Traditional Pain Management Methods and Side-Effects

The pharmacological guidelines, for the treatment of neuropathic pain, illustrate three stages of drug therapy. The first-line of therapy includes a combination of gabapentinoids, tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRI). These drugs often cause lethargy, nausea, and other disruptions to normal bodily functions. Lidocaine, Capsaicin, and Tramadol are the second-line treatment drugs. The second-line drugs have also been known to cause lethargy, nausea, seizures, rashes, and ataxia. Ataxia is a degenerative disease of the nervous system, an example of the harmful long-term effects these drugs can have. Lastly, the third-line of treatment includes the strong opioids Morphine and Oxycodone. These are highly addictive substances that can easily be abused if using long-term to treat chronic pain. The side effects also include lethargy, nausea, vomiting, and constipation.

Furthermore, studies show that only 30-40% of patients using a combination of these drugs experience adequate to good pain relief. You may now find yourself asking: so, is there a better way to deal with neuropathic pain? Yes, through ketamine infusion therapy.

Using Ketamine for Neuropathic Pain

            To understand why ketamine injections are a more effective treatment, it is important to understand how ketamine works in the body. Firstly, all humans have NMDA receptors that are heavily distributed in the spinal cord and brain. These receptors play an important role in communicating with the central nervous system. For people dealing with neuropathic pain, these receptors are overly active, known as the wind-up phenomena. Ketamine works to inhibit the NMDA receptors. By inhibiting the receptors, ketamine minimizes the transmission of pain signals from the brain to the NMDA receptors throughout the body. Ultimately, this decreases the amount of nerve pain felt by someone. In addition, the continuous therapeutic administration of ketamine can work to decrease the up-regulation of the NMDA receptors; thus, reducing the hypersensitivity of nerves and pain perception.

Another study showed that ketamine stimulates the innate repair receptor (IRR). This is crucial for tissue repair and anti-inflammation around nerve damage. Again, this shows that ketamine temporarily eases pain while also working to heal nerve damage and lessen it’s harmful effects in a more long-term way.

Where to Find Reliable Ketamine Therapy

            Ketamine, when used properly and administered by a trained professional, could be a great alternative path to dealing with neuropathic pain. It is important to find a doctor who specializes in ketamine infusions and you feel you can trust. With the right medical professional, you will have the opportunity to build a personal pain management plan that works for you. Dr. Philip Hansen, of Utica Ketamine Infusions, is dedicated to safely bringing this innovative therapy to patients plagued emotionally and physically by their pain. His extensive medical background paired with compassion and kindness could help improve your everyday life. If you have been struggling with neuropathic pain, or have more questions about ketamine infusions visit: http://uticaketamine.com/. You can also reach Dr. Hansen via email at info@uticaketamine.com, or by phone at (518) 500-4113.

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Imagine that you are listening to an over-the-air radio station and suddenly the signal fades, gets scrambled or lost. That is kind of what happens to nerves when they begin causing neuropathic pain. The signal from the nerve to the brain is distorted, and the resulting condition can cause sporadic or constant, chronic pain. The American Chronic Pain Association describes neuropathic pain as:

                  “…a complex, chronic pain state that usually is accompanied by tissue injury. With neuropathic pain, the nerve fibers themselves might be damaged, dysfunctional, or injured. These damaged  nerve fibers send incorrect signals to other pain centers.”

Traditional methods of treating neuropathic pain in patients focus on dulling the signals to damaged nerves with pain medication or nerve blocks (read more at WebMD). These kinds of treatments can come with a chance of the pain recurring, as well as potential long-term negative side effects. If you or someone you know has that kind of pain and are looking for options, we offer ketamine infusion treatment an alternative to traditional methods of pain intervention.

Ketamine administered via infusion therapy works differently than other pain treatments, as it blocks NMDA receptors in the spinal cord in a process called ‘rebooting the brain’. (read more about NMDA here). Think of it as re-tuning that over-the-air radio we talked about earlier, to make the radio signal audible again.

Here are some independent resources to continue your study of ketamine infusion therapy, to help you educate yourself and make an informed decision about which course of action is right for you or a loved one:

• WebMD
• Yale Medicine
• Harvard Medical School

Our team of physicians has administered ketamine infusion therapy for neuropathic pain, and many other conditions, more than 2,000 times over the past six years. Contact us on our website or at (518) 249-5700 to schedule a confidential consultation.

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