Ketamine has been used in anaesthesia for decades. What researchers discovered, somewhat unexpectedly, is that in lower doses it can interrupt the cycle of central sensitisation — the very process where the nervous system has learned to amplify pain signals beyond what the situation calls for.
It works, in part, by resetting the NMDA receptors in the brain and spinal cord that have become overactive. Think of it as rebooting an alarm system that’s been going off so long it’s forgotten how to be quiet.
For some people with chronic pain — particularly those who’ve tried everything aimed at the anatomy and found nothing lasting — ketamine infusions have offered something they’d stopped expecting. A window. A reset. A chance to rebuild from a quieter baseline.
It’s not a cure for everyone. It’s not a first step. But for a nervous system that has learned too well, it can be a way to start the unlearning.
View our blog articles on ketamine infusion assisted therapies.