Can Medical Cannabis Relieve Pain?
Pain is a sign that all is not well in our body. Whether it is induced by an illness or an accident, pain is generally the reason people seek medical help. Often, pain can be excruciating i.e. cause intense suffering. The good news is that there are ways to relieve pain or lower suffering. A pain-relieving method employed by many people today is the use of medical cannabis.
You may or may not know this but cannabis has been used as a pain-reliever since ancient times. Today, the pain-relieving properties of cannabis are used to treat a number of painful conditions including headaches and the pain suffered by a woman after giving birth to a child. In case you did not know this already, pain is categorized into three different types: somatic pain, visceral pain, and neuropathic pain. A dull ache in a part of the body, somatic pain is induced when a person thinks about pain.
Caused by a disease or injury, visceral pain occurs when the organs or tissues in abdominal cavity stretch or get disturbed. Often, visceral pain occurs in an area of the body different from its source. Experienced as a burning sensation, neuropathic pain occurs due to an injury to the nerves. Whether you’re suffering from somatic pain, visceral pain or neuropathic pain, you can relieve your pain by using medical cannabis.
Studies show that cannabidiol or CBD, a chemical present in medical cannabis, helps to suppress pain. Moreover, using medical cannabis with opiates boosts the former’s pain relieving power while minimizing its side effects. Today, Cannabis is legal in twenty-nine U.S states in one form or another. The pain-relieving ability of cannabis is the major reason most U.S states have legalized its use. There is considerable evidence to suggest that cannabis, in particular, medical cannabis relieves pain.
According to a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) report released in January this year, there is strong evidence that CBD, found in cannabis, effectively treats chronic pain. According to the report, studies show that compounds found in the cannabis plant such as cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) lower pain. Doctors believe that medical cannabis relieves pain in our body by affecting the natural cannabinoid receptors already present in our body. However, they are unable to point out the exact mechanisms that cannabis uses to relieve pain.
When it comes to relieving of pain, the most talked about chemical or cannabinoid present in medical cannabis is CBD. Unlike THC, CBD does not make you psychoactive. This is the reason many growers are looking to produce medical cannabis high in CBD and low in THC. While it does not make you psychoactive, CBD treats all of the disorders and symptoms relieved by THC. This includes psychosis disorders, depression, anxiety, nausea and vomiting, and seizures. Additionally, CBD is said to have antioxidant, anti-tumoral and anti-inflammatory properties.
While the use of medical cannabis to relieve pain is a recent phenomenon in the U.S, people in many parts of the world have been using medical cannabis to alleviate debilitating symptoms for centuries. In fact, for many of these people, medical cannabis has been the primary treatment for a number of diseases and the pain associated with it.
A feeling of discomfort, pain occurs after an injury or illness. At times, the pain is caused by a chronic health condition. A sting, ache, burn, tingle, or prick, pain can severely affect a person’s productivity and well-being. The good news is that the pain associated with an array of conditions can be relieved by two cannabinoids found in medical cannabis i.e. cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
In order to regulate central nervous system immune cells and manage pain levels, CBD and THC interact with CB1 and CB2, two cannabinoid receptors present in the body. After using cannabis, people with chronic pain have experienced improvements in mood, sleep, and pain. Looking at the aforementioned information, it is clear that medical cannabis relieves pain and helps people with chronic conditions to live better. In short, medical cannabis is changing the way pain is relieved and it won’t be long before it becomes the primary pain-relieving method.
Sources:
http://www.webmd.com/pain-management/news/20100830/marijuana-relieves-chronic-pain-research-show#1
http://nationalacademies.org/hmd/reports/2017/health-effects-of-cannabis-and-cannabinoids.aspx
https://merryjane.com/health/here-s-how-cbd-can-help-ease-your-pain
