Ketamine and psychotherapy show promise as a combined approach to chronic neuropathic pain

Combining ketamine and psychotherapy has shown promising results in treating chronic neuropathic pain, according to a new study conducted by researchers at St. Michael's Hospital, the University of Toronto, and York University. The novel treatment approach, which involves both ketamine infusions and weekly psychotherapy sessions, was found to be safe and feasible, with high participant retention and adherence.

Participants who received both treatments reported significant improvements in pain intensity, depression, and anxiety compared to those who received only ketamine or psychotherapy. One study participant, Carmelina Crudo, experienced long-lasting improvements in her health and quality of life after participating in the trial. She attributed her positive experience to the combined intervention's ability to simultaneously address both the biological and psychosocial aspects of pain.

While the study had a small sample size and was designed as a pilot feasibility study, the researchers are encouraged by the promising results and hope to secure funding for a larger, placebo-controlled trial to generate stronger evidence about the effectiveness of this combined approach for treating chronic neuropathic pain.