Time to address Dwayne Haskins. Tragically, the 24-year old football player was struck and killed by a motor vehicle on April 9, 2022. News outlets reported that Mr. Haskins tested positive for norketamine, which is a biproduct of the anesthetic ketamine. This means that, while he did not actively have ketamine in his system, he had ingested ketamine recently. It is only mentioned as an after-thought in the article that Mr. Haskins blood alcohol was 0.2 at the time of his death. This is more than double the legal limit in Florida. Unfortunately, alcohol intoxication is not nearly as uncommon or shocking. When it is clear that alcohol was the primary intoxicant when he wandered into traffic and was killed, why does the media focus on his recent ketamine use? These days, with all of the media attention ketamine is receiving due to its unmatched potential in treating mood disorders, cognitive issues, and many pain conditions, ketamine still possesses the stigma of being a party drug. The first article that I read described ketamine as a “counterculture drug from 1970, which emerged as a Party Drug in the early 2000’s.” It neglected to mention that ketamine is one of our primary anesthetics for children 6 months and older, or that it is one of the World Health Organization’s 100 essential medications. It does not expand on its use as a neuro-regenerative medication that facilitates enhanced communication in the brain which is shown to improve cognitive function, mood stabilization, and quality of life for millions of Americans. Ketamine is not and has NEVER been an illegal drug. It is a DEA controlled medication in the same class as testosterone supplementation. Unlike illicit drugs such as LSD, Psilocybin(Magic Mushrooms) and MDMA (Ecstacy), ketamine hydrochloride is a legal non-opioid and non-narcotic anesthetic that is safe and passive. It is exclusively a medication. It is not produced in 3rd world laboratories and smuggled across the border. It is a generic anesthetic produced by the same pharmaceutical companies that make every other medication we take.
Here is where we encounter a problem. The research is plentiful on how ketamine is a powerful and effective treatment for patients who struggle with mood disorders like depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and OCD. It has also been effective with age related dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, stroke recovery, traumatic brain injury recovery, and it is very effective at treating the Post-acute Coronavirus Syndrome “brain fog” which has been experienced by millions. Because of this new use for an old anesthetic, less ethical providers will compound and mail ketamine in an oral or intranasal form for you to self administer at home. It is very possible that Mr. Haskins did not get his ketamine in the club or from an illegitimate source. Rather, he likely acquired this through a legitimate medical prescription. Ketamine is often used for nerve pain, and Mr. Haskin’s is a football player. When administered properly under the care of an anesthesia provider, it can be a better pain management alternative than opioids because of its decreased risk of addiction and its longer lasting potential for relief. Self-administering anesthetics at home and without medical supervision has resulted in many deaths and injuries, not to mention accidental administrations or diversions for recreational abuse.
Oral and intranasal ketamine CANNOT produce the neuro-regenerative response which is responsible for patients achieving a state of remission of his or her depressive symptoms. Large venture capital groups and ethically flexible medical providers have jumped at the opportunity to prescribe at-home ketamine and have found it to be a quick and easy way to capitalize on a disruptive scientific breakthrough. Sending it home for a patient to administer passes all responsibility, liability, and consequences to the patient. Before mailing you anesthetics to self-administer, you will sign a release that will absolve these companies and providers should you the laryngospasm (throat closes off unexpectedly and you cannot breathe) or vomit/aspirate (which is the most common complication with at home intranasal or oral ketamine). Dozens of people die every year from prescribed self-administration of ketamine. The problem is that no one hears about these deaths because, until they harm enough people or the right people like in the case with Mr. Haskins, the greater medical community is unaware of a problem. These providers do not inform the patient that the research supporting the use of ketamine does not apply to the oral or intranasal forms. Ketamine is only FDA approved to be administered intravenous (IV) or intramuscular (single shot). All other methods of administration (oral, sublingual (troches), intranasal) are considered human experimentation and cannot produce the desired neuro-regenerative response. If you are a patient who takes these administration forms and were not informed that this is human experimentation, you have been placed at undue risk by your prescriber. Whomever sold you these oral or intranasal forms has experimented on you without your consent. Further, they have committed fraud by describing the results of intravenous treatment then attributing these results of IV ketamine to the lesser, cheaper oral/intranasal form. They prescribed you an untested, subpar method of administration that cannot possibly produce the results of IV administration.
