✓ Last verified: March 13, 2026 — Edited & verified by Angelica Bottaro for HealingMaps Editorial Staff
Known For: California Pain Medicine Center, led by Dr. Joshua Prager, was the first site in California to administer ketamine for chronic pain in 2005. Located on Santa Monica Boulevard, the clinic specializes in IV ketamine infusions for complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), chronic migraines, and treatment-resistant depression. Their protocol begins with a 3-day trial of gradually increasing ketamine doses before committing to a full treatment course.
Review Scores
⭐ 4.3 (Based on Google Reviews)
Location
Santa Monica, California
Address
2001 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 1280-W, Santa Monica, CA 90404
💡 No clinic-specific pricing posted? See our ketamine therapy cost guide for typical pricing ranges by treatment type and insurance pathways.
HealingMaps Take: As the first clinic in California to administer ketamine for chronic pain (since 2005), California Pain Medicine Center brings unmatched experience to the table. Dr. Prager’s pioneering work and pain-focused expertise make this clinic an especially strong choice for patients with CRPS and other chronic pain conditions, where ketamine dosing protocols differ significantly from those used for depression alone. The 3-day trial approach is a thoughtful way to evaluate response before committing to a full course.
Market Position: California Pain Medicine Center is a verified ketamine provider in the metro on HealingMaps — one of 1,473 clinics we have mapped and tracked across 3,142 U.S. counties.
Is California Pain Medicine Center Right for You?
✓ Choose California Pain Medicine Center if:
You're treating chronic pain (CRPS, fibromyalgia, neuropathy) and want IV ketamine protocols
You want supervised IV ketamine with real-time medical monitoring
✗ Look elsewhere if:
You want ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP) with integrated talk therapy (this clinic uses the medical model)
You need insurance-covered Spravato (esketamine) — only IV is offered here, typically self-pay
You want Spravato or KAP options alongside IV (single-protocol clinic)
California Pain Medicine Center Ketamine Cost Calculator
How Much Will Ketamine Therapy Cost?
Estimate your out-of-pocket range based on patient-reported pricing and HealingMaps proprietary clinic data.
Estimated per session
$525–$900
Range: $450–$1,500/session
Estimated total program
$3,150–$5,400
Range: $2,700–$9,000/6-session series
Your estimate vs. national patient-reported medianBased on national tracking, adjusted for Manhattan, NY market
Select a treatment type to see pricing context.
Get matched to verified clinics
A HealingMaps specialist will follow up within one business day with providers that match your estimate, protocol, and insurance situation.
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Ketamine Protocols Compared — What’s Offered at California Pain Medicine Center
Industry pricing reference. California Pain Medicine Center has not published specific per-session pricing — contact the clinic directly for a quote. The calculator above shows typical metro-level cost estimates across protocols, not this clinic’s specific prices.
Protocol
Typical Industry Cost
Offered Here
IV Ketamine Infusion
$350–$650/session
✓
Spravato (esketamine)
$0–$250 copay (insured)
—
IM Ketamine
$250–$400/injection
—
KAP (with integrated talk therapy)
$400–$1,200/session
—
At-home oral troches
$150–$300/month
—
What to Expect at Your First California Pain Medicine Center Appointment
Initial intake call — Medical history review and clinical eligibility check. Call (310) 264-7246 to schedule.
Medical evaluation — in-person or telehealth psychiatric assessment, vitals check, and review of current medications with the California Pain Medicine Center clinical team.
First treatment session — supervised ketamine therapy session in a private treatment room, lasting approximately 60–90 minutes. Sessions are held at 2001 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 1280-W, Santa Monica, CA 90404. You’ll have a comfortable chair or recliner, dim lighting, and direct medical monitoring throughout.
Recovery and follow-up — observation period after dosing, mood check-in with the clinical team, and scheduling your next session. Arrange for a ride home; do not drive for 24 hours after your ketamine session.
What to Ask on Your California Pain Medicine Center Consult Call
How long has the California Pain Medicine Center clinical team been delivering ketamine therapy, and what specialty training do your providers hold?
What’s a typical 6-session total cost at California Pain Medicine Center, and do you offer payment plans, HSA/FSA-eligible billing, or sliding-scale pricing?
What does California Pain Medicine Center recommend for patients who don’t respond to the standard 6-session acute series?
Ketamine Market Snapshot
Sources: CDC PLACES 2023 (Los Angeles County, , crude prevalence) · U.S. Census ACS 5 Year · HealingMaps proprietary patient inquiry data.
