What You Should Know About Ketamine Infusion Therapy

Chronic pain is the primary reason for long-term disability in the United States. Once pain becomes chronic, you may not even be able to pinpoint its origin. Pain sometimes radiates from the initial site of injury to other areas of the body.

When a physical reason for pain has already healed, your discomfort may seem arbitrary and mysterious. Treatment may then end up as a hit-or-miss proposition: What works for one person with chronic pain may not work for another.

At Iconic infusions, PLLC, located in Fayetteville, North Carolina, board-certified anesthesiologist Bryant Edwards, DO, and our experienced staff offer intravenous (IV) ketamine infusions for long-term relief from chronic pain, no matter its origins. Some people experience less reactive nerves and reduced pain for up to 11 months. 

Ketamine soothes nerves

Referred pain — pain that originates in one place but felt elsewhere — can be difficult to treat. Sometimes nerves function improperly, such as after an injury. Malfunctioning or overactive nerves are also involved in conditions such as complex regional pain syndrome and fibromyalgia. This type of pain is medically known as neuropathic (i.e., nerve) pain.

Ketamine is an analgesic and anesthetic commonly used in surgical settings. Because it’s both effective and safe, it found extensive use in the latter part of the Vietnam War. It works by blunting nerves so that you feel overall relief from pain.

Ketamine is safe

The world’s opioid crisis was triggered in part because people with chronic pain became addicted to that class of drugs. Until ketamine, opioids were, in fact, the only drugs that could effectively mask neuropathic pain. Since the side effects of opioids can be substantial and addictive, both patients and doctors prefer alternate methods of pain management.

A ketamine infusion reduces your perception of pain. It also enhances your sensitivity to other pain-relieving medications. That property helps reduce your dependence on other analgesics, such as opioids.

You receive your IV ketamine infusion in the spa-like and safe atmosphere at the Iconic Infusions, PLLC, offices. While you relax in a treatment chair, we administer the IV in your arm. The infusion process takes several hours. You may need a series of treatments to get full relief.

Ketamine infusions and you

When you arrive at Iconic Infusions, PLLC for IV ketamine treatment, we review your history of chronic pain and work with you to devise a pain management plan. You receive ketamine infusions under close medical supervision.

Typically, people who undergo ketamine IV have a positive experience. You may feel a relaxing, floating sensation due to the mild hallucinatory effects of the medication. These effects depend on your level of pain and the amount of ketamine you receive. 

You don’t have to endure chronic pain. We’re ready to partner with you in living a happy, healthy, pain-free life. Call the office or click the online booking tool today to book your consultation for ketamine infusions.