With all anesthetic administration, it is not only what you get, but how you get it. It must be administered in a setting that is safe, supported, where vitals can be monitored, and complications can be managed by a medical professional. Self-administrationofanestheticsis historically a terrible idea. There is a pathway to get incredible benefit from ketamine, but we cannot sacrifice safety for accessibility. The answer is obvious. We need to push for a better way for patients to access treatments that utilize best practice methods and safety protocols, but are also accessible and affordable. At Scenic City Neurotherapy in Chattanooga, Tennessee, our success is tied to our patients’ success. We support our patients with best practice methods, excellent education, appropriate expectations, and a strong follow-up program that supports each patient’s needs. Scenic City Neurotherapy’s model produces the highest rates of patient reported remission of symptoms, the maximal comfort while undergoing treatment, and a team approach which includes your counselors, psychiatrists, and our anesthesia team.
Contact our clinic by submitting an online consultation request or calling our office at 423-228-0579.
This is a question that patients who experience chronic pain should ask themselves. Pain is defined as the perception of noxious stimuli. If you perceive the pain, then the pain is real. There are too many different manifestations of pain to cover with just one article, so today we will focus on patients who experience chronic back pain after surgery. Many of these are patients of pain management physicians and take opioid medications daily. According to the Center for Disease Control, approximately 20% of all adults in the United States suffer from chronic pain and 8% suffer from high impact chronic pain.1
Over the last 20 years, there has been a correlation between the increase in opioid prescriptions and the increase in patients requiring long-term opioid pain management. Is this due to an influx of “drug-seeking” patients trying to get a hold of opioids? ABSOLUTELY NOT! There is a phenomenon called Opioid-Induced Hyperalgesia (OIH) that has been recognized as the primary culprit for the ever-growing number of patients requiring chronic opioid therapy.2 OIH is a hypersensitivity that develops in all patients that regularly consume opioid medications.3 Could you be suffering from OIH? Tell me if this story sounds familiar.
John injured his back while wrestling his two grandchildren on the backyard trampoline. “It’s no big deal,” he said. He would quote his father and say, “Time and rest will heal anything.” After a few days with no improvement, his wife, Mary, insisted that he see a doctor. After a few different doctor visits and a CT of his back, John learned that his injury would require surgical correction. While he waited for his surgery date, his primary care doctor prescribed a low-dose opioid medication to help manage his pain. A few weeks later, John finally had his surgery. He is very excited to finally be rid of his back pain. Afterward, the surgeon told John his surgery was straight-forward, and he should improve quickly. Four days post-op, John’s back was still killing him. He thought, “Maybe I just need more time.” So he continued taking his prescribed opioid medication.
A month passed and John’s pain persisted. At his follow-up appointment the spine surgeon showed John the post-op imaging of his back and insisted that there is no “physical” reason for him to still be in pain. John was referred to a pain management physician who changed John’s as-needed opioid prescription to a long-acting opioid medication. John’s pain improved for a few days, but now his head feels “foggy”, he is constipated, his pain was beginning to break through the medication. John was tired all the time and found himself sitting in the recliner most of the day. His pain level continued to creep up over the next six months while his energy level and mood remained low. John no longer got a reprieve from his back pain. The opioid medication just kept the pain from becoming unbearable. John could no longer wrestle with his grandchildren. It was hard to be around them for too long because his ears had become sensitive to noise and he would get a headache. He was stuck and wasn’t sure how this happened. He did everything he was supposed to do, didn’t he? His father worked hard his whole life and could still outperform most of the young men into his 80s. How did this simple injury take him down?
John’s story mirrors that of so many other chronic pain patients. Many pain management providers dismiss OIH as only a problem for patients who overuse or abuse their medications. All pain science disagrees. Several years ago a group of anesthesia providers formed the Society for Opioid-Free Anesthesia and began leading the charge to bring attention to the danger of opioid use in the surgical and hospital setting.4 This group of anesthesia and pain experts have perfected protocols that significantly decrease post-op complications, increased patient satisfaction with pain control, and dramatically shortened patient recovery after surgery without utilizing any opioid medications. At Scenic City Neurotherapy in Chattanooga, TN, we utilize these non-opioid, non-narcotic protocols in the outpatient setting to “roll back” the OIH created by chronic opioid therapy and help patients to minimize daily pain and maximize quality of life.
