You served. Now let someone serve you.
IV ketamine has shown rapid efficacy for combat-related PTSD (67% response vs 20% placebo, Drugs in Context 2025) and chronic pain (CRPS, fibromyalgia, neuropathic). Music City Ketamine offers a dedicated veteran protocol with veteran-friendly pricing. Administered by Marla Peterson, CRNA — 20+ years of anesthesia experience — in Franklin, TN.
For many veterans, the nervous system never fully returns from deployment. The amygdala — the brain's threat detection center — remains stuck in combat mode, generating hypervigilance, exaggerated startle responses, and a constant state of readiness that no longer matches the environment. Traditional medications often try to manage these symptoms without addressing the underlying neural patterns that drive them.
Ketamine works differently. Through NMDA receptor antagonism, it disrupts fear memory reconsolidation — reducing the emotional charge of combat-related traumatic memories. When these memories are accessed during a ketamine session, they can be re-stored with less intensity, loosening the grip that specific events hold over daily life.
Ketamine also reduces amygdala hyperactivity, promotes extinction learning, and restores prefrontal cortex regulation — helping the brain move from reactive survival mode back toward measured, intentional response. This is particularly relevant for moral injury, where the cognitive and emotional processing centers need to work together in ways that hyperarousal disrupts.
Music City Ketamine in Franklin, TN serves as an alternative to VA waitlists and rotating providers. Marla Peterson, CRNA has 20+ years of anesthesia experience and administers every infusion personally in a private suite with real-time monitoring. You'll have a weighted blanket, eye mask, and calming music. And Walter White, our Director of Hugs, may wander by to check on you. This is a space built for people who deserve to feel safe again.
Ready to explore whether ketamine therapy is right for you?
Schedule a Consultation"I tried everything the VA offered — medication after medication, group therapy, CPT. Some of it helped for a while, but the nightmares and hypervigilance never really went away. After my ketamine sessions with Marla, things started to quiet down. I felt understood here in a way I hadn't before."
"The space itself made a difference. It's calm, private, and nothing like a clinical waiting room. Walter White sat with me before my session, and Marla's clinical expertise gave me confidence that I was in safe hands. Twenty years of anesthesia experience — that matters when you're trusting someone with your care."
The VA has been expanding ketamine access, with 1,505 treatments performed in 2024. The VA Community Care Program (VCCP) may also cover ketamine at outside clinics. Music City Ketamine in Franklin, TN provides superbills for reimbursement. Contact the VA to check your eligibility.
Marla Peterson, CRNA has 20+ years of anesthesia experience and monitors every infusion in real time. Ketamine has a well-established safety profile in anesthesia medicine. Your specific medical history, including any TBI, is reviewed during your consultation.
Ketamine works through a different mechanism — NMDA receptor antagonism vs. the serotonin-based approach of most VA-prescribed medications. It can begin working within hours rather than weeks, and research shows a 67% treatment response rate for PTSD.
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist
20+ years of anesthesia experience. Member, Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS). Marla personally administers and monitors every infusion at Music City Ketamine. Read her full bio →
Common questions about IV ketamine therapy for Veterans Program at Music City Ketamine.
The VA does not yet broadly cover IV ketamine. Spravato (esketamine nasal spray) is partially covered for treatment-resistant depression in some VA settings. Music City Ketamine offers a veteran-friendly protocol and pricing. Call (615) 988-4600 to discuss your situation.
Yes. A Phase III RCT showed a 67% response rate to IV ketamine vs 20% placebo for PTSD (Drugs in Context, 2025). Combat veterans typically respond similarly to civilian PTSD patients, though dose and protocol may be adjusted based on prior medication history.
Emerging evidence — not yet definitive. Some veterans with combined TBI and PTSD/chronic pain report meaningful benefit. Marla Peterson, CRNA evaluates each veteran individually during consultation.
Active-duty members should consult their command and medical authority before pursuing off-label IV ketamine treatment. This is an individual decision with potential career implications. Music City Ketamine treats active-duty members on a case-by-case basis with full disclosure.
Yes. Police, firefighters, EMS, and ER nurses face similar trauma-stress patterns as combat veterans, and IV ketamine has shown similar response rates for first-responder PTSD and chronic pain.
You don't need to keep waiting for a system to work on its own timeline. Music City Ketamine in Franklin, TN offers flexible scheduling including evenings and weekends, a private suite, and a calm environment designed for people who have earned the right to feel safe. Let's talk about whether ketamine therapy is right for you.
Schedule a Conversation Text (615) 988-4600