Chronic pain comes in many forms and affects many parts of the body. However, CRPS, also known as complex regional pain syndrome, causes unexplained pain in your arms or legs. The pain can be so severe that it affects how you live your life.
The skilled anesthesiologists at Boston MindCare specialize in ketamine infusion therapy for a multitude of illnesses, including CRPS. If you’re ready to get rid of your chronic pain, ketamine therapy could be the answer you’ve been searching for.
The facts on CRPS
Complex regional pain syndrome is a disorder that causes chronic, unbearable pain in one of your arms or legs. It usually only affects one side; however, in some cases, it may spread to the opposite limb. The pain may also spread to the foot or hand of your affected limb.
It’s not well understood what actually causes CRPS, but it seems to develop after you sustain an injury or if you undergo surgery. In some cases, it can also occur if you’ve suffered from a heart attack or stroke. The pain that follows is much more intense and severe than the initial injury.
Although pain is one of the key issues of this disorder, there are many other symptoms you may experience in your affected extremity, including:
Change in the skin color or texture Temperature changes Swelling or stiffness Problems with coordination Feeling of pins and needles Tremors Noticeable changes in hair or nail growth.
Sometimes the disorder goes away on its own, or it can last for months to years. Your treatment options focus on managing your pain, which may include medications, nerve blocks, and physical therapy. Sometimes, though, these treatments are just not enough. Ketamine therapy is a whole other option for you if nothing else has worked to manage your pain.
How can ketamine help?
You may know ketamine as a very potent anesthetic agent that’s used mostly for sedation in surgical procedures. It promotes a feeling of relaxation when given in smaller doses. Ketamine has been shown to have many other uses, though, such as managing your chronic pain from CRPS.
Ketamine works directly in your brain to decrease the pain you feel. It does this by blocking specific neurotransmitters at the NMDA receptors that allow you to feel pain. By blocking these neurotransmitters, ketamine allows your brain to make new neural pathways, moving past any damage from whatever caused your CRPS.
At Boston MindCare, we offer ketamine therapy by various routes of administration including:
Nasal spray Pills Intravenous therapy Intramuscular injections
Our doctors can discuss which route is best for you and your current condition.
It’s hard to say how quickly ketamine therapy will work for you. It’s possible you may feel relief immediately after the infusion, or it could take a few rounds of therapy before you start to feel results. The relief may last anywhere from a month to almost a year.
Ketamine is a very useful and versatile drug, but it’s important to remember that, just as any other medication, it does have side effects. At your appointment, our doctors will go over all of the side effects and discuss the risks and benefits, allowing you to decide if you want to move forward with treatment.
If you’re tired of dealing with the chronic pain of CRPS, there is hope. Call our office at 781-207-9841 or book an appointment online today.