Chronic pain can be deeply disruptive — affecting your physical comfort, sleep, mood, and overall quality of life. If traditional pain treatments haven’t delivered the relief you’re looking for, IV ketamine therapy may be a treatment worth exploring.

At Mountain View Headache & Spine Institute, we offer IV ketamine infusion therapy for patients who have persistent pain that resists conventional care. This post will walk through:

• What ketamine is and how it works
• What types of pain it can help
• What treatment looks like
• Risks, benefits, and candidacy
• How Dr. Gupta and our team approach it safely at MVHSI

What Is Ketamine — Beyond the Anesthetic Role

Ketamine has long been used in medicine as an anesthetic, particularly in surgical settings. But at lower, controlled doses, it interacts with the nervous system in ways that can reduce chronic pain, especially when pain has become centralized (i.e. the nervous system is amplifying pain signals). Mountain View Headache and Spine

At these therapeutic doses, ketamine primarily acts on NMDA receptors, which play a key role in pain transmission and “pain memory.” By modulating NMDA activity, ketamine helps dial down exaggerated pain signaling and can interrupt cycles of persistent pain. Mountain View Headache and Spine

Which Conditions May Respond to IV Ketamine

IV ketamine treatment is not a universal solution, but it has shown promise in addressing a variety of challenging chronic pain conditions, especially where other treatments have failed. Some examples include:

• Fibromyalgia and widespread pain syndromes Mountain View Headache and Spine
• Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) and nerve-related pain Mountain View Headache and Spine+1
• Neuropathic pain (nerve damage, diabetic neuropathy, post-herpetic neuralgia) Mountain View Headache and Spine
• Refractory migraine or headache disorders Mountain View Headache and Spine
• Other pain syndromes with a strong neuro-sensitization component Mountain View Headache and Spine

Because ketamine works on the nervous system’s amplification of pain — not just the injured tissues themselves — it can help when pain persists even after the original injury might have healed. Mountain View Headache and Spine

What to Expect in a Ketamine Treatment Plan

The process and structure of IV ketamine therapy at MVHSI typically includes the following phases:

1. Induction Phase
   You’ll receive a series of low-dose infusions over about 1–2 weeks. These are performed in the clinic with vital signs and mental status monitored throughout. Mountain View Headache and Spine
2. Maintenance Phase
   If the initial course is effective, you might return periodically for booster infusions (every 4–8 weeks or as needed) to sustain benefit. Mountain View Headache and Spine
3. Monitoring & Adjustment
   Throughout treatment, your responses (pain levels, side effects, function) are carefully tracked. Your plan may be adjusted over time to maximize benefit and minimize side effects.

Because ketamine is used off-label for chronic pain (its FDA approval is for anesthetic use), we emphasize careful patient selection and ongoing supervision. Mountain View Headache and Spine

Potential Benefits & Patient Outcomes

Patients receiving IV ketamine at Mountain View often report outcomes such as:

• Reduced pain intensity (sometimes within hours or days) Mountain View Headache and Spine
• Better ability to engage in daily activities
• Improved sleep and cognitive clarity
• Elevated mood and reduced depression/anxiety burden
• Reduced reliance on opioids or other pain medications Mountain View Headache and Spine

Keep in mind — results vary. Some see dramatic relief, while others experience more gradual improvement over multiple infusions.

Safety, Risks & Side Effects

When administered in a medical clinic setting, IV ketamine is generally safe. But it’s important to be aware of possible side effects and how we manage them:

Possible short-term effects

• Temporary dissociation — feeling spaced out or “out-of-body”
• Dizziness, nausea, mild headache
• Transient increases in blood pressure or heart rate
• Rare headaches following infusion

These effects tend to fade within hours, and patients are monitored until they return to baseline. Mountain View Headache and Spine

Important safety protocols

• Continuous monitoring of vital signs and mental status
• Post-infusion observation until patients are stable
• Clear instructions about not driving or operating machinery for 24 hours post-treatment
• Emergency equipment and protocols in place in case of rare adverse events

Because ketamine is powerful, we do not support self-administration, unmonitored use, or non-medical dosing. All infusions at MVHSI are provided in a controlled, clinical environment. Mountain View Headache and Spine

Who Makes a Good Candidate?

Ketamine therapy may be considered for patients who:

• Have persistent pain that has not responded sufficiently to standard treatments
• Have excluded serious contraindications (e.g., certain psychiatric conditions, uncontrolled cardiovascular issues)
• Are willing to commit to a monitored treatment plan
• Understand it’s part of a broader pain-management strategy

During your initial consultation at MVHSI, Dr. Ruchir Gupta and the team will assess your history, examine your pain condition, and determine if IV ketamine is an appropriate component of your personalized care plan.

Why Choose MVHSI for Ketamine Therapy?

Mountain View Headache & Spine Institute provides:

• A multidisciplinary pain care setting with expertise in spine, headache, and nerve pain
• Supervised, clinic-based ketamine infusions (not just “drip bar” style) Mountain View Headache and Spine
• Personalized treatment plans that align ketamine with other modalities (injections, neuromodulation, rehab, etc.)
• Rigorous safety protocols, monitoring, and follow-up
• Offices in Phoenix, Mesa, and Peoria to serve patients across the area Mountain View Headache and Spine

Dr. Gupta’s vision is to combine innovation, experience, and compassion to restore function and hope for patients with complex pain.

Final Thoughts & Next Steps

IV ketamine therapy isn’t a guaranteed cure, but for many patients, it’s a powerful tool against pain that hasn’t surrendered to conventional treatments. When paired with other therapies, it can help reduce pain, restore function, and improve quality of life.

If you’d like to explore whether ketamine therapy might be appropriate for you, we encourage you to schedule a consultation at Mountain View Headache & Spine Institute. Let us help build a safe, evidence-informed plan to reclaim your life from chronic pain.