Medical Marijuana for Chronic Pain

Are you looking for more natural treatment options for your chronic pain? Then it could be time to consider medical marijuana. In fact, recent studies show that the majority of people using medical marijuana (over 62%) rely on it to treat chronic pain.

At Florida Pain Management Institute, Adam Shestack, Cy Blanco, Joshua Powers, and the skilled medical team takes a comprehensive approach to chronic pain management. After identifying and healing the cause of your chronic pain, we put together a strategy to help you control it with more natural options, including medical marijuana.

Using marijuana as medicine

When people think of marijuana, it’s often in the context of a recreational drug that may or may not be legal, depending on where you live. However, marijuana — or cannabis — has been around for more than 5,000 years, and evidence shows medicinal usage around 400 AD. 

In more recent years, the therapeutic use of marijuana has grown, and more and more states are legalizing it for medical purposes each year, including Connecticut, if not for recreational use. 

One thing that sets marijuana apart as a therapeutic treatment is the cannabinoid compounds it contains. The two you may be familiar with are CBD and THC.

THC

THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) is a chemical that stimulates cannabinoid receptors in your brain. This process activates the reward systems in the area and reduces pain. It’s also the component that creates a euphoric state of mind, or “high.”

CBD

CBD (cannabidiol) also interacts with pain receptors in your brain, bringing pain relief and anti-inflammatory benefits. However, CBD doesn’t produce the same euphoric state of mind as THC.

When they’re used for medicinal purposes, our team recommends different forms or combinations of THC and CBD to manage specific health conditions, like chronic pain.

Medical marijuana for chronic pain

Chronic pain is a serious and widespread issue. An estimated 50 million adults in the United States live with some form of chronic pain. This total surpasses the number of people with heart disease, cancer, and diabetes combined.

Fortunately, because of the way THC and CBD stimulate the brain’s cannabinoid receptors, medical marijuana offers numerous benefits for pain relief, and it comes with fewer side effects.

It’s also safe to use medical marijuana even if you can’t take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as Advil® or Aleve®, because of ulcers, GERD, or kidney problems.

But the best part? Medical marijuana also provides a safer option than addictive opioids. Not only is it less habit-forming, but 81% of respondents in a study said it was more effective alone than when used with opioids. Further, 97% said they could decrease their opioid use while using medical marijuana.

A few pain conditions that respond to medical marijuana include:

• Joint pain
• Neuropathy
• Muscle spasms
• Fibromyalgia
• Multiple sclerosis
• Gynecological problems, like endometriosis
• Cancer pain

Remember, this is by no means a complete list. Medical marijuana can also help numerous conditions beyond those causing pain, including many chronic diseases, glaucoma, and insomnia. 

Want to learn more about medical marijuana? Make an appointment today at one of our Florida Pain Management Institute offices in Delray Beach or Boynton Beach, Florida, to find a treatment and help you get relief.