Many advocates of ketamine infusion therapy believe the antidepressant effect is due to a psychedelic therapeutic experience that leaves the individual with a greater sense of self and a greater understand of the world in which they live. It sounds wonderful, right? Magical even. On the other hand, there are those who are critical of the process and believe that patients are just “high” and that is why they feel better. While I could not be more of an advocate for ketamine infusion therapy, some clarification is necessary. I want to assure you that there is no magic involved, and if getting high is your goal, there are much cheaper, easier ways to get a buzz.
According to Yale, Johns Hopkins, Stanford, and many other Departments of Psychiatry around the nation, ketamine infusion therapy is the gold standard in the treatment of mood disorders. It is able to boast the highest rate of remission of depressive symptoms compared to any other antidepressant therapy available. Let’s discuss why.
A brief history of ketamine hydrochloride is the best place to start. It was created in the 1960’s in response to the need for a safer anesthetic. Unlike other anesthetics that can affect vital functions like heart rate, breathing, and blood pressure, ketamine hydrochloride was specifically designed to support these functions. With a wide margin of safety, it is one of the safest anesthetics available. This makes it ideal for use in pediatrics, lengthy orthopedic or abdominal surgeries, and even veterinary medicine, where higher doses can be administered without compromising vital functions.
Ketamine hydrochloride is a non-opioid, non-narcotic medication used in surgery as a dissociative anesthetic and analgesic. It has repeatedly shown to help patients recover faster with fewer side effects than those who use opioid pain management in the post-operative period. It is currently used in every operating room in the world and is listed among the World Health Organization (WHO) top 100 essential medications. The stigma surrounding ketamine as a “street drug” originated from its accessibility before 1999. Its frequent theft and abuse led the DEA to classify ketamine as a Class 3 non-narcotic.
In the late 90s, the psychiatric community began researching the benefits of NMDA glutamate receptor antagonism and the neuro-regenerative proteins the brain releases when these receptors are blocked. The Yale Department of Psychiatry conducted a large-scale study on several NMDA glutamate receptor antagonist drugs and found that patients who received low doses of these medications over specific periods demonstrated improved cognitive function and relief from depressive symptoms.
Among the drugs tested, intravenous ketamine hydrochloride was found to be far superior in stimulating brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein essential for neuro-regeneration. In 2011, Yale presented its findings. Ketamine hydrochloride administered intravenously has shown to have the greatest success with treatment-resistant mood disorder patients in comparison to all other treatment options.
It was not long before psychiatric clinics across the country began to offer ketamine infusion therapy to their patients who had not responded to traditional antidepressant therapy. However, they quickly encountered challenges, learning something that every anesthesia provider already knew: ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic. Without minimizing stimulation and properly preparing the patient, it can cause distressing effects. Some clinics abandoned the practice, while others embraced the psychedelic experience, framing it as a spiritual journey. However, this approach was rejected by the broader medical community, and ketamine therapy nearly disappeared.
Several clinics have continued to offer ketamine infusion therapy since its early days. Some stayed committed to best practices based on scientific research from institutions like Yale, Johns Hopkins, and Stanford, while others embraced the “mind-expanding” nature of the dissociative experience, viewing it as the source of the antidepressant effect.
Anesthesia providers soon recognized the need for their expertise in optimizing ketamine infusion therapy. Working alongside psychiatric colleagues, they helped create a more comfortable and therapeutic treatment experience. This collaboration brought ketamine infusion therapy into the mainstream.
Those who cling to the idea that this style of therapy is purely a psychedelic journey into the subconscious have led the charge into other psychedelics such as MDMA (ecstasy), psilocybin (magic mushrooms), or other hallucinogens thinking that they might also work. Turns out that these also have an antidepressant effect like that seen with ketamine infusion therapy. As research continues on hallucinogens, we learn that they stimulate the neuro-regenerative process much like ketamine hydrochloride, but to a lesser extent.
The brain is the control center of our existence, and it must maintain balance in our bodies. Turns out anesthetics like ketamine and hallucinogens such as MDMA or psilocybin disrupt this balance, prompting the brain to react. In response, the brain releases protective proteins, with BDNF and GSK3B being the most prominent. These proteins are initially neuro-protective, providing patients with immediate relief from depressive symptoms and even eliminating suicidal ideation.
When the patient sleeps, and over the next several days after administration, the protein stimulates a process called neurogenesis, or the growth of new neuronal synapses. This process enhances communication between brain cells, resulting in improved clarity of thought. The ability to think clearly helps prevent patients from becoming easily overwhelmed, which leads to improved functionality in daily activities.
