Kamala Harris' stepdaughter Ella Emhoff criticized for supporting controversial drug to manage pain

WASHINGTON, DC: Ella Emhoff, stepdaughter of Vice President Kamala Harris revealed a lifelong struggle with a spinal condition that resulted in chronic pain.

The 25-year-old model and fashion designer sparked controversy this week after she suggested the use of ketamine, a drug with a history of misuse, as a potential pain management option.

Ella Emhoff's hunchback diagnosis

In a series of posts on her Instagram Story, Ella Emhoff, daughter of second gentleman Doug Emhoff opened up to her 345,000 followers on Tuesday, August 13 about her experiences with a tethered spine, a condition where the spinal cord abnormally attaches itself to the inside of the spinal canal.

This condition, which she was born with, prevented her spine from properly lengthening as she grew, ultimately leading to kyphosis, commonly known as hunchback.

”I was born with a tethered spine (iykyk) which caused my back to not properly lengthen when I was growing and caused a kyphosis (hunchback),” Ella said with her face covered in Hello Kitty stickers.

“Was in and out of doctors and PT for most of my adolescence Got lower back surgery grew a million inches and now deal with chronic pain,” she continued.

Ella Emhoff reveals her 'big pain management list', starts controversy

Ella Emhoff's post quickly gained attention, not only for her candidness about her condition but also for her unconventional pain management suggestions.

She asked her followers who also experience chronic pain for advice on what they use "to feel comf [sic].”

On Thursday, August 15, Ella posted another Instagram Story with a link to a Google Sheet titled "Big Pain Management List," which included various recommendations for managing chronic pain.

Among the more traditional suggestions like exercises, topicals, lifestyle, therapies, and books, one item stood out and it is “ketamine infusion.” 

Ella Emhoff faces criticism from medical community

Ella Emhoff's inclusion of the controversial ketamine drug garnered criticisms, particularly in light of the recent arrest of five people on Thursday, August 15 in connection with supplying and administering ketamine that led to 'Friends' star Matthew Perry's death on October 28.

In her list, Ella gave other suggestions to combat chronic pain which included "not feeling guilty about the pain, sleep 14 hours, complaining, crying, acceptance, hypnosis, eliminating sugar and no alchohol [sic].”

“These are all just recommendations made to me these should not be taken as medical advice i am just a girl trynna feel less pain,” she mentioned in the list. 

Criticizing Ella's suggestion of ketamine as a pain management tool, Dr Michael Harbison, a chiropractor in Las Vegas said "There are far better options out there to deal with chronic pain than Ketamine and mushrooms, in my professional opinion.”

Emphasizing that such treatments are "not for back pain," Harbison said, "they are basically just getting you high," according to the New York Post.

Internet slams Ella Emhoff's ketamine advice

As Ella Emhoff suggested ketamine infusion as a pain management tool, netizens criticized the 25-year-old as it comes amid Matthew Perry's death scandal.

One user on X tweeted, "After this Matthew Perry incident how stupid is this girl? Awful," and another tweeted, "Did she know Matthew Perry?"

"Did she know the ketamine queen? It begs the question," a netizen penned, while someone else asked, "Who is giving this young woman ketamine?"

"Great let’s push for having ketamine as pain management meanwhile, the people that gave ketamine to Matthew Perry were arrested," an individual opined.

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