Pain
Medical Marijuana and Pain
Chronic pain is a medical condition where your body keeps hurting for prolonged periods, from months to years. Most physicians define pain that persists for 3-6 months as chronic pain.
Managing chronic pain can be an uphill battle even with skilled doctors and physicians to help you along the way. It affects patients day-to-day activities and can even lead to mental health issues, including anxiety and depression. Although many health conditions can cause chronic pain, some of them include the following:
Injuries or surgeries from a patients past
Migraines or other forms of headaches
Fibromyalgia
Damaged nerves
Chronic arthritis
Unlike most acute pains, chronic pain can come and go or can persist for several days or even weeks at a time.
How is chronic pain treated?
There are several avenues to the treatment of chronic pain. Most therapies revolve around managing chronic pain with medications commonly called painkillers or analgesics. At the same time, some analgesics such as aspirin and ibuprofen are available over the counter; some of the more potent analgesics such as opioids and stronger Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) need a prescription. Using pain medication to treat chronic pain comes with its disadvantages. Firstly, the pain medications such as NSAIDs can have severe side effects, including hyperacidity, peptic ulcers, and other gastrointestinal issues. Stronger pain medications such as opiates have a much bigger problem. One major problem with using opiates to treat chronic or acute pain is the risk of dependence. All opioids used to treat pain have the potential to cause addiction.
Can medical marijuana be used to manage chronic pain?
Medical marijuana or medical cannabis has been used all over the world for centuries to treat chronic and acute pain in millions of patients. There is strong evidence regarding the pain-relieving ability of this herb in ancient works of literature of the world. However, modern medicine has recently started conducting clinical studies on marijuana and how medicinal marijuana could help patients experience lasting relief without the nasty side effects of opioids and other painkillers.
In many studies conducted in some of the best research institutes and universities worldwide, medical marijuana is a good alternative medication to treat and manage chronic pain. According to a study published by Harvard University scientists, there is quality evidence supporting the use of marijuana to manage chronic pain.
Another study reported from the University of Michigan in 2016 found out that medical marijuana containing THC and BCD used to manage chronic pain can have other positive effects, including-
Improved quality of life
Reduction of opiate intake
Reduction of side effects of other medications
How does medical marijuana help in pain management?
To understand how medical marijuana works to alleviate pain, we must first understand how your own body manages pain.
When you are in pain, your body innately produces certain compounds called endogenous cannabinoids. These compounds are structurally similar to the active chemicals present in medical marijuana and medical cannabis called cannabinoids. The endogenous cannabinoids reduce pain perception by acting on specific receptors in your brain called the cannabinoid receptors.
It is thought that medical marijuana also works by a similar mechanism. The cannabinoids present in medical marijuana can also bind to the same receptors and activate them, decreasing pain perception. That said, the exact mechanism by which marijuana exerts its analgesic (pain-relieving) effect is still a hotly contested topic in the scientific community.
How can you use medical marijuana to relieve chronic pain?
Medical marijuana can be administered in different forms depending on the user's preference. While the most common form of using medical marijuana is by either smoking or vaporizing, there are other methods of consumption as well.
Cannabis can also be taken orally in capsules, tablets, and even edibles such as dummies. There are options for treating localized pain as well by using ointment infused with medical marijuana.
Smoking: When you inhale the smoke of medical marijuana, you get instant relief which is why it is the go-to for those experiencing chronic pain discomfort, nausea, and/or loss of appetite. It allows the terpenes, CBD, and THC to instantly get into the patient’s bloodstream which is why the effects of using medical marijuana this way are so popular.
Vaping: Vaping is similar to smoking because you are still inhaling a heated substance to deliver the medical marijuana which contains THC and CBD. However, you are inhaling vaporized oils along with the medicinal components of medical marijuana such as THC, CBD, and terpenes rather than burning the marijuana plant itself. Many people feel this is a cleaner form than smoking however at this time no studies have shown this to be a safer option for consuming medical marijuana.
Oral Ingestion: Some cancer patients prefer to take their THC and CBD orally which allows them to feel the benefits of the THC and CBD for a longer time. However, it doesn't have the rapid action that you get by vaping or smoking. It can take anywhere from 1 to 2 hours to take full effect. The edible form of medical marijuana typically come in candies such as lollipops, gummies, capsules, and oil droppers
The best part is mixing and matching these methods and finding a way that works the best for your condition.
Are there any adverse effects of using medical marijuana for chronic or acute pain?
Although medical marijuana is quite safe to use, there can be side effects. Some of the common side effects after use of medical marijuana include:
Feeling drowsy or dizzy.
You might experience a dry mouth and increased thirst
Euphoria
Increased appetite
Some people might experience anxiety and giddiness
Adjusting the dose is the key to combat the side effects of medical marijuana. You should start with smaller amounts and increase the quantity only gradually. In most cases, the adverse effects are mild and go away after a few days of use.
Medical marijuana might affect you differently, but it has much less severe side effects than traditional painkillers and opiates. For this reason many patients are turning towards the natural and effective treatment of medical marijuana to treat their medical conditions including chronic and acute pain.
