Ketamine for Migraines
Can Ketamine Help With Migraines?
Ketamine is helping many people to regain their independence and greatly improve their quality of life! Imagine being able to enjoy many more migraine-free days and decrease the severity of migraines when they do occur.
Through our soothing and pleasant Ketamine Infusions, NeuroRelief™ is helping many of our clients to get back on their feet using the most rapid and groundbreaking therapy available.
How Does Ketamine Work on Migraines?
1: With migraine headaches, a phenomenon known as “central sensitization” is believed to intensify pain by increasing the number of NMDA receptors – this ends up amplifying the pain signal. Ketamine is an antagonist at NMDA receptors, blocking the excitatory action of glutamate, a neurotransmitter long implicated in the induction of cortical spreading of the neurons that play a role in intractable headaches and migraines.
- This “block and reset” of pain signaling, provides relief where other treatments have failed, and allows for “rebooting” of central pain centers and desensitization to peripheral pain signals.
- Not a single other medication directly targets this mechanism. This NMDA antagonism attenuates, diminishes, and can shorten the pain experience for specific patients.
- By resetting the NMDA receptors, a patient’s nervous system can begin to revert back to its original state. This allows patients the ability to experience relief, as well as lower tolerance to other migraine and pain medications. Patients get a second chance!
- Ketamine also down-regulates other pain-modulating receptors of the sympathetic nervous system, including de-escalating the frequency of ion-gated Calcium channels in their synaptic firing of pain signals. This means that fewer peripheral pain signals will register or be experienced by the patient. This effect is particularly pronounced in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus, where it decreases the frequency of channel opening and duration of time spent in the active, open state.
- Ketamine promotes an improved production of our natural neural-repair enzymes (BDNF). This enables our nervous system to heal, structurally, and remodel the nerves and pathways that have been causing excessive pain signaling. This restructuring can assist patients in receiving long-lasting results!
- Ketamine resets the “default mode network” in the brain. It is now believed that this area of the brain is responsible for part of what we refer to as the “mind-body connection.” Dysregulation of the default mode network can result in increased pain from increased emotional stress and increased emotional stress from each pain signal. This vicious cycle is one that individuals suffering with chronic pain are unfortunately very familiar with. When ketamine resets this process like a circuit breaker, it can significantly reverse this cycle back to a healthy and balanced relationship. Bottom line: Less pain, and a more optimistic, positive daily experience!
- >**** There are no long-term negative side effects from ketamine infusion therapy. It also has no physiologic dependency. With a 60-year safety profile, this is an extremely comforting record compared to many other treatment modalities
*****Ketamine infusions also treat the resulting mood disorders that arise from chronic pain. Every one of our programs are geared to also address these resulting mood concerns in a holistic and integrated manner.>
The NeuroRelief™ Difference: Treating the Whole Individual
At our state-of-the-art clinical facility, every treatment plan for those suffering from migraines includes multiple, integrated components. To assist our unique clients in achieving their personal growth and treatment goals Dr. Harris, and our clinical team, incorporate several, synergistic approaches to address different facets of each person’s needs.
This detailed tailoring of treatment, coaching, and support allows clients to surpass even their own dreams of success and relief! In addition to the direct neurological and pain relief benefits of our customized ketamine infusions, each treatment day consists of one-on-one emotional integration sessions, before and after each ketamine infusion.
We incorporate cognitive behavior (CBT) learning and mindfulness training into every day of a client’s journey, to help them learn how to maintain the gains they achieve, for the long-term.
Every NeuroRelief™ ketamine infusion program includes five(5) 1-hour, one-on-one integration therapy sessions with your personal Certified Integration and Recovery Coach between treatment days.
Our Medical Director, Dr. Harris, is amazingly available. He is always accessible, 24/7, via text, email, and phone, to be contacted directly by each and every one of our clients. This unprecedented level of access to clinical and emotional support empowers our clients to maximize their successes and learn how to maintain them!
The Benefits Of Ketamine: Before & After
Before Ketamine
- Before Ketamine, a person suffering from migraine headaches may feel trapped, unable to enjoy activities of daily living, living in a vicious cycle of pain, medications, low-energy, and depression
- The emotional toll of migraines can be equal to the pain itself. Patients may withdraw from relationships, family, and the other healthy activities that they theoretically might still be capable of
- Depression, anxiety, and hopelessness are common emotions attached with refractory migraines
- Constantly increasing requirements for medicine, based on our bodies’ rising tolerance, drastically affects quality of life.
After Ketamine
- Ketamine has been shown to directly decrease migraine pain and frequency by re-wiring neural circuits and neurotransmitter balances to healthy patterns.
- Additionally, Ketamine treats the emotional components of migraines. Our patients feel empowered to calmly, objectively, process information and thoughts, without the rush of secondary anxieties, negative ruminations, or hopelessness.
- Ketamine dramatically reverses our bodies’ tolerance to medications, making them more effective, and giving the opportunity to lower dosages and regain control of one’s life!
