A new development has found a way for patients suffering from the condition known as Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) to relieve their pain and stress. Ketamine infusions are being suggested as a safe and effective option for treating this condition. When taken in small doses, it is considered a more effective choice than using large doses of narcotics.

Ketamine has long been known to be able to inhibit the activity of the N-Methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor.  It is thought that the NMDA receptors in CRPS patients are hypersensitive or overactive and are significant source of the chronic pain associated with CRPS.

The NMDA receptor is a neurotransmitter that is responsible for receiving and transmitting pain signals in the spinal cord and brain.  These neurotransmitters are located in the synapses throughout the central nervous system.  When electrical stimulation, such as pain signals, are interpreted by the brain a chemical known…