Ketamine Therapy for Chronic Pain Provides Added Benefits for Substance Misuse Therapy
SVOA Medical Research March 2, 2026 Olumuyiwa A. Bamgbade, Olumide O. Asaolu, Daniel O. Bamgbade et al.
In a small group of 20 adults with chronic pain and substance misuse, regular monthly injections of a low dose of ketamine (0.25 mg/kg) combined with lidocaine and magnesium nerve blocks were associated with improvements in pain, mood, and substance dependence. Opioid misuse was the most common category (45% of patients), followed by benzodiazepines, cocaine, and kratom. After repeated treatments, all patients showed reduced substance misuse, pain scores dropped from severe to moderate, depression scores (PHQ-9) improved from moderately severe to mild, and dependence severity reached satisfactory levels. The findings suggest ketamine-based therapy may help manage both chronic pain and substance misuse together.