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Chronic Pain and Medical Marijuana

Medically reviewed by Alexander Tabibi, MD

August 15, 2020

Table of Contents

Cannabis & Chronic Pain
National Academies Report on Chronic Pain
Current Research
Summary

Cannabis & Chronic Pain

It can be tough for you to deal with chronic pain without help. Chronic Pain and Medical Marijuana are closely related regarding minimizing signs you may have been suffering from for a protracted time.

National Academies Report on Chronic Pain

The National Academies’ report, Health Effects of Marijuana and Cannabis-Derived Products Presented in New Report, took a look at information from 1999 on, examining more than 10,000 clinical research studies, of which only seven were straight associated to discomfort relief. One of the seven took a look at information from 28 research studies.

“For years the landscape of marijuana use has been rapidly shifting as more and more states are legalizing cannabis for the treatment of medical conditions and recreational use,” said Marie McCormick, chair of the committee; the Sumner and Esther Feldberg Professor of Maternal and Child Health, department of social and behavioral sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; and professor of pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, Mass. “This growing acceptance, accessibility, and use of cannabis and its derivatives have raised important public health concerns. Moreover, the lack of any aggregated knowledge of cannabis-related health effects has led to uncertainty about what, if any, are the harms or benefits from its use. We conducted an in-depth and broad review of the most recent research to establish firmly what the science says and to highlight areas that still need further examination. As laws and policies continue to change, research must also.”

Abrams says the evidence on marijuana and discomfort is greatest for helping nerve discomfort (neuropathy) and cancer-related discomfort. The committee also concluded that certain oral cannabinoids enhanced muscle spasms in clients with multiple sclerosis.

Cannabinoids are one of more than 60 chemicals in the marijuana plant. Abrams states it makes sense that marijuana may assist relieve pain due to the fact that the body has cannabinoid receptors, or places where the chemical connects to cells.

Current Research

Here is a sampling of research study or reviews published in the previous year:

Israeli researchers found cannabis offered substantial discomfort relief to over half of 1,200 cancer patients who utilized it for 6 months.
In an evaluation of 16 released research studies including more than 1,700 participants with chronic nerve discomfort, German scientists discovered that marijuana-based remedies increased the number of individuals who reported a 50% or more decrease in discomfort relief. But they likewise concluded that the dangers might surpass the benefits. Individuals taking marijuana-based remedies were most likely to have sleepiness, lightheadedness, and confusion.

In a little research study of 47 clients with Parkinson’s disease, Israeli scientists discovered a 27% enhancement in discomfort with marijuana usage.
Medical marijuana helped to alleviate pain in 26 clients with fibromyalgia, a condition in which the body has” tender” points. Half the clients stopped taking any other medications for fibromyalgia, but 30% did have moderate negative effects.
A research study from the European Academy of Neurology discovered that cannabinoids given at various dosages alleviated discomfort in migraine patients by 40% or more. It helped cut pain in people with cluster headaches, too, but only if the patient had a history of childhood migraine.

Marijuana and cannabinoids might have modest impacts on the discomfort and muscle spasticity that feature multiple sclerosis, according to an Australian evaluation that looked at 32 research studies.

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Summary

Chronic pain is debilitating not just in the immediate focus of the pain, but in the effects is has on our overall lives, from the depression and anxiety stemming from the limitations on activity and function, to the loss of sleep, appetite and many other aspects that become consumed by the daily focus on the pain. Chronic Pain and Medical Marijuana are a welcome relief as weed not only can treat some of the symptoms of the pain itself, but can also help address several of the other associated issues, giving us more meaningful and lasting relief to help us regain control of our lives.