Treatment For Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is a chronic, widespread condition that affects 2–4 percent of the population — as many as 6–12 million people — in the United States. The condition’s prevalence affects women’s health and wellness more significantly than men; approximately 90 percent of individuals diagnosed with fibromyalgia are female. For fibromyalgia sufferers, finding successful treatments can be challenging and exacerbate fibromyalgia symptoms. Existing treatments focus on symptom management via pain relievers, antidepressants, anti-seizure drugs, and physical therapy.
This traditional approach, however, may not prove effective for every individual and fail to target the unique requirements of patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia. Additionally, fibromyalgia can be difficult to diagnose, as symptoms overlap with a wide range of other health conditions. Florida Mind Health Center, a ketamine clinic in Gainesville, FL, provides effective and enduring chronic pain treatment for symptoms commonly associated with fibromyalgia. Contact our clinic today for more information and to schedule fibromyalgia treatments.
What Is Fibromyalgia?
Fibromyalgia is a debilitating and often unrecognized pain disorder characterized by widespread, musculoskeletal, and chronic pain as well as deep-tissue tenderness accompanied by fatigue, sleep disturbances, memory issues, and mood disorders. Research indicates that fibromyalgia amplifies painful sensations by affecting the way the brain processes pain signals. Individuals with this likewise experience tension headaches, migraines, anxiety, and depression. Fibromyalgia overlaps with a number of other functional somatic syndromes, including irritable bowel syndrome, chronic fatigue syndrome, and temporomandibular joint dysfunction. While fibromyalgia causes are largely unknown, they likely involve a culmination of multiple factors, including genetics, infections, and physical or emotional trauma.
The hallmark features of fibromyalgia result from the sensitization of the brain’s neural pain pathways. Individuals diagnosed with rheumatic diseases, or health problems that affect the bones, joints, and muscles — such as ankylosing spondylitis, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and osteoarthritis — have a higher risk of development than those without a rheumatic disease.
Symptoms commonly associated with fibromyalgia are often described by patients as a constant, dull ache that typically arises from the muscles as well as fatigue and cognitive difficulties. Fibromyalgia pain often manifests both in the upper and lower body at certain muscle-tendon points, which are commonly called fibromyalgia points.
Ketamine Infusion For Fibromyalgia Pain
Ketamine research regards the drug to be an anesthetic as well as an effective fibromyalgia treatment with health benefits that transcend those of traditional forms of treatment. The clinical applications of ketamine vary based on the dosage. In ketamine infusion therapy for fibromyalgia, only small, subanesthetic doses are used over a prolonged period. Ketamine infusions are both effective and enduring — scientific studies of other pharmacologic treatments for managing fibromyalgia symptoms produce disappointing results, but ketamine infusions can reduce pain in patients for several weeks following the initial treatment. Ketamine infusions can be combined with other medications, as necessary, to create a balanced therapeutic approach tailored to the patient’s unique chemistry. Moreover, the drug’s analgesic properties can likewise positively impact physical recovery, making it easier for patients to pursue physical therapy.
Ketamine infusions show incredible promise in treating the debilitating symptoms associated with fibromyalgia. Ketamine is used to treat fibromyalgia through N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor inhibition. NMDA receptors are integral to the glutamate-binding process which takes place in the thalamus. Located at the center of the brain, the thalamus is one of the most important pain centers within the brain. During an infusion, ketamine binds to NMDA glutamate receptors, blocking the receptors’ ability to communicate with other parts of the brain. By blocking the transmission of pain signals through the spinal cord, ketamine treatment allows the brain to restore beneficial connections affected by fibromyalgia, giving the body time to reset and adapt to chronic pain symptoms while improving the patient’s mood and providing them with an overall sense of well-being in as little as one treatment.
How Is Fibromyalgia Diagnosed?
In order to diagnose fibromyalgia in the past, doctors inspected 18 points located patients’ bodies to identify how many of them caused pain when pressed firmly — this is referred to as the tender point exam. Modern medical guidelines do not require a tender point exam. Instead, a fibromyalgia diagnosis can be made if a patient experiences widespread pain for more than 3 months with no underlying medical condition that could cause the pain. While there is no singular fibromyalgia test used to confirm a diagnosis, blood tests — including complete blood count, thyroid function tests, and rheumatoid factor — may be performed in order to rule out other conditions with similar symptoms. Due to the difficult nature of diagnosing fibromyalgia, patients may suffer from symptoms for years before they receive an accurate diagnosis. Likewise, due to the individualistic nature of this chronic pain condition, many patients struggle to identify the correct combination of available treatments for alleviating their symptoms.
Ketamine Treatment In Gainesville, FL
Our ketamine clinic provides individualized and personalized treatment plans in order to ensure each patient receives the comprehensive, high-quality care they need as they recover and heal. Ketamine infusion therapy is both effective and fast-acting and available treatments for fibromyalgia produce promising results after just a few sessions. Our ketamine treatment center offers patients a complete range of ketamine treatment plans designed to accommodate our patients’ needs. If you struggle with pain or other fibromyalgia symptoms, contact us today to find out how treatments with ketamine infusion therapy can benefit you.