Considering ketamine can bring up several questions at once: could it fit your care, what would a visit involve, and where should you start? This guide brings together the ketamine resources from Pacific Pain & Wellness Group so you can explore at your own pace and prepare for a conversation with our team.
Start with the concern that brought you here
If persistent pain is affecting your daily life, our ketamine infusions for chronic pain page explains where treatment may fit in a broader pain-management plan.
If depression has not improved enough with previous care, our ketamine infusions for depression page explains the evaluation and how ketamine relates to other mental health options.
These concerns can overlap. You do not need to choose a treatment yourself before reaching out. Our team brings pain management and mental health care together to consider your history, needs, and goals.
Picture the appointment before you arrive
Knowing what comes next can make an unfamiliar treatment feel easier to discuss. Our guide to what happens before, during, and after ketamine infusions walks through the consultation, clinical support, recovery, and follow-up.
Ketamine is administered through an IV in a monitored clinical setting. Your clinician reviews your health history and medications, explains potential benefits and risks, and provides instructions specific to your care. Possible effects include nausea, drowsiness, dissociation, and changes in blood pressure; serious risks also require medical oversight.
Understand the treatment distinction
Ketamine is FDA-approved as an anesthetic. Its use for chronic pain and depression is off-label. Esketamine nasal spray is a different treatment with separate FDA-approved depression indications and safety requirements; the two should not be confused.
Whether an infusion is appropriate depends on your individual evaluation. Evidence and results vary by condition and person. Ask the office about current fees, payment arrangements, and any insurance questions before scheduling treatment.
Read more about the questions that matter to you
- Ketamine therapy for chronic pain management: background on how ketamine may fit into pain care.
- Ketamine infusions for mental health: additional reading to discuss with your clinician.
- Ketamine and opioids in pain management: different mechanisms and considerations, not a recommendation to change medication on your own.
Take your questions to a consultation
Pacific Pain & Wellness Group offers care in Torrance for people across the South Bay. View our Torrance office information and contact the team to confirm the location and scheduling details for your visit.
A consultation is a chance to discuss options, not a commitment to an infusion. New patients can request an appointment online. Existing patients should call the office to schedule; online requests are not confirmed appointments.