Chronic pain doesn’t always respond to standard treatments. When medications or physical therapy don’t provide enough relief, it can feel like you’re running out of options.
That’s when therapies like ketamine infusion therapy, lidocaine infusion therapy, and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) that act directly on your nervous system can make a difference.
Below, our team explains why chronic pain can be hard to treat and three innovative treatments at International Spine, Pain & Performance Center that you might consider for chronic pain.
Chronic pain isn’t always tied to ongoing injury. Chronic pain can linger even when there’s an acute injury, and it often reflects changes in how your nervous system processes pain.
Your brain and nerves can become more sensitive, essentially turning up the volume on pain signals. Even after the original issue has improved, your body may continue to send strong pain messages.
That’s why some people continue to experience persistent pain despite traditional treatments and why newer therapies focus on resetting those pain pathways rather than just masking symptoms.
Ketamine is a medication that has been used for decades in anesthesia, but at lower doses, it’s used to help manage chronic pain and certain mood-related conditions.
Ketamine targets NMDA receptors in your brain. This area in your brain affects pain signaling and central sensitization. When ketamine interacts with these pathways, it may help reset how the body processes pain.
Ketamine infusion therapy may be considered for:
Ketamine infusion can also help with treatment-resistant depression. Because chronic pain and depression can be connected, this is an added benefit of ketamine infusions.
Ketamine is administered through an IV infusion. Your ketamine treatments are typically scheduled in a series, depending on your response and treatment goals.
You may feel sleepy or groggy after your session, so plan for a friend or family member to drive you home after a ketamine infusion.
Lidocaine is commonly known as a local anesthetic. It’s used to numb small areas of your body before a tooth extraction or a biopsy, for example. That said, when we deliver it intravenously in controlled doses, it can help manage certain types of chronic pain.
Lidocaine affects sodium ion channels involved in nerve signaling, which can reduce abnormal pain transmission.
Lidocaine infusions are often used for:
Lidocaine infusions can complement other pain management strategies, including hot/cold therapy and physical therapy.
Like ketamine, lidocaine infusion therapy is administered through an IV at our Washington, DC, and Virginia offices. We can repeat lidocaine infusion therapy based on your response.
TMS is a noninvasive treatment that uses magnetic fields to stimulate specific areas of your brain.
During a TMS session, our team places a small magnetic coil against your scalp. This device delivers magnetic pulses to specific areas of your brain that are involved in pain perception and mood regulation.
These pulses stimulate nerve cells and help regulate abnormal brain activity associated with chronic pain. This can help reset how your brain processes pain signals and reduce symptoms.
TMS may be beneficial for:
Like ketamine infusion therapy, TMS can also support your mental health. It can also help with treatment-resistant depression, PTSD, and OCD.
We perform TMS in-office, typically over a series of sessions. You remain awake during treatment, and there’s no recovery time required.
When it comes to chronic pain, there’s never a one-size-fits-all solution, and wading through your options alone can sometimes feel overwhelming.
At International Spine, Pain & Performance Center, we partner with you to find the best solution. First, we evaluate your symptoms, medical history, and previous treatments to determine which option (or combination of options) may be most effective for you.
You may benefit from these treatments if:
To learn more, schedule an evaluation in Washington, DC, or Arlington, Virginia, or at our Mountain Spine & Pain location in Pulaski, Virginia.
