Hello, this is Dr. Justin Yanuck, MD. In my daily practice treating complex pain across Orange County, I regularly evaluate patients who feel defeated by nerve pain. Let’s spend 10 minutes looking at what primary research says about treating neuropathy.
Question: “My feet and legs burn from neuropathy, and standard nerve medications aren’t working. How does ketamine target nerve pain?”
Peripheral and central neuropathy stem from damaged or dysfunctional nerve fibers that fire ectopic, unprovoked action potentials. First-line treatments like gabapentinoids or SNRIs attempt to dull these signals, but they often come with severe systemic side effects and limited efficacy.
From an evidence-based perspective, persistent neuropathic signals induce long-term potentiation (LTP) in the spinal cord. The primary driver of this pathological signaling is the influx of calcium through open NMDA receptor channels. IV ketamine directly blocks the open NMDA channel, stopping calcium influx and reversing hyperalgesia (amplified pain response) and allodynia (pain from non-painful stimuli).
Drawing from my clinical background in emergency and pain medicine, I design our IV protocols to safely deliver targeted dosages that downregulate these hyperexcitable nerve pathways. During the post-infusion window, your nervous system experiences a reduction in background noise, allowing damaged pain pathways to stabilize and rebuild.
Whether you are suffering from treatment-resistant depression or complex chronic pain, we are dedicated to helping you restore function and reclaim your life.
If you have questions about our treatments or want to discuss whether ketamine is right for you, contact our team at info@renewketamineinfusion.com or book a consultation at our Tustin or San Juan Capistrano clinics.
Cheers,
Dr. Justin Yanuck
Renew Ketamine Infusion
Tustin & San Juan Capistrano, CA