This neuro-optimization aids the brain in recovering and healing from the traumas and stressors that contribute to depression and anxiety disorders. With continued therapy and support, patients experience long-term relief and even remission of depressive symptoms, particularly when working alongside a therapist who helps guide the recovery process.
Ketamine infusion therapy is incredibly safe. Unlike hallucinogens, dissociative anesthetics do not cause hallucinations – no pink elephants are present during the process. Administered via infusion, ketamine offers significantly more control for the provider, allowing us to optimize the experience for the patient. In contrast, hallucinogens require patients to simply “ride it out” until the effects subside.
Ketamine infusion therapy also carries fewer risks than hallucinogens, such as the absence of allergen risks. Furthermore, it is administered by a board-certified anesthesia provider, and all medications used are FDA-approved, ensuring a safe and controlled environment for treatment.
As research continues, we better understand that it is the ketamine treatment, and not the experience, that provides the lasting antidepressant effect. The best part about how ketamine infusion therapy works is that it does not rely on a psychedelic or spiritual journey to find relief. When a bone is broken, we do not force the bone to heal or say that a person is weak because their bone is not healing as fast as others. We utilize the treatment to create an optimal environment for the body to do what it is designed to do.
Everyone’s journey to mental health is different. Ketamine infusion therapy remains one of the best options for regaining clarity of thought and optimizing neuronal signaling, which are two of the keys to getting the most out of other therapeutic interventions such as psychotherapy.
Founded in 2019, Scenic City Neurotherapy is at the forefront of advanced and comprehensive treatments for those facing treatment-resistant conditions. Our goal is to excel in opioid free pain management and mental health treatment, setting a standard of care that results in better outcomes and improved brain health. We specialize in Minimally Stimulated Ketamine Infusion Therapy (MSKIT®) and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) Therapy.
If you’re seeking innovative solutions for mental health, chronic pain, or neurodegenerative conditions, Scenic City Neurotherapy offers transformative treatment options. Join us in advancing brain optimization and empowering individuals to reclaim their lives.
Contact Charles Miller, Founder and Chief Medical Officer, to learn more about our Minimally Stimulated Ketamine Infusion Therapy (MSKIT®) and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) protocols. Call 423-228-0579 or visit www.ScenicCityNeuro.com.
If you are supporting a loved one who is about to go through Scenic City Neurotherapy’s treatment process, there are a few things you might want to know:
1. We love to educate and questions are welcome! Education on neurotherapies, how they work, and why they work is imperative for the success of the patient. The support person needs to be informed as well. The patient will feel the need to talk things through after consultation or treatment. With two or more sets of ears taking in information and education, the whole team is better equipped to support the patient throughout the treatment process.
2. Comfort is key. At Scenic City Neurotherapy, safety and efficacy are priority number one, but comfort is a close second. As board certified anesthesia professionals, we understand best how to manage the comfort of patients undergoing anesthesia. This is the case with Ketamine Infusion Therapy. Since the patient is essentially inebriated and quite suggestible, it is important to minimize external stimulation. Noises, lights, and even pleasant conversation can feel overwhelming quickly for a patient who is under the influence. Most patients prefer to be alone. Some prefer to have a support person act as a “hand holder” in the room. In this case, we spend time educating, monitoring, and supporting both the patient and the support person on how to optimize comfort during the treatment process. Patients are encouraged to bring blankets, pillows, and wear comfortable clothing to enhance his or her experience. This treatment is about the patient so we optimize the patient’s process to meet individual needs.
3. Environment outside of the clinic needs to reflect security and comfort. Not a time to take on new challenges. Ketamine Infusion Therapy and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation stimulate new neuronal regrowth. We are growing and enhancing brain cells. Avoid depressants like alcohol or marijuana. Do NOT make any medication changes during the stabilization phase of treatment. Daily oral antidepressant weaning occurs once improvement is made and under the supervision of your prescribing physician. Avoid conflicts when possible. Minimize variables that will affect mood changes so we can better establish which changes are a result of the neuro-regeneration.
4. Manage logistics well. Make sure that paperwork, payment, drivers, and schedules are sorted out before beginning the stabilization process. We want you to focus on getting well, and not get stuck in the details. After a ketamine infusion, make sure the patient remains hydrated, fed and gets plenty of rest. Most patients only need a couple of hours of downtime after an infusion. Others might need to take it easy the rest of the day. Don’t overschedule the day. With TMS, the patient can resume normal activity immediately.
