WHAT IS NEUROPATHY?
Neuropathy is defined as a pain arising as a direct consequence of a lesion or disease affecting the somatosensory system. It is a peripheral pain targeting the peripheral nervous system which works to receive and send the nervous signals to and from the central nervous system i.e. brain and spinal cord.
It is popularly known an CHRONIC PAIN SYNDROME due to broad range of causative agents particularly drug and toxin induced nerve injury, trauma to nerve fibers, ischemia due to harmful chemical or physical agents. These agents destroy the peripherally located nerves and neurons in somatosensory cortex thereby activating the brain&rsquo s reticular formation area which produces a sensation of continuous slow, aching, chronic pain.
WHAT HAPPENS TO OUR BODY IN PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY?
The major determinant of the peripheral neuropathic pain is the underlying cause most commonly involving diabetes, trigeminal neuropathy, post herpetic neuralgias and post-stroke pain. Common symptoms of neuropathic pain involve numbness, tingling, vomiting, diarrhea, digestion problems, loss of sensations (touch, pain, temperature, pressure), loss of coordination, sweating, weight loss, etc.
When we stress upon Diabetic neuropathy, we mean the damage to nerve fibers and microvasculature caused by diabetes (hyperglycemia) primarily. Pain originates in the distal body parts most commonly involving fingers, feet, hands, toes. Its complication may produce cardiovascular diseases and gangrene in the affected areas.
ROLE OF KETAMINE IN DIABETIC NEUROPATHY
Ketamine acts wonders in treating CRPS, neuralgias and neuropathies by blocking the NMDA receptors producing glutamate, a neurotransmitter of chronic pain. It acts to reducing the activity of pain producing nociceptors in skin and tissues, thereby reducing the level of central system sensitization to pain. It works as &ldquo anti-inflammatory&rsquo &rsquo agent by inhibiting the early stages of inflammation, reducing the damage or trauma to small vessels such as arterioles and venules due to hyperglycemia and insulin resistance and tightly regulating the predisposing factors. It removes the oxidative stress from body cells resultantly lowering risks of atherosclerosis, hemolytic anemia, myocardial infarction and other related diseases.
Ketamine therapy has been proven to lessen the pain and risks of nervous system related disorders with effective and pronounced results ranging from days to weeks.