- The Ketamine experience gives each individual the opportunity to gain direct migraine pain relief, as well as self-examine, in a euphoric, safe place. Ketamine serves to re-format migraine related neural pathways, and thought processes, in a space that is filled with calm, soothing and wellbeing.
You Are NOT Alone
- In the US, it is believed that up to 50 million people may suffer from migraines
- Migraines are not like ordinary headaches; they are often characterized by a pulsing, throbbing pain and perhaps accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to sound and light.
- Migraines that do not respond to treatment are known as refractory migraines.
Signs And Symptoms Of Migraines
- The pain is usually on one side of your head, but often on both sides
- Pain that throbs or pulses
- Sensitivity to light, sound, and sometimes smell and touch
- Nausea and vomiting
For some people, aura might occur before or during migraines. Examples of migraine aura include:
- Visual phenomena, such as seeing various shapes, bright spots or flashes of light
- Vision loss
- Pins and needles sensations in an arm or leg
- Weakness or numbness in the face or one side of the body
- Difficulty speaking
- Hearing noises or music
- Uncontrollable jerking or other movements
A migraine Attack usually lasts from four to 72 hours if untreated. Migraines might occur rarely or strike several times a month. After a migraine attack, you might feel the Post-drome – drained, confused, and washed out for up to a day.
At NeuroRelief™, we use evidence-based approaches to patient care. Our clients achieve amazing results, gaining newfound relief, confidence and empowerment. We work closely with each person’s existing pain management professional to become an important tool in a multi-faceted treatment approach. We can also assist in arranging referrals to one of our amazing colleagues. We look forward to providing the highest level of service to our clients.
Customized Protocols for Each Individual Client
1.5 to 2-hour one-on-on, pre-treatment consultation with the physician. (On your first treatment day). This is a wonderful opportunity for the physician that is leading your care to learn more about your individual needs and goals. This valuable time let’s your doctor learn how to best tailor the therapeutic approach to you, specifically, and to be the best guide possible through your journey of growth and healing
– Pre-treatment coaching/integration session
– 120 minutes customized ketamine infusion (adjusted in real-time to optimize each client’s experience to their unique neurology, psychology, personality, physiology, and tolerance levels
– Recovery time (varies per client but every client is welcomed to stay in their relaxing treatment suite for as long as they like – you will NEVER be asked to leave to make room for another patient)
– Post-infusion integration session
– CBT (cognitive behavior technique) and Mindfulness training on how to increase the client’s benefit though at-home daily exercises.
– 24/7 direct contact via text/phone/email to your treating physician.
**** Emotional Coaching is provided, in the clinic, and also via 5 hours of live Zoom sessions with your personal Integration Coach.
1.5 to 2-hour one-on-on, pre-treatment consultation with the physician. This is a wonderful opportunity for the physician that is leading your care to learn more about your individual needs and goals. This valuable time let’s your doctor learn how to best tailor the therapeutic approach to you, specifically, and to be the best guide possible through your journey of growth and healing
– Pre-treatment coaching/integration session
– 240 minutes customized ketamine infusion (adjusted in real-time to optimize each client’s experience to their unique neurology, psychology, personality, physiology, and tolerance levels
– Recovery time (varies per client but every client is welcomed to stay in their relaxing treatment suite for as long as they like – you will NEVER be asked to leave to make room for another patient)
– Post-infusion integration session
– CBT (cognitive behavior technique) and Mindfulness training on how to increase the client’s benefit though at-home daily exercises.
– 24/7 direct contact via text/phone/email to your treating physician.
**** Emotional Coaching is provided, in the clinic, and also via 5 hours of live Zoom sessions with your personal Integration Coach.
Also known as the “Schwartzman protocol”, this method is the gold standard for treating severe chronic pain.
– This intense protocol acts like a “circuit breaker,” to reset severe central pain sensitization back to standard and levels(like cardioversion of an abnormal heart rhythm back to normal sinus rhythm)
– Many clients can achieve previously impossible remission of their severe pain syndromes
***Based on clinical experience
2-hour PAIN protocol (moderate pain)protocol:
- Pain scores <7
- Where the pain is a major factor in their normal experience, but does NOT create disability in performing functional tasks of daily life
4-hour PAIN protocol (severe pain) or Substance abuse recovery protocol:
- Pain scores 7 or greater
- Where the pain is THE major factor in their normal experience, and DOES create significant disability in performing functional tasks of daily life
Can I Afford Ketamine Infusion Therapy?
Ketamine treatment plans are very individualized and there are several different protocols, just for depression. Through detailed phone consultation and intake with Dr. Harris, we support each client in making the choice of protocol that is perfect for them. We can share the differences in pricing of these different protocols during our first phone consultation.
At NeuroRelief™, the initial treatment plan we recommend for new clients is to come in for 6 treatment days over a 2-3 week period of time. This is the latest medical consensus of best initial practices for best initial results, called the Stabilization Protocol.
Please see our Affordability page for detailed information on our 15-month interest-free financing program and our robust superbill reimbursement services.
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