Neuropathic Pain Treatment
When injured or impacted by disease, nerves within the sensory system fail to adequately transmit sensations to the brain — this often results in a feeling of numbness or a lack of sensation. In certain cases, however, injury to this system results in severe, chronic pain within the affected region of the body. Neuropathic pain does not begin abruptly or resolve quickly — it is a chronic condition that leads to persistent pain symptoms, which may wax and wane throughout the day. For patients with painful neuropathy, finding successful treatment options can be challenging and create a significant degree of distress.
Existing neuropathy treatments focus on treating the underlying disease, providing pain relief, maintaining functionality, and improving the patient’s quality of life, but there is no specific treatment deemed successful for curing neuropathic pain. Certain forms of neuropathic pain can likewise be unresponsive to management and treatment protocols under traditional medicine practices. Florida Mind Health Center, a ketamine clinic in Gainesville, FL, provides effective and enduring chronic pain treatment for symptoms commonly associated with neuropathic pain. Contact our clinic today for more information and to schedule nerve pain treatments.
What Is Neuropathic Pain?
Neuropathy is defined as a disturbance of function or a change in or or several nerves. Approximately 30 percent of neuropathy is a result of diabetes (diabetic neuropathy). Neuropathic pain is a chronic, complex pain state usually accompanied by tissue injury or damage. With neuropathic pain, the nerve fibers might be damaged, dysfunctional, or injured, which causes the fibers to send incorrect signals to various pain centers within the brain. Pain can rise from any level of the nervous system — these levels include the peripheral nerves, spinal cord, and brain. Unlike other types of chronic pain conditions associated with accidents, injuries, or diseases, neuropathic pain is often more difficult to isolate and treat. Typically linked to tissue injuries, neuropathic pain doesn’t go away, even when the damaged tissues are fully healed. Identifying the exact source of neuropathic pain can pose a significant degree of difficulty, as there are hundreds of diseases that are linked to this type of pain.
What Are The Sources Of Neuropathic Pain?
Anything that leads to a loss of function within the sensory nervous system can result in neuropathic pain. Unlike pain that occurs in response to an injury, this type of chronic nerve pain occurs without any associated stimulation, but certain triggers or actions, such as bearing weight, may dramatically worsen the pain. Pain is unique to each patient — characterizations of neuropathic pain vary, but commonly include spontaneous pain, evoked pain, dysesthesia, trouble sleeping, emotional and mood disorders, and hypoalgesia. There are many factors that can cause neuropathic pain, including the following factors:
- Alcoholism
- Amputation (Phantom Pain)
- Central Nervous System Disorders
- Chemotherapy Medications
- Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)
- Diabetes
- Facial Nerve Problems
- HIV Or AIDs
- Nerve Compression / Infiltration By Tumors
- Radiation Therapy
- Shingles
- Spinal Nerve Inflammation Or Compression
- Trauma Or Surgery Resulting In Nerve Damage
Ketamine Infusion For Nerve Pain
Ketamine treatment has been used extensively to treat often-intractable neuropathic pain and related chronic pain conditions. During neuropathic pain treatment, ketamine targets and inhibits N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors, which are integral to the glutamate-binding process that occurs within the thalamus of the brain — the thalamus is one of the most prevalent pain centers of the brain. During an infusion, ketamine binds to NMDA receptors and blocks their ability to communicate with other regions of the brain.
By blocking the transmission of pain signals, infusions for pain allow the brain to restore beneficial connections commonly affected by neuropathic pain and associated conditions. This provides the body with time to rest and restores them with an overall sense of well-being in as little as one treatment. In ketamine infusion therapy for nerve pain treatment, subanesthetic doses are used over a prolonged period. Ketamine infusions are both effective as well as enduring and ketamine treatment can be combined with other medications to create a balanced therapeutic approach that accommodates each patient’s unique chemistry.
Ketamine Treatment In Gainesville, FL
Our ketamine treatment center provides individualized treatment plans in order to ensure each of our patients receives high-quality, comprehensive care they need as they recover and heal from neuropathic pain. Our ketamine clinic offers patients a comprehensive range of treatment plans designed to accommodate a range of needs. If you struggle with neuropathic pain or other chronic and recurring pain symptoms, contact us today to find out how you can benefit from treatments with ketamine infusion therapy.