Millions of people around the world suffer from chronic pain. Conventional therapies for chronic pain can have serious side effects and are frequently ineffective. For many years, ketamine has been used as a surgical anaesthetic. Ketamine has recently shown promise as a chronic pain reliever.

Ketamine is a dissociative anaesthetic that inhibits the brain’s NMDA receptors. One neurotransmitter involved in pain signalling is NMDA. Ketamine can lessen or completely eradicate chronic pain by blocking NMDA receptors.

Chronic pain can also result from mental health conditions like PTSD, anxiety, and depression. These conditions can also be effectively treated with ketamine.

Millions of people around the world suffer from chronic pain. Conventional therapies for chronic pain can have serious side effects and are frequently ineffective. For many years, ketamine has been used as a surgical anaesthetic. Ketamine has recently shown promise as a chronic pain reliever.

Ketamine is a dissociative anaesthetic that inhibits the brain’s NMDA receptors. One neurotransmitter involved in pain signalling is NMDA. Ketamine can lessen or completely eradicate chronic pain by blocking NMDA receptors.

Chronic pain can also result from mental health conditions like PTSD, anxiety, and depression. These conditions can also be effectively treated with ketamine.

How Does Ketamine Affect Your Body?

A sophisticated network of cells in the brain exchange signals with one another. These cells, known as neurones, communicate with one another through substances called neurotransmitters.

In the brain, ketamine binds to a receptor known as the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor. This binding stops glutamate, a neurotransmitter, from attaching to the receptor. Transmitting pain signals requires glutamate.

Thus, ketamine blocks the transmission of pain signals by attaching itself to the NMDA receptor. It works well to treat pain because of this.

Ketamine has sedative, dissociative, and hallucinogenic effects in addition to its pain-relieving capabilities. Ketamine binds to serotonin and other receptors in the brain to produce these effects. Emotion and mood are controlled by the serotonin receptor.

Additionally, ketamine attaches itself to the dopamine receptor. The rewarding effects of cocaine and methamphetamine are caused by the neurotransmitter dopamine.

What Is the Duration of These Effects?

The dosage

There is no known optimal ketamine dosage for pain management. A slow intravenous infusion over 15 to 30 minutes is used to administer a standard dose range of 0.5 to 2 mg/kg.

Regularity of Use

Opioids and other conventional painkillers are frequently no longer effective for people with chronic pain. As a result, they might start looking for alternatives, which is where ketamine comes in.

Administration Method

Ketamine can be administered intramuscularly (IM) or intravenously (IV). The most popular method, intravenous administration, enables a more regulated dosage. IM is not so common but useful when IV administration is impossible. 

Existence of Additional Conditions

The length of ketamine treatment will also be impacted if a patient has other medical conditions. For instance, the effectiveness of ketamine treatment may be delayed if a patient has both chronic pain and depression.