Ketamine for Chronic Pain

A guide to ketamine infusion therapy for pain conditions

Ketamine is a powerful analgesic that works differently from opioids and NSAIDs, making it valuable for chronic pain conditions that haven't responded to standard treatments. IV ketamine infusions are used for fibromyalgia, complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), neuropathic pain, and other refractory pain conditions.

Conditions Treated

  • Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS/RSD)
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Neuropathic pain
  • Phantom limb pain
  • Postherpetic neuralgia
  • Migraine and cluster headaches
  • Failed back surgery syndrome

How It Works for Pain

Ketamine blocks NMDA receptors involved in central sensitization — the process by which the central nervous system becomes hypersensitive to pain signals. By "resetting" these pathways, ketamine can reduce or eliminate chronic pain in conditions where other treatments have failed.

Pain Treatment Protocols

Pain protocols typically involve longer infusion sessions (3–4 hours) and higher doses than psychiatric protocols. Treatment may consist of 3–5 consecutive daily infusions. Some patients achieve months or years of pain relief from a single treatment series.