Chronic pain is a widespread health concern in the United States today. From arthritis to migraines, chronic pain affects millions of Americans every year.
Treating chronic pain with traditional medication can be risky, fraught with side effects, and difficult for patients to afford. As a result, many people turn to alternative therapies to supplement or replace their prescription medication. Cannabis is one such alternative therapy that has proven effective in treating chronic pain.
If you have chronic pain, chances are you often feel frustrated, angry, depressed, or all three. That’s because physical pain can trigger emotional responses and vice versa.
Chronic pain is both physically and mentally challenging; it can be exhausting to deal with on a day-to-day basis. However, there are several ways that cannabis can help relieve your chronic pain and make it easier to get through the day or night.
1) Cannabis can be an anti-inflammatory
Inflammation is part of the body’s natural response to injury and disease, but too much inflammation over time can have devastating effects on the body’s organs and tissues. Pain medications like ibuprofen (Advil) and naproxen sodium (Aleve) are used by millions of people every year to reduce inflammation and relieve pain.
However, those medications can cause side effects that make them unsuitable for long-term use, like damage to the stomach lining, kidney problems, or even heart attack or stroke in rare cases. Because of marijuana’s anti-inflammatory properties, can be used as an effective alternative to common NSAIDs like ibuprofen.
Research has shown CBD to effectively manage chronic pain through its anti-inflammatory properties and its ability to stimulate serotonin receptors in your body. It’s also helpful in reducing anxiety and depression often associated with chronic pain disorders.
A recent study found that cannabis reduced migraine frequency by more than a third and decreased migraine severity. Other controlled studies have shown that cannabis can help treat chronic pain caused by conditions like arthritis and fibromyalgia.
2) Cannabis is a muscle relaxant
As an antispasmodic, cannabis acts as a muscle relaxant that helps ease spasms and pain in sore muscles and joints. This effect is beneficial for fibromyalgia or Multiple Sclerosis (MS). In fact, there have been several clinical trials showing that CBD is superior to prescription medications for treating these conditions.
3) Cannabis works as a sedative to calm the mind and body
When you suffer from chronic pain, stress and anxiety go hand-in-hand. While stress doesn’t cause pain, it can make it worse. Chronic pain can cause stress, which can make the pain worse.
Cannabis works as a sedative to calm the mind and body. It also increases dopamine levels in your brain, which helps create feelings of relaxation and euphoria. This makes cannabis a viable treatment option for people who struggle with chronic pain, anxiety, or other mood disorders.
4) Cannabis eases neuropathic pain
Neuropathic pain affects the most complex part of the nervous system, called the central nervous system. This type of pain is often a symptom of an underlying disease or injury to the brain or spinal cord. In these cases, the pain can be severe and debilitating.
Treatments for this type of pain include medications and therapies like physical therapy and acupuncture. Pain management specialists can also treat patients with nerve blocks, where medication, such as anesthetic agents, are injected into the nerves to relieve the pain.
Cannabis can be effective for treating chronic neuropathic pain, according to a 2017 review. Neuropathic pain is difficult to treat, but by harnessing the power of cannabis, people who suffer from this condition can find some relief from their symptoms.
The bottom line
While cannabis is not a cure-all and can’t fix all chronic pain, it can alleviate symptoms and make life easier for many. Chronic pain patients everywhere are increasingly turning to cannabis to help relieve their symptoms, and they are finding that the positive effects are enormous. You should do your research and find the best medical cannabis dispensary near you, check with your doctor, and treat your symptoms as they come. If you lack motivation or depression from chronic pain, then maybe you should give medical marijuana a try!
