Ketamine Infusion for Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Treatment: A Narrative Review.
Current pain and headache reports January 14, 2025 Alan D Kaye, Brynne E Tynes, Coplen D Johnson et al. 6 citations
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) is a chronic pain condition where pain is much greater than expected from the initial injury and lasts a long time. Many standard treatments have been unsatisfactory. Ketamine, a drug that blocks NMDA receptors and is normally used for anesthesia and pain relief, shows promise for CRPS patients who do not respond to usual therapies. Multiple studies report significant improvements in pain severity, limb mobility, and other measures after ketamine infusion. Side effects such as nausea, vomiting, headache, or psychotropic symptoms were uncommon and reversible by stopping the drug. More research is needed on optimal dosing and duration, but ketamine appears safe and effective for difficult CRPS cases. This review summarizes current knowledge on ketamine infusions for CRPS to help physicians weigh benefits and risks.