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What Is Ketamine Therapy and What is it Used For?

Ketamine therapy has recently emerged as a groundbreaking treatment option for various health conditions. It is often used as an alternative to traditional depression medications and has shown promise in treating a wide variety of mental health concerns such as PTSD and anxiety.

At Ahwatukee Ketamine Clinic and Drip Lounge, we specialize in personalized ketamine infusion treatments for patients in Phoenix, AZ, and the surrounding areas. We look forward to helping you understand ketamine treatments, how they work, and how they may be able to improve your quality of life.

Ketamine and Its Uses in Medicine

You may already be familiar with the term “ketamine” since it is already widely used in hospitals as an anesthetic. In this setting, ketamine blocks pain signals and enables the patient to remain in a dissociative state throughout the procedure. Observations in the reduction of depressive symptoms in certain patients have led to the development of ketamine treatments as a way to manage mental health disorders. 

What Is Ketamine Therapy?

During ketamine therapy, a low-dose infusion of ketamine is administered intravenously by medical professionals. The entire process is performed in a controlled environment at our ketamine treatment center to allow for continual monitoring.

Ketamine treatments are thought to work by making changes to the glutamate system. By blocking certain receptors and modulating glutamate transmission, it can lead to a series of neurochemical events that can create new pathways in the brain and help it to heal and adapt.

Uses for Ketamine Treatments

Ketamine for Depression

Ketamine has been found to alleviate symptoms of depression, especially in cases where the patient has already tried several different treatments with little or no effect. This type of depression, sometimes called treatment-resistant depression, is often very responsive to ketamine treatments. It can also be used for postpartum and seasonal depression.

Ketamine for Anxiety

Ketamine for anxiety can work by changing glutamate transmission and influencing the activity of other chemicals in the brain that can affect mood. Ketamine can calm down areas of the brain that are overactive or overstimulated, leading to a reduction of anxiety over time. If other treatments have not worked well for anxiety, you may be a good candidate for ketamine infusions. 

Ketamine for PTSD

Ketamine for PTSD can allow patients suffering from this condition to have less severe feelings of fear and stress. By potentially helping to build new neural pathways, it can help to reduce many of the symptoms of PTSD, including negative thoughts, stress reactions, flashbacks, and more. 

Ketamine for OCD

The same modulation of glutamate receptors during ketamine infusions can also help patients to manage symptoms of OCD. This treatment can help to disrupt thought patterns and reduce compulsive behaviors by helping to normalize pathways in the brain. 

Ketamine for Chronic Pain Management

Chronic pain can be difficult to treat, as there is not always a physical cause to focus on. Many people still suffer from pain even after the underlying cause has healed. By blocking NMDA receptors involved in pain transmission, ketamine therapy has been known to reduce the perception of pain signals that you may be receiving. These treatments can also help to reduce inflammation, which can have an effect on pain for many of our patients. 

What Can You Expect From Treatments?

Before your treatment, the dosage of ketamine and the length of your infusion will be determined by your provider based on your individual needs. You will have a treatment plan that may include initial sessions and maintenance sessions, depending on how you react to the treatment. When you arrive, you will be taken to a quiet and calm room where you will be seated comfortably. The IV will be placed in your arm and the treatment will begin.

You may experience a feeling of dissociation, and some people experience mild hallucinations that are temporary and fade quickly as soon as the infusion is stopped. A typical infusion can last for 45 minutes to an hour, depending on your treatment protocol. 

What Are Some of the Benefits of Ketamine Therapy?

Fast-Acting Relief

Many patients who struggle with depression notice fast relief from their depression. They may begin feeling improvements in their symptoms within days or even hours after being treated in our ketamine treatment center.

Efficacy in Treatment-Resistant Cases

We have many patients come into our ketamine clinic who have already tried almost every other treatment for their concerns. Whether you are suffering from chronic pain, anxiety, or depression, this treatment may offer a solution when other medications or methods have not provided relief. 

May Promote Neuroplasticity

Neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to adapt, reorganize, and form new neural connections. Neuroplasticity can help with memory, recovery from injuries, and recovery from neurological conditions. While not everything is known about how ketamine infusion therapy works, it has been shown to help the brain adapt to stress and begin to recover from neurological conditions or trauma. 

Consultations for Ketamine Infusion Therapy in Phoenix, AZ

At our ketamine clinic in Phoenix, AZ, we want to use ketamine treatments to help our patients regain their quality of life. We provide services for a wide range of conditions besides those mentioned, including migraines and neuropathic pain. All of our treatments are backed by science and research, and we offer compassionate one-on-one care for all of our patients. 

At Ahwatukee Ketamine Clinic and Drip Lounge, we look forward to meeting with you to discuss whether ketamine treatments may be able to benefit you. You can request an appointment online, or you can call us at (480) 847-5550 to set up your initial consultation.

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