5 Ways Medical Marijuana Can Help You Cope With Chronic Pain

by druginc

Attention: sometimes THC content higher than necessary in medicinal cannabis

For those struggling with chronic pain, medical cannabis is often touted as a safer alternative to prescription painkillers. Here are 5 ways marijuana can ease suffering.

Pain relief is the most common reason why doctors prescribe medical marijuana. Treating chronic pain can be complicated, and for some, marijuana is an effective alternative that carries fewer risks than more conventional methods of treatment.

If you are part of the 20% of the population (in the United States) who are dealing with chronic pain and you have not yet considered marijuana as an option, here's what you need to know about how medical marijuana might help you cope with pain.

Tackle neuropathy

Neuropathy is nerve damage and is often associated with diabetes. It can also be the result of a traumatic injury or repeated use that damages a nerve over time. Typically, neuropathy is treated with pain relievers, including over-the-counter options and opioids.

In 2017, a study was published in the Journal of Pain Research and has shown a link between vaporized cannabis and reduced neuropathic pain. In addition, researchers were able to observe and record changes in pain relief based on the dose of cannabis used.

Reduce inflammation

Inflammation in the body can cause pain, and reducing inflammation is a strategy to increase comfort in people dealing with chronic pain. Over-the-counter NSAIDs (Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) effectively reduce inflammation, but long-term use is associated with irritation of the stomach and an increased risk of stomach ulcers.

Published in 2010 Future Medicinal Chemistry a research review examining the existing evidence of how cannabis can act as an anti-inflammatory medicine. According to this research, marijuana interacts with the endocannabinoid system and causes an anti-inflammatory response in the body.

Reduction of migraines

Including both children and adults, 12% of Americans suffer from regular migraines. Migraines are so much more than headaches and can cause debilitating daily pain.

Using medical marijuana is a new option for a difficult-to-treat condition. In 2016 the magazine published Pharmacotherapy research on the use of medicinal marijuana by patients with chronic migraines. The study found that marijuana has the potential to be used preventively, reduce the frequency of migraines, and act as a quick treatment for migraine pain.

Joint pain relief

For people with arthritis, joint pain can cause daily distress that significantly reduces their quality of life. Many people are advised to manage pain with lifestyle changes such as exercise and weight loss. While these methods are certainly effective, they take more time.

Cannabis has proven to be a promising method for immediate relief from joint pain. Marijuana can give people the relief they need to feel empowered to pursue lifestyle changes that will further improve the symptoms of their condition in the long term.

Less addiction risk

One of the most common problems in the treatment of chronic pain is the tendency to develop tolerance to narcotics. Tolerance may require changing dosages or medications to achieve desired results. In many cases, regular use of opioids for pain relief can lead to dependence or even addiction.

Promising research is emerging that points to the potential of using marijuana to treat opioid addiction. Using marijuana for pain relief can not only prevent people from taking an opioid pain reliever at all, but it can also be used to lower the risk of relapse in individuals being treated for opioid use disorder.

Attention: sometimes THC content higher than necessary in medicinal cannabis

A recent study in PLoS One indicates that medicinal cannabis sometimes contains two to three times the tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive compound in the drug, than is necessary for the effective treatment of chronic pain.

This also applies: if in doubt, use current medication and / or additional information, always consult your doctor first!

Sources include PainMedicineNews (EN), Plos One (EN), TheFreshToast(EN)

Related Articles

Comments

[adrate banner="89"]