PAINscape—Exploring patient experiences with ketamine for chronic neuropathic pain: A qualitative study
Nandana D. Parakh, Danielle Lessor, Kevin Dang, Paul Ritvo, Duminda N Wijeysundera, Victoria Tucci, Mariela Leda, Mindy Lu, Gabriella Mattina, Janneth Pazmino-Canizares, Zaaria Thomas, Roshni Nayar, John G. Hanlon, Sérgio M. Pereira, Sunit Das, Hance Clarke, Sakina J. Rizvi, Cheryl Pritlove, Akash Goel
Canadian Journal of Pain March 4, 2026 DOI: 10.1080/24740527.2026.2615473 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Participants with chronic neuropathic pain |
| Intervention | Ketamine infusions |
| Topics | Ketamine Esketamine |
| Keywords | Chronic pain Neuropathic pain Qualitative research Physical therapy Health care Medline |
| Key findings | All participants reported decreased pain with ketamine infusions. |
Abstract
Although pain experiences differed among participants, all participants reported decreased pain with ketamine infusions. Addressing the stigma associated with ketamine infusions, further research around augmenting durability of ketamine, and providing a safe treatment environment can all improve ketamine's benefit for chronic neuropathic pain. Understanding the barriers and facilitators, as well as implementing participant suggestions, will not only help inform our ketamine program but can improve access to pain management and facilitate future research in this field.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on ketamine, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cites 8
- Ketamine for chronic pain: risks and benefits British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology February 21, 2013
- Ketamine for Depression, 4: In What Dose, at What Rate, by What Route, for How Long, and at What Frequency? The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry July 20, 2017
- Real-world effectiveness of ketamine in treatment-resistant depression: A systematic review & meta-analysis. Journal of Psychiatric Research May 1, 2022
- Holding on or letting go? Patient experiences of control, context, and care in oral esketamine treatment for treatment-resistant depression: A qualitative study. Frontiers in Psychiatry 2022
- The therapeutic use and efficacy of ketamine in alcohol use disorder and alcohol withdrawal syndrome: a scoping review Frontiers in Psychiatry April 27, 2023
and 3 more in the library