PTSD
Interventional Spine & Pain Management & OrthoBiologics located in Minneapolis, MN
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a common behavioral condition that affects up to 3.5% of American adults. At Advanced Spine and Pain Clinics in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the team of interventional spine and pain management experts offers advanced treatments for PTSD, including ketamine infusion therapy, stellate ganglion nerve blocks, and medical marijuana. Call Advanced Spine and Pain Clinics to request a PTSD consultation, or book one online today.
PTSD is a mental health problem that can occur after witnessing a frightening or traumatic event, such as a car accident, natural disaster, or violent crime. Anyone can develop PTSD, but it’s common in military veterans and victims of abuse.
Symptoms of PTSD include:
As the condition worsens, you might also use substances like alcohol or prescription painkillers to numb your feelings. You might even have suicidal thoughts.
Make an appointment with the team at Advanced Spine and Pain Clinics if you witness a frightening or traumatic event and you feel highly anxious or distressed after two weeks or more. That’s especially true if your symptoms keep you from work or other routine activities.
You should also seek treatment if you’ve been diagnosed with PTSD and want to learn how to manage triggers and improve your quality of life.
To diagnose PTSD, your Advanced Spine and Pain Clinics provider reviews your medical charts and asks about your symptoms and the event that caused them.
Next, they complete a physical and a neurological exam and have you fill out a questionnaire. Your provider then compares your answers to the criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), a publication produced by the American Psychiatric Association.
At Advanced Spine and Pain Clinics, the team offers various treatments for PTSD, including:
Ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic that reduces sensory perception. A series of ketamine infusion treatments can relieve anxiety, reduce fear, and rapidly ease symptoms associated with PTSD.
A stellate ganglion block involves a quick outpatient injection. During treatment, your Advanced Spine and Pain Clinics provider administers a long-acting local anesthetic into a specific area on the right side of your neck.
The medication surrounds the stellate ganglion –– a group of nerves responsible for producing your body’s “fight or flight” response. Over time, the neurotransmitters in your brain adjust, providing lasting relief from flashbacks, nightmares, and anxiety.
PTSD affects everyone differently, and sometimes, more than one treatment is necessary. By combining medical cannabis consumption with other therapies, you can enhance your treatment results. Certain strains of marijuana reduce activity in the amygdala, a part of the brain associated with the body’s anxiety response.
Call Advanced Spine and Pain Clinics to learn more about PTSD treatment, or book an appointment online today.