CRPS Treatment
Ketamine for CRPS (Complex Regional Pain Syndrome)
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) is one of the most excruciating and relentless chronic pain conditions known to medicine. Those who suffer from it don’t just endure physical agony—their nervous system turns against them, sending pain signals that spiral out of control. The burning, aching, hypersensitivity, and eventual loss of function can make even the lightest touch unbearable.
For many, CRPS is a life-altering diagnosis. Traditional pain medications, including opioids, do not work. In fact, opioids can make things worse, leading to dependency without ever touching the root cause of the pain.
At Gilbert-Chandler Ketamine Therapy Clinic and Scottsdale Ketamine Therapy Clinic, we offer ketamine infusion therapy as a breakthrough option for CRPS patients—one that targets the nervous system itself, working to reset and rewire the pain-processing pathways.
What is CRPS?
CRPS, formerly known as Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD), is classified as a sympathetically mediated pain disorder. This means that the sympathetic nervous system—the part of the body responsible for fight-or-flight responses—becomes stuck in a constant state of overdrive. Instead of shutting off after an injury has healed, it keeps firing, amplifying pain signals long after the original damage is gone.
The onset of CRPS can be triggered by even the most minor injuries—a sprained ankle, a small fracture, or, in extreme cases, something as seemingly insignificant as a slight bruise. The body overreacts to these injuries, creating a devastating cascade of pain that often spreads beyond the original injury site.
Over time, CRPS leads to symptoms like:
- Intense, burning pain that worsens over time
- Skin changes (thinning, discoloration, temperature shifts)
- Extreme sensitivity to touch (allodynia)—even light pressure can cause unbearable pain
- Muscle weakness and atrophy due to decreased movement
- Spreading pain—it often moves to the opposite limb or travels up the body
CRPS is a disorder of pain amplification and neurological misfiring, making it one of the hardest pain syndromes to treat. If left unchecked, it progresses, spreads, and deeply impacts mental health, often leading to anxiety, depression, and even suicidal thoughts.
How Does Ketamine Help with CRPS?
Unlike traditional pain treatments, ketamine does not simply dull pain—it directly targets the misfiring pain pathways in the nervous system, working at the molecular level to reset them.
Here’s how it works:
- Interrupting the Pain Feedback Loop
CRPS is a disorder of overactive pain signaling. Ketamine blocks the NMDA receptors in the brain and spinal cord, which play a critical role in the amplification and persistence of pain. By blocking these receptors, ketamine halts the cascade of abnormal pain signals, allowing the nervous system to reset itself. - Resetting the Sympathetic Nervous System
Since CRPS is a sympathetically mediated pain syndrome, stopping the nervous system’s overactivation is key to relief. Ketamine helps by calming the hyperactive fight-or-flight response, allowing the body to shift back into a normal, regulated state. - Promoting Neuroplasticity
Long-term pain rewires the brain, cementing pain pathways that make the condition worse over time. Ketamine stimulates the growth of new neural connections, essentially retraining the nervous system to process pain differently. This is why some CRPS patients experience long-term relief, even after treatment stops. - Providing Relief When Nothing Else Works
Traditional pain medications, including opioids, do not work for CRPS. In fact, opioid-based treatments often fail entirely or lead to dependency, as they do nothing to target the underlying neurological dysfunction. Ketamine is different—it works on a level that other treatments simply cannot reach. - Restoring Mental Health
The relentless nature of CRPS leads many patients into severe depression and emotional distress. Chronic pain wears down even the strongest individuals, making daily life feel unbearable. Ketamine not only reduces pain but also has powerful antidepressant effects, helping patients reclaim their quality of life.
What Does This Mean For Me?
If you’ve been diagnosed with CRPS, you know the despair of trying treatment after treatment with little success. You may have been told to “manage” your condition with physical therapy, painkillers, or nerve blocks that don’t last. Perhaps you’ve even felt dismissed by healthcare providers who don’t fully understand how debilitating this condition is.
At Gilbert-Chandler Ketamine Therapy Clinic and Scottsdale Ketamine Therapy Clinic, we understand that you’re not just dealing with pain—you’re fighting to regain control of your body and your life.
Ketamine therapy is a science-backed, innovative approach that has helped countless CRPS patients reduce their pain and regain function. While it may not eliminate pain completely, it can drastically reduce its intensity, often making the difference between a life consumed by pain and one with meaningful relief.
BOOK AN APPOINTMENT
We provide complimentary consultation on a phone call. One of our experienced doctors will discuss your concerns and provide guidance.
Call us on 480-253-9710 (Scottsdale) or 480-256-9322 (Gilbert), or fill the form below to receive a call back