Ketamine Therapy for Chronic Pain Provides Added Benefits for Substance Misuse Therapy
Olumuyiwa A. Bamgbade1*, Olumide O. Asaolu2, Daniel O. Bamgbade3, Olajumoke O. Lawal4, Gugulami P. Butelezi5, Bolajoko E. Bada6, Oleksandra Chorna7, Mwewa Chansa8, Olamide O. Oyewole9, Sharon E. Omonua10, Alain Irakoze11, Kimberly J. Savage12, Miriam Kessi13, Lysiane M. Atcham-Amougou14
1Department of Anesthesiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
2Department of Family Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
3Research Department, Center for Societal & Health Equity, Vancouver, Canada.
4Department of Nursing, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria
5Department of Pharmacy, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa.
6Department of Caring Science, Åbo Akademi University, Vaasa, Finland.
7Department of Medicine, Yerevan State Medical University, Yerevan, Armenia.
8Department of Nursing, University Teaching Hospital, Lusaka, Zambia.
9Department of Nursing, Northumbria Healthcare NHS Trust, Newcastle, United Kingdom.
10Research Department, Salem Anaesthesia Pain Clinic Surrey, Vancouver, Canada.
11Department of Anesthesiology, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda.
12Research Department, Salem Anaesthesia Pain Clinic Surrey, Vancouver, Canada.
13Research Department, Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College, Moshi, Tanzania.
14Department of Psychiatry, Ministry of Health, Yaounde, Cameroon.
*Corresponding Author: Olumuyiwa A. Bamgbade, Department of Anesthesiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. Postal address- POBox 75085, Surrey, BC, V4A 0B1, Canada.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.58624/SVOAMR.2026.04.006
Received: February 10, 2026
Published: March 02, 2026
Citation: Bamgbade OA, Asaolu OO, Bamgbade DO, Lawal OO, Butelezi GP, Bada BE, Chorna O, Chansa M, Oyewole OO, Omonua SE, Irakoze A, Savage KJ, Kessi M, Atcham-Amougou LM. Ketamine Therapy for Chronic Pain Provides Added Benefits for Substance Misuse Therapy. SVOA Medical Research 2026, 4:2, 32-38. doi: 10.58624/SVOAMR.2026.04.006
Abstract
Background: Chronic pain is complicated by comorbid substance misuse. This multifaceted problem increases the risks of polypharmacy, overdose, impaired driving, and avoidable emergency care.
Methods: This is an observational study of a convenience sample of twenty adult chronic pain patients who underwent regular monthly intramuscular ketamine for multimodal pain therapy. Ketamine was administered at 0.25 mg/kg per treatment session. Each treatment also involved lidocaine plus magnesium nerve blocks. The cohort was profiled by gender and substance misuse category (benzodiazepine, cocaine, kratom, opioid). Numeric pain score, Severity of Dependence Scale (SDS), and PHQ-9 scores were analyzed.
Results: Females comprised 55% (11/20) and males 45% (9/20). Opioids were the most frequent misuse category (45%; 9/20), followed by benzodiazepines (25%; 5/20), cocaine (20%; 4/20), and kratom (10%; 2/20). After repeated treatments, substance misuse improved in all patients, with concordant improvements in mood, pain, and dependence severity. PHQ-9 improved from moderately severe to mild mood disorder, pain improved from severe to moderate, and SDS improved to satisfactory levels.
Conclusion: These outcomes indicate that ketamine-based chronic pain therapy is a potential system for integrated substance-misuse therapy within value-based healthcare, highlighting measurable outcomes, risk mitigation, and public safety. Future studies should include larger prospective studies and collaboration with clinical pharmacists and public safety professionals.
Keywords: Ketamine; Substance Misuse; Kratom; Value-Based Healthcare; Risk Management; Public Safety