Ketamine Infusion Therapy: A Game-Changer for Chronic Pain

Did you know that nearly one-quarter of adults in the United States live with chronic pain? While the pain is frustrating enough, the limited options for managing the pain effectively and safely can also add to the overall burden.

We suspect that you do know all of this because you count yourself among those who deal with daily and ongoing pain and you’re here to explore a new and exciting solution: ketamine infusion therapy.

At Apex Pain Specialists, Dr. Naveen Reddy and Dr. Maziar Massrour specialize in nonsurgical pain management solutions and we’re excited to add ketamine infusion therapy to our list. This exciting approach to chronic pain has been a game-changer for many of our patients and maybe it can be the same for you.

What we want you to know about chronic pain

You stub your toe, your sensory nerves register the blow and send a signal to your brain. In turn, your brain translates the signal to, “Ouch.” But, the pain is short-lived and gradually goes away.

For millions of people, especially those who have degenerative issues, such as arthritis or degenerative back pain, that initial pain is only getting started.

A good deal of research has been conducted on pain (and is still ongoing) and many experts believe that when it becomes chronic, it takes on a life of its own and becomes a primary diagnosis. When pain pathways are well worn, many people become more sensitive to pain and these pathways continue to fire regardless of what’s going on at the actual site of the original pain.

So, when chronic pain starts to take over your nervous systems, finding solutions can be tricky.

Ketamine for controlling pain

Ketamine is not a new drug; it’s been around as a powerful anesthetic since the 1960s. Where the new science comes in is that we’re finding that ketamine can shift your neural pathways away from pain for longer-term results.

With a series of ketamine infusions, we can not only deliver rapid relief of your present pain, but our goal is to get your brain unstuck from the pain cycle for more sustainable relief.

Another benefit of ketamine infusion therapy is that the drug stimulates opioid receptors in your brain, without resorting to using opioids. So, it's a far less risky way to address chronic pain if you consider that 3% to 12% of people who use opioids develop an addiction.

Ketamine for pain-related depression

Another unfortunate side effect of chronic pain is depression. Forty percent of people who struggle with ongoing pain also develop clinically significant depression and/or anxiety.

In 2019, the FDA approved ketamine for treatment-resistant depression, which means the drug underwent rigorous studies for this application.

What it means for you is that if you have chronic pain and you’ve developed depression as a result, ketamine infusion therapy can help on both fronts. 

So, if you’re ready to make your chronic pain a thing of the past, please call our office in Chandler, Arizona, today at 480-820-7246 to schedule a pain management consultation. You can also book an appointment online.