5. It is all about the patient. The improvement seen with Ketamine Infusion Therapy and TMS therapy manifests differently for each patient. Be prepared for them to respond differently to different stressors or situations. The patient is the priority. While we do not need to avoid all stressors, stressors should be kept at a normal level. Do your best to pay attention to the patient’s spoken and unspoken needs. Be encouraging. Be someone with whom they can talk to about their process and remind them to talk to the provider should they have any questions.
The most common question I receive about Neurotherapy is, “If this works so well, why aren’t more providers offering it?” My answer to this is, “Adoption takes time, and the current standard of psychiatric practice is devoted to managing symptoms.”
Symptom management is our first approach to the treatment of any disease process. In other forms of medicine, symptom management is how we discovered anti-inflammatories or anti-pyretics. We use medications and natural supplements to manage symptoms like weight gain, poor sleep, pain, and other health issues that we have limited ability to treat directly.
Psychiatry is one of many medical specialties which is constantly working toward maximizing quality of life through symptom-based medication management. Until the root cause of a disease is fully understood, treatments often aim to manage symptoms rather than cure the underlying condition.
The development of psychiatric medications has largely been guided by the Monoamine or Serotonin Hypothesis. In 1965, Joseph Schildkraut proposed that depression was associated with low levels of norepinephrine, and later researchers theorized that serotonin was actually the neurotransmitter of interest. The field recognized that mental health optimization was achieved by optimizing communication in the brain. By manipulating neurotransmitters, clinicians sought to regulate mood disorders and their effects.
Psychologists, therapists, and counselors complement this approach by teaching patients essential skills, such as coping mechanisms, cognitive processing techniques, and goal oriented strategies so they can regain control of their mental health. It wasn’t until the late 1990s that attention turned to optimizing neurons themselves, rather than neurotransmitters, as a way to enhance brain communication more effectively.
Somewhere along the way, psychiatry confused the symptom with the disease. Consider this: what disease do psychiatrists actually treat? Most people would say depression. However, that’s not entirely accurate. Psychiatrists prescribe medications to manage depression, but depression is a symptom, not the underlying disease. So, what is the disease? This is where Neurotherapy offers a transformative perspective.
Advances in imaging technology have deepened our understanding of how the brain communicates and how mood disorders manifest. These breakthroughs allow us to address the “mechanical” disruptions in the brain that produce feelings of depression, anxiety, PTSD, bipolar disorder, and elements of OCD.
For decades, psychiatric medications have targeted neurotransmitters in an effort to enhance communication between brain cells (neurons). However, this approach has its limits. Imagine neurotransmitters as cars and neurons (brain cells) as roads. Nearly all antidepressants are designed to add more cars to the road, but if the roads are blocked, the cars can’t go anywhere.
This is where Neurotherapy steps in, offering solutions that clear the path for optimal communication.
Neurotherapies, including Minimally-Stimulated Ketamine Infusion Therapy (MSKIT®) and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS/iTBS), act as catalysts for self-optimization in the brain. These therapies stimulate the growth of new, undifferentiated neurons and restore neurons with limited communication ability, which we now recognize as the root cause of depressive symptoms. These poorly communicating neurons are the true disease, while depression, anxiety, PTSD, bipolar disorder, and OCD are merely symptoms of this underlying issue.
We all have neuronal lesions, areas of poor communication, within our brain. These lesions can form as a result of traumatic experiences, prolonged stress, and extended periods of anxiety. Non-trauma related lesions typically manifest during puberty but have the ability to appear at any time throughout the lifespan. Over time, these lesions may accumulate, producing an atrophy of the prefrontal cortex and contributing to what we call age-related or idiopathic dementia. Neurotherapies have proven effective in addressing these lesions, offering better treatment options for mental illness, chronic pain, dementia, stroke recovery, traumatic brain injuries, and even assist in treating post-acute coronavirus syndrome.
For decades, mental health care has focused on managing symptoms rather than treating the root cause of the disease. MSKIT® and rTMS/iTBS are two of the most effective means of improving neuronal communication, leading to enhanced emotional control (doing good elicits good feelings/neglecting self-care feels worse), increased clarity, better cognitive function, and the patient’s own perceived ability to be present and enjoy the moment. Neurotherapy doesn’t replace psychotherapy or psychiatry; rather, it fills the gap, empowering patients to take control of their own mental health management.
Scenic City Neurotherapy offers a better way forward.
