Over 25 million people in the U.S. struggle with chronic pain. Their pain may be caused by a past trauma, or a disorder such as complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), fibromyalgia, or reflex sympathetic syndrome. With chronic pain, the central nervous system sends signals, via neurotransmitters, to the location of an injury…and continues to do so even after the injury has healed, often resulting in chronic pain. The body is naturally supposed to regulate this pain response system, but in some cases, patients are better off “rebooting” these neural connections. Ketamine infusions enable the brain to form new and healthy connections, and can relieve chronic pain for up to six months.
Ketamine infusions are not only highly effective for chronic pain management, but also offer an alternative to highly addictive opioid pain management solutions. The opioid epidemic is out of control: 21-29% of patients who are prescribed opioid medication for chronic pain end up addicted or abusing their medications to various extents. In addition, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) has employed new regulations that make it harder than ever to prescribe opiates to patients—even those who truly need them. Many doctors have turned to ketamine infusions as an effective alternative to opiates.
Recently, the American Academy of Pain Medicine (AAPM), the American Society of Anesthesiologists and the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine (ARSA) released a set of guidelines for the use of ketamine for chronic pain. This is a huge step in the right direction, reducing opiate use while effectively treating chronic pain in patients who truly need relief.
There is a lot of misinformation about ketamine out there—but the fact is that it’s not physically addictive and it is not generally prescribed as a take-home medication (i.e. infusions are administered under clinical supervision in a medical environment). Hopefully, with these new treatment options for chronic pain, and with medical professionals actively providing alternatives to opioid prescriptions, the amount of deaths and addiction cases will significantly drop—and patients will receive the pain management they need to reclaim their lives.
Contact RestoratIV Wellness & Ketamine Treatment Center
Our southern New Jersey and greater Philadelphia area wellness center and ketamine clinic have successfully treated many patients suffering from such chronic pain conditions as CRPS, fibromyalgia, migraine headaches, diabetic nerve pain, and more! If you are struggling with chronic pain and need an effective, non-opiate solution, please contact our clinic using the brief form below. We are happy to talk through your pain management options and get you started on the path towards health and wellness.
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