Chronic Pain

Long Island Ketamine Center

Internal Medicine & Ketamine Infusion Specialist located in Great Neck, NY

The latest reports show that 11-20% of Americans have severe chronic pain, and most of them can’t work due to their pain. If you struggle with persistent pain, it may be time to consider safe and effective ketamine therapy. Ebrahim Sadighim, MD, at Long Island Ketamine Center in Great Neck, New York, specializes in treating chronic pain using ketamine infusions to quickly diminish your pain and produce long-lasting results. To learn more about ketamine therapy, call the office or request an appointment today.

516-701-2596

Chronic Pain Q & A

What is chronic pain?

Your pain is considered to be chronic when it lasts longer than three months or persists long after the source of the pain has healed. Chronic pain is hard to treat because it has so many possible physical and psychological causes.

However, chronic pain from any cause seldom responds well to conventional medical treatments.

How does ketamine relieve chronic pain?

Ketamine is an anesthetic medicine that has been used in surgery for decades and has a solid history of safety. In fact, it’s so safe that it’s often used during children’s emergency procedures.

When Dr. Sadighim administers ketamine in a low dose, it doesn’t produce an anesthetic effect. Instead, it effectively relieves pain and reduces inflammation.

Ketamine is a complex medication that produces results through numerous biochemical pathways. One of the ways it relieves chronic pain is by targeting cellular structures in your brain that transmit pain signals called NMDA receptors. As ketamine blocks the receptors, your pain improves.

What chronic pain conditions benefit from ketamine infusions?

When you meet with Dr. Sadighim, he reviews your medical history, including your treatment history, and evaluates your symptoms before determining if you’re a good candidate for intravenous (ID) ketamine infusions.

Low-dose ketamine may help relieve pain caused by health conditions such as:

Fibromyalgia
Neuropathic pain
Chronic back pain
Complex regional pain syndrome
Lyme disease
Phantom limb pain
Reflex sympathetic dystrophy
Acute and chronic migraines
Postherpetic neuralgia
Ketamine also relieves cancer pain in patients who are opioid resistant or who can’t tolerate opioids.

What happens during ketamine treatment for chronic pain?

Dr. Sadighim administers ketamine in the office using an intravenous (IV) infusion. After you relax in a comfortable treatment chair, IV access is established, and the ketamine is infused into your bloodstream.

Your infusion takes about four hours because a slow infusion produces optimal results. You also stay in the clinic and rest for about 60-90 minutes after your infusion. Throughout your treatment, your oxygen and vital signs are monitored, and you’re closely supervised by Dr. Sadighim.

Your treatment is customized based on the severity of your pain, but most patients begin with a series of five treatments. After your initial series, it’s typical for the results to last several months before you need a maintenance treatment. However, each patient is different, and your pain relief may last for a shorter or longer time.

To learn if your chronic pain may be treated with ketamine, call Long Island Ketamine Center or request an appointment today.