Founded in 2019, Scenic City Neurotherapy is at the forefront of advanced and comprehensive treatments for those facing treatment-resistant conditions. Our mission is to optimize brain function and elevate well-being through cutting-edge therapies. We specialize in two pioneering approaches: Minimally Stimulated Ketamine Infusion Therapy (MSKIT®) and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS).
If you are exploring innovative solutions for mental health, chronic pain, and other neuro-degenerative conditions, Scenic City Neurotherapy offers transformative treatment options. Join us in leading the charge towards groundbreaking brain optimization treatments and empowering individuals to reclaim their lives.
Contact Founder and Chief Medical Officer, Charles Miller today to learn more about our proven protocols for Minimally Stimulated Ketamine Infusion Therapy (MSKIT®). Call 423-228-0579 or visit www.ScenicCityNeuro.com.
Neurotherapy, much like other therapeutics, is focused on achieving an optimized state of function. While psychotherapy optimizes the cognitive processes and physical therapy optimizes muscle mass and flexibility, Neurotherapy optimizes the communication between brain cells (neurons) which can be utilized for much more than mood disorders. It is used for age-related dementia or Alzheimer’s Disease, stroke recovery, cognitive loss due to prolonged inflammation like we see with Post-Acute Coronavirus Syndrome and post-sepsis. Neurotherapy treatments such as Ketamine Infusion Therapy and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation cause our brain to undergo an optimization process which enhances cognition, improves emotional and physical reactivity, and enhances emotional regulation, meaning they restore the conscious, logical areas of the brain’s control like what we feel and how much we feel. It is a purely physiological change which allows the patient to maximize gains while working with his or her psychotherapist to reach goals and optimize their mental health self-management on a daily basis.
Not at all. Ketamine is a children’s anesthetic. Psychedelic therapies refer to hallucinogenic therapies where a patient is guided through their thought processes by a “psychedelic guide” to seek answers as is typically an experiential based treatment process. Many people find psychedelic therapies helpful and they can even produce a limited amount of neuro-optimization like what we see with TMS and ketamine infusion, but the quality of hallucinogens varies depending on the dose, environment, and route of administration (oral, intranasal, sublingual, intravenous). Ketamine is an anesthetic and medication used in every operating room in the world. There are no hallucinatory effects with ketamine (at normal treatment doses). Ketamine is a non-sedating anesthetic. In fact it has a stimulating effect on several body systems which is why we use it as a catalyst for neuro-optimization. While the patients feel “weird” during the infusion such as experiencing a very present feeling like they are sinking deep into themselves, this is only the dissociative anesthetic effect and is not necessary for neuro-optimization to occur. Patients do not see things that are not there. They may perceive thoughts, feelings, think about memories, or people they love during the infusion, but it is more like a very positive dream. It can leave you feeling positive the rest of the day, but it is not an experience or realization while inebriated that is corrective. In fact, patients who receive ketamine as part of their anesthesia cocktail in surgery are fully unconscious and perceive no part of the dissociative experience, yet they still report marked improvement in cognition, motivation, and mood stability. Ketamine Infusion Therapy is grouped as a Neurotherapy along with TMS and the Stellate Ganglion Block (SGB). We understand the confusion. While there is ongoing research with psychedelics, the science behind Ketamine Infusion Therapy and TMS is not subjective or experimental. These therapies have been around for more than a decade, and currently, they are able to boast the highest efficacy of any treatment for depression, anxiety, PTSD, bipolar disorder, and OCD.
Ketamine Infusion Therapy stimulates a global (or total) optimization of neuronal communication. TMS (rTMS and iTBS) is a focused treatment that stimulates optimization specifically where depression and anxiety exist in the brain. Depending on a patient’s symptoms, we will recommend either TMS or Ketamine Infusion Therapy as a primary treatment. TMS does not address outlying neuronal communication issues, such as cognitive issues, dementia, OCD, primary anxiety without depression, and PTSD. Ketamine Infusion Therapy is required to get global optimization and address these outlying conditions. TMS is recommended for patients with treatment resistant major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety. Neuronal lesions (poorly communicating brain cells) which are responsible for symptoms of depression and anxiety reside in the prefrontal cortex of the brain. We are able to use a targeted approach known as Stim-Guide mapping to determine each patient’s ideal treatment target and ensure that we are providing perfect stimulation for the entirety of each and every treatment. We will often use two ketamine infusion sessions included in a patient’s TMS care plan so our patients receive the benefits of both targeted and global optimization.