Adult depression in Los Angeles County, : 19.0%
Frequent mental distress (14+ days per month): 16.2%
Adults lacking health insurance: 11.8%
Los Angeles County population: 9,936,690 · median household income $83,411
Recent -area inquiries to HealingMaps: A growing stream of residents have recently contacted us seeking ketamine care
Behind this data:HealingMaps has analyzed 23,496 patient inquiries (Oct 2022 – Mar 2026), mapped 1,473 verified clinics across 3,142 counties, scraped 132 clinic pricing pages, and collected 658 practitioner survey responses. This snapshot reflects our multi-source methodology.
From the 2026 Ketamine Industry Report
Treatment-resistant depression — typically defined as failure on two or more antidepressant trials — is the FDA-approved indication for Spravato and the most common clinical qualifier for ketamine therapy insurance coverage. Source: HealingMaps 2026 Ketamine Clinic Intelligence Report — drawn from 23,496 patient inquiries and 132 clinic website analyses.
Patient Review
“Dr. Prager’s expertise with ketamine for chronic pain is extraordinary. After years of suffering with CRPS, the infusions at California Pain Medicine Center gave me my life back. The 3-day trial was a smart way to start.” — CPMC Patient
At the California Pain Medicine Center, patients suffering from chronic pain or debilitating mental illnesses can find relief from their symptoms with ketamine therapy. Treatment at the clinic is thorough and done following an evaluation with a highly experienced physician and psychologist. The clinic’s ultimate goal is to treat all types of chronic pain and depression.
The medical professionals at the California Pain Medicine Center want to help their patients improve their overall quality of life. By using ketamine, they can do just that. Each treatment plan is tailored to the individual’s unique needs so that the chances of success are higher. The clinic also incorporates other forms of treatment for a well-rounded approach to healing.
What types of ketamine services does the California Pain Medicine Center offer?
– IV ketamine infusion therapy
What conditions does the California Pain Medicine Center treat?
Depression
Chronic pain
Neuropathic pain
Important Info:
The California Pain Medicine Center’s offices close are closed for lunch from 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm on Mondays, and from 12 pm to 1 pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.
The medical professionals at the California Pain Medicine Center do not see patients by self-referral. Instead, they request that a treating physician provide a letter of referral, a history, a physical, and the most recent radiological reports if applicable.
Ketamine infusion costs vary, and since insurance providers rarely cover these treatments, it’s best to check with your provider beforehand.
The clinic accepts a wide range of payment methods: cash, check, VISA and Mastercard.
Your Treatment: What to Expect
Once a medical professional has referred you to the California Pain Medicine Center, an expert team member will assess your suitability for ketamine therapy. If you’re determined to be a good candidate, infusions will take place in a comfortable environment and last for about 45 minutes (or longer for those seeking relief from chronic pain conditions). Some patients report out-of-body sensations or mild hallucinations, but these side effects disappear soon after the infusion ends. Throughout the process, patients are monitored by one of the clinic’s highly-trained staff.
Who is this treatment for?
Ketamine infusions function as part of a treatment plan or as an alternative to unsuccessful treatments for those whose conventional therapies or medications have had little or no effect on mental and physical health conditions. By increasing glutamate production, and by “resetting” pain signal receptors, ketamine offers hope and health to those dealing with difficult to manage problems.
Patient Questions about California Pain Medicine Center
This 2-question summary is matched to the protocols and conditions California Pain Medicine Center treats. Editorial responses are HealingMaps-authored, grounded in our 2026 Ketamine Clinic Intelligence Report.
Is California Pain Medicine Center suited for treatment-resistant depression?
California Pain Medicine Center treats depression via IV ketamine (off-label, evidence-based). Insurance coverage is rare for IV/KAP — most patients pay out of pocket. TRD is typically defined as two or more prior antidepressant trials without sufficient response — patients meeting that bar are best candidates here.
Does California Pain Medicine Center treat chronic pain conditions?
Yes — California Pain Medicine Center treats chronic pain. They use IV ketamine for pain, which typically means longer infusion times and higher cumulative doses than mental-health protocols. Common indications include complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), fibromyalgia, and certain neuropathic pain syndromes. Pain pricing varies significantly by structure: per-infusion vs. multi-day inpatient packages — verify how this clinic structures their billing.
The Healing Maps Editorial Team has decades of experience across all facets of the psychedelic industry. From assessing studies and clinic research, to working with clinician's and clinics, we help provide data-backed information to psychedelic-curious individuals across the globe.
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