Ketamine
Ketamine, once used as a general anesthetic, has become an exciting new option for those suffering from mental health and pain issues. With some calling it “the biggest breakthrough in depression research in a half-century,” many are finding relief from a variety of ailments.
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Given in low-dose infusions, ketamine has been shown to ease the symptoms of depression, anxiety, PTSD, OCD, and more. Ketamine also helps reset and restore nerve connections in the body, which can reverse the damage of long-term mood disorders and makes it a prime candidate as an alternative treatment for those suffering from chronic pain syndromes or migraines.
How Does Ketamine Treatment Work?
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It is believed that one of the leading causes of depression and various other mood disorders is the overactivity of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor in the brain. Ketamine helps depression by attaching to the NMDA receptor and blocking it from being activated by glutamate, a neurotransmitter, thereby helping to mute the effects of depression symptoms.
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By connecting to those receptors, ketamine may be able to amplify the number of glutamate neurotransmitters in the empty space between neurons. Glutamate then interacts with the AMPA receptors.
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Together, these receptors bring about the discharge of multiple molecules that boost the brain’s neuroplasticity – essentially, ketamine treatments allow the brain to reset and restore important nerve connections.
