If you suffer from depression, anxiety, or chronic pain, you may have heard of ketamine therapy as a possible treatment option. But what is ketamine therapy, and how does it work?
Ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic that has been used for medical procedures since the 1960s. Dissociative anesthesia means that it induces a temporary state of detachment from one’s surroundings and from oneself. When used for therapeutic purposes, ketamine can be administered orally, intranasally, intravenously, or via intramuscular injection.
Ketamine is a medication that has been used for decades as an anesthetic. In recent years, however, the use of ketamine has been increasingly studied for its potential as a treatment for depression. Dr Zinia Thomas describes ketamine therapy as a promising new treatment that shows great promise for those suffering from treatment-resistant depression. In this blog post, we will take a detailed look at ketamine therapy and how it works.
Reason behind the fame of Ketamine Therapy
One of the main reasons why ketamine therapy has gained popularity in recent years is because it has the properties to be effective in treating conditions like depression, anxiety, and chronic pain. Studies have shown that ketamine can help to reduce suicidal thoughts and behaviors in patients with major depressive disorder. It is apparently effective in treating patients with stress of post-traumatic syndrome.
In terms of chronic pain, ketamine is good in treatment for various types of pain, including but not limited to neuropathic pain, migraines, Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), fibromyalgia, and lower back pain. Ketamine has the ability to be an effective treatment for migraines specifically.
So how does ketamine work?
Ketamine therapy is thought to work by inhibiting the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor. The NMDA receptor is responsible for the regulation of glutamate, which is one of the brain’s main neurotransmitters. Glutamate is responsible for neuronal cell signaling, and it has been found that ketamine can increase glutamate release.
Inhibiting the NMDA receptor with ketamine may also help to reduce neuroinflammation. Neuroinflammation has been linked to depression, so reducing neuroinflammation could potentially help to relieve symptoms of depression.
Another theory behind how ketamine may work to treat depression is by increasing synaptic plasticity. Synaptic plasticity refers to the brain’s ability to make new connections between neurons. This process is thought to be important for learning and memory, and it has been found that ketamine can increase synaptic plasticity in the brain.
The ending idea
Ketamine therapy is not yet FDA approved for the treatment of depression, but there are several ongoing clinical trials studying its safety and efficacy. While more research is needed to understand better how exactly it works, preliminary studies have shown that it can be an effective treatment for these conditions. If you think you may benefit from ketamine therapy, talk to your doctor about whether it’s right for you. If you or someone you know is struggling with depression, ketamine therapy may be worth considering. Be sure to talk to your doctor or mental health professional about whether or not ketamine therapy could be right for you.
