Aspen Ketamine Center
Our ketamine clinic is located in Aspen, Colorado serving the beautiful and affluent Roaring Fork Valley. Aspen Ketamine Center serves patients all over Colorado including residents of Snowmass Village, Basalt, Carbondale and Glenwood Springs.
As Colorado’s premier ketamine clinic, we offer a combination of Ketamine Infusion Therapy and counseling to treat people living with anxiety, depression, and chronic pain. Our mission is to help our clients achieve mental health and wellness in a safe and compassionate environment.
IV Ketamine for Pain
Chronic pain is defined as pain lasting for 3 months or longer. Pain is the body's way of telling you that something is not right. When the nervous system and immune system malfunction in response to tissue damage from trauma, the pain is persistent even after treatment. The nerves misfire, sending constant pain signals to the brain, even though the stimulus causing it is no longer there. This dysfunction in nerve pathways is due to a phenomenon known as upregulation.
When nerve pathways are upregulated, they start to become more sensitive to less and less stimulation, resulting in neuropathic pain syndromes. Types of neuropathic pain syndromes include:
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Fibromyalgia
"The pain associated with fibromyalgia often is described as a constant dull ache that has lasted for at least three months. To be considered widespread, the pain must occur on both sides of your body and above and below your waist."- Fibromyalgia Symptoms.
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RSD (Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy)
"RSD is an older term used to describe one form of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). Both RSD and CRPS are chronic conditions characterized by severe burning pain, most often affecting one of the extremities (arms, legs, hands, or feet). There are often pathological changes in bone and skin, excessive sweating, tissue swelling and extreme sensitivity to touch, known as allodynia."- What are symptoms of RSD/CRPS?
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CRPS (Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome)
"Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a form of chronic pain that usually affects an arm or a leg. CRPS typically develops after an injury, a surgery, a stroke or a heart attack."- Complex regional Pain Syndrome.
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Migraines
"A migraine is usually an intense pounding headache that can last for hours or even days. The pounding or pulsing pain usually begins in the forehead, the side of the head, or around the eyes. The headache gradually gets worse. Just about any movement, activity, bright light, or loud noise may make the symptoms worse." - What Causes Migraines?
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Shingles and post-herpetic neuralgia
This is "pain that persists three months or longer after the shingles rash has healed. The associated pain has been described as burning, sharp and jabbing, or deep and aching along the same nerve band where the shingles outbreak occurred. One may also experience sensitivity to light touch. People with this condition often can't bear even the touch of clothing on the affected skin (allodynia)." -Postherpetic Neuralgia
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Phantom Limb Pain
"Phantom limb pain (PLP) refers to ongoing painful sensations that seem to be coming from the part of the limb that is no longer there. The limb is gone, but the pain is real. The onset of this pain most often occurs soon after surgery."- Managing Phantom Pain.
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Trigeminal neuralgia
"Trigeminal neuralgia is a chronic pain condition that affects the trigeminal nerve, which carries sensation from your face to your brain. If you have trigeminal neuralgia, even mild stimulation of your face — such as from brushing your teeth or putting on makeup — may trigger a jolt of excruciating pain along the trigeminal nerve distribution."- Trigeminal neuralgia.
Is Ketamine a Pain Reliever?
Ketamine can be used to treat certain chronic pain syndromes that arise from nerve pain. Patients are also seeking out ketamine as an alternative to opioid use or opioid use disorder due to long term mismanagement of pain. Ketamine can successfully treat many causes of pain including fibromyalgia, neuropathic pain, complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), traumatic spinal cord injury, some types of nerve and back pain and certain forms of cancer-related back pain. Ketamine infusions for pain are also given intravenously and each session typically lasts for 60 minutes. The pain relief that comes with ketamine infusions is fast-acting and long-lasting, especially with a series of 3-6 treatments.
Does Ketamine Work for Migraine Pain?
Ketamine for chronic pain management may be effective for people who have not had much success with other medications or treatments. Pain can often cause migraines. Migraines can be caused by numerous factors such as genetic predispositions, depression, anxiety, PTSD, poor sleep and diet, menstrual cycles and even neck tension. Military members and veterans with PTSD often also develop migraines. Major life changes which may bring on excess stress, including pregnancy, divorce, going to college, or starting a new job may trigger migraines. Learn more about Ketamine and migraine pain by reading our article Ketamine and Migraine Treatment.
Non-narcotic Pain Management
Neuropathic pain often does not respond to opioid or narcotic treatments. Ketamine is not a narcotic or opioid medication and does not cause dependency for pain management.
How Ketamine Works For Chronic Pain
Ketamine infusion therapy helps heal neuropathic pain syndromes
by stopping the persistent misfiring of damaged nerves. This allows the nervous system to reset itself and grow healthy connections. IV ketamine for pain is administered via a continuous
intravenous infusion, most often 60mins - 2 hours in duration. Ketamine for pain is non-addictive and long-lasting when a series of 3-6 infusions are administered.
Call us for a free consultation and to find our if you are a candidate for ketamine therapy for chronic pain.
Get the PDF Guide to Ketamine Therapy
How long do the benefits of ketamine infusions last? What is ketamine treatment for anxiety like? Does ketamine work for anxiety? How effective is ketamine for anxiety? Does ketamine work for anxiety? Get all your questions answered by downloading our free comprehensive guide.
Ketamine News Articles
Ketamine: A Paradigm Shift in Pain Management
Between 1999 and 2018, nearly 450,000 people died from an opioid overdose, per the CDC. Almost 70% of the 67,367 drug overdose deaths in 2017 involved an opioid... So we know ketamine is a powerful pain reliever, but can it possibly compare to opioids? “Absolutely. Ketamine’s potency in pain management has been shown to be equal to or better than a number of strong opioid and opiate medications, including methadone, meperidine, fentanyl, and morphine. When presented with the evidence for ketamine as a treatment option, it’s almost impossible not to start connecting the dots.