Ketamine Therapy for Fibromyalgia: Finding Relief When Nothing Else Works

Chronic tiredness, pain, emotional suffering, and sleep interference is sever in one who needs to live with fibromyalgia, which as a clinical diagnosis is refered to as an “invisible illness.” Daily life is not easy for a person living with fibromyalgia. Stress management therapies, physiotherapy, and pain relief medications may not work for everyone.

Dr. Yuli Fradkin understands how mind-numbing pain could be because of the steadfast support he offers alongside innovative ketamine infusion therapies. With the help of these therapies, those who find it difficult to cope with mild fibro pain have high chances of experiencing relief.

For people new to ketamine therapy, there are some facts out there which are helpful in understanding.

Everything There is know Infusions of Ketamine

Although an FDA approved anesthetic since 1970, ketamine was widely used for other purposes until very recently. It was first used in the military as a general anaesthetic, then in various other medical field. Stimulating the heart and breathing are not side effects of ketamine usage unlike other ‘general’ anesthetics. Other than use as an anesthetic, recently newer research studies have come to light which explain how ketamine treats chronic pains such as those a fibromyalgia victim would suffer with.

In order to achieve better results when treating pains, ketamine is administered intravenously. At Neuroplasticity MD clinic we offer infusion ketamine as part of treatments towards fibromyalgia for patients who live in New Jersey.

What Is Fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia is a chronic pain disorder with both its etiology and pathophysiology poorly comprehended. This disorder affects the nervous and muscular systems of a person—it increases pain signaling within the brain resulting into persistent discomfort, fatigue, mood disturbances, and a variety of mental issues (fibro fog).

Women are at a higher risk than men for fibromyalgia, which often develops following physical trauma or emotional trauma, but at times occurs with no explanation. As painful as that fact can be, fibromyalgia has no known cure and is managed through mixed treatments that often include some level of supervised symptom relief.

Recognizing the Symptoms of Fibromyalgia

The most notable symptom of fibromyalgia is chronic pain in many parts of the body, but it can also mean:

• Chronic Fatigue: A state of perpetual tiredness that no amount of sleep can relieve.
• Fibro Fog: Difficulty in focusing attention, memory deterioration, and lack of mental clarity.
• Sleep Disturbances: Trouble with achieving rest, which leads to increased fatigue.
• Sensory Sensitivities: Higher than normal sensitivity to light, sound, temperature changes, or even physical contact.
• Coexisting Conditions: The co morbidity of fibromyalgia with other chronic ailments, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), migraines, temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ), and chronic fatigue syndrome.

How Ketamine Helps Fibromyalgia

The symptoms of fibromyalgia can be painful, but infusion of ketamine has been shown to relieve pain, enhance mood, and decrease fatigue. Here’s how ketamine works:

Ketamine Use in Pain Management: With the help of ketamine, the NMDA receptors are inhibited, thus preventing any further pain sensitivity.

Ketamine and Brain Function: It increases brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) which enhances neural circuits and sustains the functioning of the brain.

Pain And Ketamine: Decreased activity of the default mode network (DMN), which is related to chronic pain and depression, occurs at the same time ketamine aids in neural activity regulation.

Pain Modification: Through its effects on glutamate receptors, ketamine alters the direction pain signals travel through the brain and body.

Uncomplicated, ketamine “reprograms” the brain and makes it less overly sensitive to pain, which is superb for a fibromyalgia sufferer.

What You Should Know Prior To Exercising Ketamine Infusion Therapy

If ketamine seems to be the right option for you, Dr. Yuli Fradkin will suggest customized IV infusions for you.

The procedure is rather simple: 

1. You will receive a prescription for an IV drip, and the ketamine is infused intravenously with the use of a syringe pump. This is performed while a physician is present.
2. You could experience mild dissociation or feeling of relaxation for the duration of the 40 to 60 minute long session.
3. Arrangements for transportation should be made because after the infusion, you may feel sleepy on your way home.
4. A significant number of patients report that their symptoms improve within 24 hours after treatment.

Multiple sessions can be beneficial to achieve desired outcomes for some patients, and thus Dr. Fradkin recommends them. Moreover, we assist further by counseling other lifestyle modifications such as:

• Healthy sleep habits
• Better nutrition
• Management of stress

Although fibromyalgia is not something that can be cured using ketamine, it is able to give powerful relief and bring back one’s control over their life.

Make the Next Step Forward Pain Relief

You do not have to let fibromyalgia rule your life. If the traditional modalities have failed to provide the results you want, perhaps ketamine infusions can help.

If you want to discover how ketamine therapy in NJ can help, faster, book an appointment online or call us now at 201-500-9728.