Ketamine treatment for chronic pain in Cologne
Cooperation in Cologne area: Dr. Luecke and the hospital Linz-Remagen
Ketamine treatments for chronic pain are now also available at our new cooperation partner near Cologne, the Verbundskrankenhaus Linz/Remagen. The cooperation at this location in Rhineland-Palatinate was initiated by the hospitals medical director, Dr. med. Thorsten Luecke. The clinic is particularly specialised in the treatment of chronic pain. Ketamine infusions and psychotherapy are offered for this purpose.
Our intensive multimodal treatment, which includes daily psychotherapy sessions, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, HRV biofeedback and neurofeedback, cannot be carried out here. If you are interested in our multimodal therapy for pain management, please contact our clinic on Majorca.
This two to three week therapy we successfully use in the treatment of but addiction, depression, burnout, anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders, and other psychosomatic illnesses can be conducted in our clinic in Mallorca.
The treatment for chronic pain at the Verbundkrankenhaus Linz/Remagen is carried out by Dr. Luecke and his team. This is an independent location that conducts therapies after the example of Dr. Scheib’s private practices. Dr. Scheib is not responsibile for the treatments or their results. Prices may vary.
Treatment of chronic pain
The treatment of chronic pain, drug withdrawal and traffic medicine are Dr. Luecke’s main therapeutic areas.
In case that the treatment of chronic pain with ketamine therapy, hypnosis, psychotherapy and neurofeedback does not produce the usual results, the clinic in Linz uses interventional or invasive procedures for the temporary or permanent elimination of pain.
State-of-the-art neuromodulation procedures are also offered, if indicated. High-frequency spinal cord stimulation in particular is a treatment option for patients suffering from chronic neuropathic pain.
Dr. Luecke, together with the Franziskus Hospital in Linz, was one of the first in Germany to offer this innovative and very efficient procedure.
Multimodal pain therapy is the most modern, scientifically based form of therapy in the treatment of chronic pain conditions. The basis of this form of therapy is the understanding of chronic pain as an independent disease and bio-psycho-social problem.
The interdisciplinary treatment team consists of specially trained personell, psychologists and co-therapists from nursing and physiotherapy. Once a week, an interdisciplinary team meeting takes place, in which an integrative assessment of the therapy of the individual patients and, if necessary, a coordination of the individual therapists and forms of therapy takes place.
Dr. med. Thorsten Luecke M.D.
Specialist in anesthesiology and surgery
Special pain therapy, intensive and emergency medicine, palliative medicine, addiction medicine, traffic medicine, biofeedback therapist, transfusion medicine, transplantation officer according to the curriculum of the BÄK, leading emergency physician, basic psychosomatic care (KV), hypnosis therapy, OR manager BDA/DGAI, certified system auditor, specialist in geriatrics, algesiologist DGS
Multimodal pain management:
- Chronic pain disorder
- Unsuccessful outpatient pain therapy
- Medication dependence or misuse
- Manifest or impending impairment of quality of life and/or ability to work
- Psychosocial impairment
- Serious concomitant mental illness
- Serious somatic concomitant disease
Treatment focus:
- Nonspecific back pain (e.g., postlaminectomy syndrome).
- Muscle pain (e.g. myositides, fibromyalgia)
- Pain of the joint apparatus (e.g. ankylosing spondylitis, osteoarthritis)
- Persistent pain after trauma (e.g. fractures, operations)
- CRPS (Sudeck’s syndrome, e.g. after minor trauma)
- Deafferentation pain (e.g. phantom limb pain)
- Neuropathic pain syndrome (e.g. diabetes, alcohol toxic)
- Systemic pain (e.g. HIV infection, scleroderma)
Rheumatic pain (e.g. PCP, psoriasis) - Headache (e.g. migraine, trigeminal neuralgia, tension headache)
- Facial pain (e.g. atypical facial pain, myarthropathy, Costens syndrome)
- Tumor pain (e.g. mamma-Ca, prostate-Ca)
Therapies/Treatments
- Drug therapy
- TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation)
- Blockade regional anesthesia (e.g. PDA-PCA)
- Manual and neural therapy
- Acupuncture
- Biofeedback
- Relaxation exercises (Jacobson hypnotherapy)
- Testing of opiates or spinal cord stimulation
High-frequency spinal cord stimulation (SCS)
The high-frequency spinal cord stimulation is a novel and very effective treatment option for patients suffering from chronic neuropathic pain. In Germany, there are now several centers that offer high-frequency spinal cord stimulation. However, Dr. Luecke is one of the pioneers of this method in Germany.
Chronic neuropathic pain means that the pain persists regardless of the actual cause. This pain originates in the nervous system itself and is difficult to treat. It respond poorly to analgesics (painkillers).
High-frequency spinal cord stimulation is a good alternative to conventional pain treatment. Here, electrodes are placed near the spinal cord, where they emit weak electrical impulses that are below the perception threshold due to their high frequency. These impulses imperceptibly stop the transmission of abnormal pain signals to the brain.
In a minimally invasive procedure, the electrodes are placed in the epidural space, near the spinal cord. This is followed by a one- to two-week trial period, during which an external pulse generator is used that can be attached to a belt, for example. If the therapy is effective, the pulse generator is also permanently implanted after the test phase, usually in the lower back or buttocks. The implantation of the electrodes and the pulse generator is performed under general anesthesia.
Drug withdrawal and traffic medicine
The use of opiates in the treatment of chronic pain is undisputed today. Opioids relieve pain and lead to improved quality of life in chronic pain patients.
However, treatment of certain severe pain conditions with opioid analgesics can lead to overuse and dependence. Opioids also have psychological effects; for example, when administered acutely, they improve the mood. This can then lead to overuse or dependence. Particularly in the case of ill-considered administration in unexplained pain conditions, there is a risk of overdose in individual cases.
If overuse of opiates is suspected, reduction or discontinuation of the medication is required. Other reasons for reducing opiates may include severe side effects (e.g., significant daytime sleepiness).
Discontinuation of opiates in chronic pain patients is often only possible in an inpatient setting in a hospital. The reason for this is the possible occurrence of withdrawal symptoms such as inner restlessness, mood swings, increased blood pressure or pain, and in some cases whole-body pain. During discontinuation or reduction under inpatient conditions, the patient is monitored around the clock and the concomitant medication is readjusted daily.
After completion of medication withdrawal, a traffic medical evaluation is possible. This is also possible for outpatients. Please make an appointment if you need a traffic medical evaluation.