Can Medical Cannabis Products Relieve the Symptoms of Chronic Pain
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Can Medical Cannabis Products Relieve the Symptoms of Chronic Pain?
Chronic pain affects around one in five Australians over 45 years old, making it a common problem that negatively impacts the day-to-day lives of many. “Chronic pain” is an umbrella term that includes a variety of conditions that can range in severity. For this reason, there are several chronic pain treatment options available to patients. Some forms of chronic pain may be alleviated without medication for example, some people may use light exercise, meditation, stretching, hot and cold therapies to manage their chronic pain, while others may require medication. However, not everyone is well suited to traditional pain medications as they can have side effects in some people.
With the support for legal medical marijuana growing in Australia. You may be wondering if you can use medicinal cannabis to ease the symptoms of your chronic pain. If traditional pain treatments have been unsuccessful, you may want to talk to your Doctor about cannabinoid treatments. In this article, we'll be looking at the symptoms of chronic pain and what medical cannabis can do to help.
Can Medical Cannabis Relieve Pain?
The field of medical marijuana is still developing. With legalisation happening slowly in many parts of the world, we're just starting to get to the bottom of the potential benefits and risks of cannabis. More clinical studies regarding the effects of medical cannabis and its impact on various conditions causing pain are needed to make conclusive results. However, the initial data is promising. In a study of 16,000 participants, researchers found that medical cannabis treatments resulted in people with chronic pain reporting a 50% pain reduction.
Another study also found that cannabinoids given to people with migraines resulted in significant pain relief. These are just two studies on medical cannabis showing that it may have great potential as a pain reliever.
Another thing to consider is that you also need to find the right medical cannabis product for you. Cannabis is a complex plant with many different cannabinoids. So, always consult a doctor; they will screen you for the safety of the treatment and help you find the most appropriate medication and dose for your condition.
How Do Medical Cannabis Products Work?
The cannabis plant contains a range of different cannabinoids. These naturally-occurring compounds in the plant , bind to cannabinoid receptors in the brain, causing different effects.
Humans contain different cannabinoid receptors in the central nervous system. Currently, the cannabinoids that we know the most about are CBD and THC. CBD is largely known for its therapeutic effects without any psychoactive effects. THC, on the other hand, is the compound known for getting people "high."
So, when you take medical cannabis, you can get different results. That's why it's important to speak to a Doctor who will help you find the most appropriate treatment for your condition.
Remember, there is no perfect pain medication. If traditional pain medications have been unsuccessful, medical cbd oil could be a way for you to ease the pain and improve your quality of life. The goal with all pain medications is to lower the pain to the point where it doesn't bother you, and you can go through your day-to-day activities with ease.
What Are the Symptoms of Chronic Pain?
Chronic pain syndrome is a complex condition wherein pain can result from a variety of causes including injury, a medical procedure, and sometimes an unknown trigger.
Chronic pain affects people differently. People's experience with the condition is individual as there are a number of variations among people suffering from chronic pain.
The Variations between people suffering from chronic pain include the intensity and duration of the pain. Some people have flare-ups, while others are in constant pain.
Chronic pain can manifest itself in many areas and ways. Usually, people who struggle with it can experience pain in their joints and muscles. On top of that, chronic pain can cause a lack of sleep, loss of stamina, and even take a toll on your mental health.
As mentioned earlier, sometimes, Doctors can't even find the specific trigger that's causing chronic pain in people. However, conditions such as osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia, and surgical trauma can all cause chronic pain.
The exact cause of chronic pain is a miscommunication between that specific area of the body and your brain. This is why patients can experience chronic pain even after their body heals from an injury, surgery, and other medical procedures.
While chronic pain can't always be cured, Doctors prescribe different medications to ease the symptoms. A standard option for Doctors is to prescribe opioids to patients. While these may reduce the symptoms, they can come with a wide range of side effects. Medical cannabis could be considered as a way to manage pain, when traditional medication isn't working.
Types of Medical Cannabis Products
The Australian government changed the legislation in 2016 to allow certain people to access medical marijuana. In 2019, Canberra became the first city to decriminalise recreational marijuana as well. The laws between States vary slightly in terms of being prescribed the medication and dispensing the medication to the patient.
