Is Ketamine-Assisted Therapy for Chronic Pain Right for You?
This popular treatment is helping block nerve pain and get you back to a normal, less painful life.
More than 3 million people reported cases of suffering from chronic pain per year in the US alone. Are you one of them?
Chronic pain is defined as pain that persists for more than 3 months but can last for years. Its onset may be a result of injury, illness, an operation, or another underlying condition. While it’s common for people to heal after injury or illness, pain can linger and become a chronic issue. And sometimes, chronic pain begins without a clear injury or history to trace it back to.
The pain is often caused by inflammation or dysfunctional nerves that lead to a variety of physical sensations, sensitivities, anxiety, depression, fatigue and more. If you’re suffering from chronic pain and traditional medications haven’t worked, ketamine-assisted therapy may be an option for you.
Ketamine is a safe, FDA-approved dissociative medication for treatment-resistant mood disorders, PTSD and chronic pain. When paired with therapy, it allows you to work through subconscious, repressed feelings that underlie unproductive behavior patterns, poor mental and emotional functioning and unhealthy coping mechanisms. Ultimately, it expedites the healing process to promote calm, openness, healing, and empowerment.
How Ketamine-Assisted Therapy Works for Pain Management in Chronic Conditions
Studies in the use of ketamine for chronic pain have shown that “ketamine is used to treat various chronic pain syndromes, especially those that have a neuropathic component. Low-dose ketamine produces strong analgesia in neuropathic pain states, …including enhancement of descending inhibition and anti-inflammatory effects at central sites.”
Chronic Pain Conditions that May Benefit from Ketamine-Assisted Therapy
In certain cases, ketamine has been effective in managing pain in the following conditions.
- Cancer-related pain
- Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS)
- Fibromyalgia
- Neuropathic pain
- Phantom pain
- Postherpetic neuralgia
- Sickle cell disease
- Spinal injury
- Traumatic spinal injuries
Ketamine-assisted therapy combines the powerful anesthetic and dissociative effects of ketamine, with talk-therapy to address the possible underlying causes of chronic pain and facilitate a path to recovery.
At Forum Health, ketamine-assisted therapy is different in four significant ways to promote optimal healing.
What Makes a Ketamine-Assisted Therapy Session Different at Forum Health:
- Nuanced Dosing: We are not a one-size-fits-all clinic. We consider your age, metabolism, lifestyle, and medications to determine the appropriate dose for your session. We believe this personal approach is the key to long-term healing.
- Ensured Comfort: Experienced medical technicians supervise the infusion to ensure your safety and comfort the entire time, so that you full benefits of your session in a comfortable environment.
- Expert Guides: Highly trained, trauma-informed guides are in the room, physically or virtually, to lead you through the session and to integrate the traumas and information that comes up. A ketamine experience without integration is just an experience. The long-term benefits come from applying new insight into your life.
- Integrative Approach: We take an integrative, root-cause approach to healing the mind-body connection to promote full-body healing.
Ketamine-assisted therapy at Forum Health is led by experts in functional and integrative medicine dedicated to help you overcome trauma and heal. To learn if ketamine-assisted therapy is right for you, please contact us to speak to our provider and schedule your first session.
