Cannabis Against Chronic Pain
Chronic pain can be incredibly exhausting. For most people suffering from chronic pain, it significantly limits their life, affects their mood, and thus reduces their overall sense of well-being.
Commonly prescribed medications, such as opiates, are highly addictive and potentially dangerous. It's no wonder that more and more people suffering from chronic pain are turning to an alternative in the form of cannabis. Today, I'll look at how medical cannabis can help with chronic pain...
Types of Chronic Pain and the Potential of Medical Cannabis
Many people believe that medical cannabis is an effective treatment for chronic pain, but what does science say? Is medical cannabis really more effective and safer than other medications?
The medical effects of cannabis and cannabinoid-based drugs are most thoroughly explored in the area of chronic pain. Chronic pain is not a simple matter and can have various causes - it can be:
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nociceptive - arising from irritation of nociceptors in healthy tissue, for example, by tissue damage or inflammation.
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neuropathic - caused by damage or disorders of the nervous system.
Due to interaction with the endocannabinoid system, cannabinoids are able to influence many processes in the body, including pain perception.
THC or CBD: Which Substance is More Suitable for Pain?
THC and CBD are well-known for their analgesic effects, especially when these cannabinoids are applied together and can thus act with a full, synergistic effect. It cannot be said which cannabinoid has the upper hand in this case. One indication might be that CBD medical cannabis is freely available and legal. Medical cannabis with THC content above 1% can only be obtained with a medical prescription.
Dr. Donald Abrams, professor and chief of hematology and oncology at San Francisco General Hospital, who supports the use of medical cannabis for chronic pain treatment, says:
"Cannabis seems to be a much safer treatment option compared to opiates. However, if a patient is already taking opiates, they should by no means change their treatment plan without consulting their doctor."
Difference between THC and CBD medical cannabis varieties
Effects of Medical Cannabis on Chronic Pain
In a comprehensive systematic review of 28 studies conducted at Harvard University examining the effectiveness of exo-cannabinoids (cannabinoids of synthetic or plant origin) for treating various types of pain or health issues, the authors concluded:
"The functional application of medical cannabis for treating spasticity (increased muscle tension caused by multiple sclerosis) or chronic and neuropathic pain is supported by a number of high-quality pieces of evidence."
Studies on chronic and neuropathic pain observed significant improvement in patients using medical cannabis.
However, medical cannabis offers many other benefits and properties that improve patients' quality of life, including:
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