There are over 100 identified cannabinoids that could offer potential benefits. This makes cannabis a very versatile plant. Usually, when looking at medicinal cannabis options, Doctors can select between a wide range of products for their patients. Medical cannabis comes in a number of forms including concentrated oils and flowers (to be vaporized). However, what might be more important to consider is the types of cannabinoids as well as the strength of each type of cannabinoid within the medication that is being prescribed. A Doctor can choose cannabis products with only CBD, a mix of CBD and THC, and even options that have a wider range of lesser-known cannabinoids. The type of cannabinoid gives a more accurate idea of what the medication can do for you as well as what the potential side effects are.
How to Get Medical Cannabis Products in Australia
As we mentioned earlier, laws on medical cannabis products vary from state to state. However, medicinal cannabis products are available to people who need them. Remember, stay away from black market medicinal cannabis products as they are often not dosed correctly and may contain different quantities of cannabinoids. In some cases, these can be dangerous and could even make the pain worse.
If your Doctor isn't experienced with medicinal cannabis products, you can ask them to refer you to another doctor who already has experience prescribing cannabinoid medications. You can book a consultation with a Chronic Therapy Doctor to discuss your chronic pain. Be prepared to discuss your previous treatments for your condition as well as the medications and doses that you have taken in the past.
All patients are different. The doctor will screen you to see which medication (if any) is best suited to your condition. There are a number of variables that determine which medication will be prescribed. These include any other conditions that you have, your current medications, if you have a history of mental illness and more. If you are written a prescription, you will be able to order medicinal cannabis products online discreetly and have them delivered right to your door.
What Are the Benefits of Using Medicinal Cannabis Products?
So, what advantage do medicinal cannabis products have over other traditional chronic pain medications?
Well, there are quite a few. While there aren't enough studies to understand the full range of benefits that medicinal cannabis has to offer, the results and research that is available suggest that medicinal cannabis has the potential to ease acute pain, chronic pain (including chronic nerve pain).
CBD is a Safe Alternative to Opioids
To start, they are an alternative option to opioids. Many people suffering from chronic pain are prescribed opioids as a way to help manage and ease the pain. While opioids consistently block pain signals and greatly reduce the weight of chronic pain, there is a downside.
Opioids can be highly addictive and dangerous. There are many opioid-related deaths in Australia, and they have been rising in the past couple of years. Additionally, opioid addiction is affecting many societies worldwide. Medical cannabis, in certain circumstances, be used to reduce the quantity of opioids being taken by a patient.
People exploring alternative treatment options for chronic pain should consider cannabinoid medications with their Doctor. Cannabinoids can be an effective chronic pain treatment for some people. Numerous studies and claims show that the right medicinal cannabis product can ease chronic pain, making daily life a lot easier.
Another reason that CBD is a good option for those who seek treatment for chronic non-cancer pain is because it isn't addictive. Current research suggests that CBD, the primary cannabinoid used to ease chronic pain symptoms, is not addictive and doesn't pose a risk for dependence and abuse.
Does Medicinal Cannabis Cure Chronic Pain?
While medicinal cannabis has been reported to ease the symptoms of chronic pain (for some people), it doesn't cure it. Remember, there is no one drug or medicine that will eliminate chronic pain. The goal of these medicines is to make sure the pain doesn't reach an extent where you can't comfortably live your normal life.
When using medicinal cannabis products, you may be able to ease the symptoms of chronic pain. A Doctor may prescribe these medications to help manage the symptoms of chronic pain syndrome, but it is important to remember that unfortunately, cannabinoid medications are not a cure.
To really make it more manageable for you to live with chronic pain, you need to approach it from multiple angles. So, aside from taking medicinal cannabis and other medications for the symptoms, it's ideal to pair it with physical therapy and everything else the Doctor recommends.
Conclusion
Developing chronic pain can hurt and also get in the way of your regular life. Medical cannabis treatments should be considered for the treatment of chronic pain when opioid treatments have been unsuccessful. While medical cannabis treatments are new to Australian patients, medical cannabis products are showing significant potential to assist ease the symptoms of chronic pain. Again, the evidence isn't conclusive just yet, but there are patients that claim that using a medicinal cannabis product did aid with their nerve pain and chronic pain.
Medicinal cannabis can be a great alternative to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and opioids for people who are looking for other treatments for their health conditions.
To get medicinal cannabis products, you can head to our website to start the online consultation. On the website, you can start with the pre-screening right away and schedule a virtual appointment with a Doctor to discuss the options available. From there, all you have to do is wait for the products to arrive right at your door!