What We Treat
At Mind Body Centers, we treat patients with chronic pain and patients with mental health diagnoses. Treatment plans vary between the two, as well as the appointment duration and cost. Chronic pain sessions cost $750/session and the appointment lasts about 4 – 4.5 hours. This allows time for filling out paperwork, collecting payment, obtaining weight and vital sign measurements, placing an intravenous line, provider assessment, and about 3.5 hours of infusion time. A standard mental health appointment is typically around 1 hour and 45 minutes and costs $375/session, including the same pre-treatment assessments and interventions listed above, but only 1 hour of infusion time. A more detailed breakdown of treatment duration and pricing is available here.
We have seen the most success in treating the following pain diagnoses: CRPS, fibromyalgia, neuralgia/neurogenic pain and migraine headaches. It is important to note that patients seeking care for their chronic pain will need a referral from their provider before starting treatment which includes their specific diagnosis, as Mind Body Centers providers do not diagnose chronic pain ailments.
In regards to treating mental health, we do not require a specific referral from a psychiatrist, but will ask our patients during the screening process to provide their psychiatrist or psychologist contact information in case we need to reach out to them for matters regarding patient care. We primarily provide IV ketamine treatment for the following mental health diagnoses: major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, PTSD, OCD, and suicidality.
Getting Started
While this process looks slightly different for patients seeking treatment for pain as compared to mental health, the overall process is fairly consistent. Specifically, pain management patients may not need to schedule a full mental health evaluation. This will be decided by you and your provider after the intake forms and PAI form are complete.
First, patients will be sent an email with a link to fill out general intake forms. This can be done on a standard computer and takes about 30 minutes to complete. The next step is paying the screening fee of $125, at which point you will be sent a Personality Assessment Inventory “PAI”. The PAI is an online questionnaire that gives providers relevant data for patients specific clinical diagnosis. The PAI takes about 1 hour to complete. The last step in the screening process is to schedule a time for a virtual medical and mental health screening. It takes an average of 1 hour and 30 minutes total to complete both screenings. Our providers then work in collaboration with our medical and psychological director to create a treatment plan and set up days and times for treatment.
Stabilization and Maintenance Processes
Our treatments are separated into two parts: the initial stabilization period and the maintenance period.
Mental Health Treatments:
For the stabilization period, we typically recommend mental health patients complete 4-6 sessions within a 2 week time frame. The stabilization sessions allow the ketamine metabolites to build up in the patient’s system, start re-growing neuronal synapses, increase levels of neurotransmitters, and titrate dosing to achieve desired effects. The goal of the stabilization sessions is to give a patient the optimal foundation for a successful outcome.
Whereas many other clinics always require 6 stabilization sessions, Mind Body Centers has over a decade of expertise in ketamine therapy and in some cases is able to adjust the stabilization sessions to only 4 sessions. This saves Mind Body Centers’ patients both time and money without compromising on quality of outcomes.
The first maintenance session is usually recommended 7-10 days after the last stabilization session, and then once a month thereafter. We have found that patients who stick with a monthly maintenance session for at least 6 months, will experience more pronounced and prolonged relief.
Chronic Pain Treatments:
The stabilization period recommendation for chronic pain patients is anywhere from 3-5 consecutive sessions in a week. These sessions are longer and therefore more intense, but studies have shown that consecutive treatment days provide increased relief from pain.
The first maintenance session for chronic pain treatments is recommended 14 days after the last stabilization session, and then monthly thereafter. For most patients, maintenance sessions are two consecutive days.
When Should You Feel Results
Some individuals experience short-term benefits after the first treatment. This could present as increased energy levels, brighter colors, a sense of relief or improved outlook on life. While these feelings may fluctuate after the first treatment, most patients experience changes by the third or fourth treatment. The most pronounced treatment effects are generally seen 48 hours after the last stabilization treatment.
How To Prepare For Your Sessions
Before any appointment it is important to drink plenty of water, get a good night’s rest, and coordinate a safe ride to and from your sessions. We ask that patients avoid solid food for at least 6 hours prior to the appointment and avoid clear liquids for 2 hours prior to the appointment. Finally, it can be helpful to come prepared with a playlist to listen to or something to watch on the television. Many patients enjoy watching “Moving Art” by Louie Schwartzberg.
What Does It Mean To “Dissociate”
One of the side effects of ketamine is dissociation. Dissociation is temporary and can be different for everyone. It is often described as a sense of depersonalization or detachment from reality and self. Often, this can present as feeling like things are in slow motion, looking at things from outside the body, objects may appear different, colors seem duller or brighter than usual, and sense of time can be altered. Our trained professionals will always start new patients off at a lower dose of ketamine and titrate up accordingly, in order to mitigate any symptoms of intensity.
Do I Need To Dissociate To Get Benefits?
While it has been commonly understood that there is no relationship between dissociation and pain control, studies are conflicting on the relationship between dissociation and the efficacy of ketamine for mental health. Some studies show that patients who experience dissociation symptoms will have better antidepressant benefits, while others have found no correlation. Therefore, it is important to work with your provider to create a treatment environment that is comfortable, relaxing, and well-tolerated.
At Mind Body Centers, you are provided with 1:1 personalized care, meaning you will have a patient care provider with you throughout the entire infusion process. Our staff are trained to help guide you through the treatment as well as treat any secondary side effects, including dissociation.
If the disassociation becomes too intense, strange, or just makes you uncomfortable, please communicate immediately with your patient care provider. They can modify the treatment or give you specific medication to help you relax and make the treatment easier to tolerate. Don’t try to be a superhero, we are here to help and want you to get the maximum relief possible with the least amount of side effects.
Why Choose Mind Body Centers?
Mind Body Centers provides a host of benefits that you won’t get at most other ketamine providers. We provide 1:1 personalized ketamine infusion therapy. Why personalized infusion therapy instead of telehealth lozenges? With Ketamine Infusion therapy, our patient care providers are able fine-tune your treatment protocol intra-treatment to optimize patient experience and outcome. This is something that simply isn’t as possible with telehealth or lozenges.
Another benefit is that our staff has over a decade of expertise in ketamine treatment protocols, which often provides superior outcomes for our patients. We pride ourselves in being leaders in ketamine therapy, and that doesn’t happen overnight.
Finally, Mind Body Centers provides some of the best pricing in the industry. When considering we provide qualified experienced experts, individually tailored treatment plans, and 1:1 monitored care and support, our prices simply can’t be beat.
Next Steps
If you’re ready to take the first step to a happier and healthier life, schedule your appointment with Mind Body Centers today by calling 1-855-481-9605 or by clicking here.
