Ketamine Therapy for Diabetic Neuropathy
Diabetes can be a debilitating disease that can affect all the organ of our bodies. One way that diabetes can cause damage and physical pain is by slowly damaging the microcirculation of our organs and nerves.
Symptoms of Diabetic Neuropathy
Symptoms of diabetic neuropathy are seen in poorly controlled diabetics. It is a slow and steady damage of our microcirculation due to long standing elevated glucose levels. The microcirculation is important for the effective delivery and removal of nutrients and toxins to and from our cells during cell metabolism.
Damage to the blood vessels supplying nerves can cause nerve ending to die and degenerate. This process causes pain which is referred to as diabetic neuropathy. Diabetic neuropathy can lead to complications such as infection and injury that was not detected by the body due to nerve damage.
Diabetic neuropathy can cause secondary depression. This is due to limitation in the activities, mobility and social interactions. The depression can then lead to loss of sleep and changes in appetite and suicidal ideation and feeling of hopelessness.
Traditional Treatments for Diabetic Neuropathy
​
Traditional treatment for diabetic neuropathy include tight blood control, applying creams with local anesthetic such as lidocaine, physical therapy, regular foot care, nerve stimulators and NSAIDs.
None of these modalities help treat the cause of pain as they are mainly aimed at treating and masking the symptoms. Many of these other modalities have their own side effects which are unpleasant and can sometimes leave individuals unable to enjoy social interactions or physical activities.
How Ketamine Treats Diabetic Neuropathy
-
Ketamine treatment for neuropathic pain can be extremely effective if the pain is caused by inflammation of nerve cells as seen in diabetic neuropathy. Ketamine works by binding to the NMDA receptor. This receptor modulates a neurotransmitter called glutamate. Glutamate is an excitatory neurotransmitter that promotes pain signaling from one neuron to the next and when too much glutamate is circulating in your nervous system it sensitizes the neurons. This all translates to more pain and inflammation.
-
Research studies on the efficacy of ketamine in treating neuropathic pain are showing that about 80% of patient will have a 50% reduction in pain with ketamine treatment.
-
Ketamine treatment for neuropathic pain is an innovative treatment option. It helps treat the cause of pain vs. the symptoms of pain and thus can achieve a better outcome without being dependent on pills every day.
Why Choose Ketamine Therapy for Neuropathic Pain
-
Ketamine treatment for chronic neuropathic pain gets at the root cause of the chronic pain by decreasing inflammation and resetting the pain signals and neurocircuitry.
-
Ketamine treatment for chronic pain can help patients decrease their reliance on opiate and NSAID medications and increase their recreational activities.
-
Ketamine treatment for diabetic neuropathy can allow patients to become more independent and increase their overall quality of life.