Los Angeles in Southern California (Orange County) by clicking here or calling  310-270-0625