Medical Marijuana and Chronic Pain

If you suffer from severe, chronic pain, you’ve no doubt tried just about every drug and therapy on the market to get some relief. Chronic pain is the name given to any pain that’s lasted for more than 12 weeks, reports the National Institutes of Health, and can persist for months or even years. Approximately 100 million Americans suffer from acute and chronic pain.

Here, we’ll take a look at medical cannabis for chronic pain. Does medical pot help treat chronic pain conditions? If so, what strains of marijuana are best to use? If you’re new to the world of medical cannabis, or even if you’re not, we’ll provide you with information to help you make an informed decision on whether or not medical cannabis for chronic pain could help treat you.

What Is Chronic Pain and How Can It Affect You?

Chronic pain is a state in which pain persists beyond the usual course of an acute disease or healing of an injury, or that may or may not be associated with an acute or chronic pathologic process that causes continuous or intermittent pain over months or years. Research has shown that medical cannabis for chronic pain can be an effective method of treatment that is far safer than many other options.

Chronic pain is an often-incapacitating condition that affects every aspect of your life. It can make the simplest of activities, such as buttoning your shirt or tying your shoes, a struggle. Over time, the condition takes its toll, and you can find yourself becoming down and depressed due to your constant struggle with your pain.

If you sustain an injury, an acute and sudden pain is a normal physical sensation triggered within your nervous system to alert you that something is wrong. Contrastingly, chronic pain is persistent. Perhaps there was an initial illness or injury that brought on your chronic pain. You may have suffered from a severe infection or injury, or there could be an ongoing cause of this pain, such as cancer, fibromyalgia or arthritis. Alternatively, there may be no definitive cause.

Pain signals may be firing within your nervous system for weeks, months and even years, and older people are often afflicted. Because the ability to withstand chronic pain is typically subjective and personal, it can be impossible to measure. Your doctor must rely on your words and a description of the pain, often using a pain scale, to evaluate you.

When you’re in constant pain for a length of time, it can have a significantly detrimental effect on your emotional and psychological health, too. You may feel cut off from your friends and family as you’re no longer able to take part in activities you once enjoyed. You may always be exhausted as sleep is difficult due to physical discomfort. You may also be unable to hold down a job and consequently find you can no longer afford your usual standard of living.

If you suffer from chronic pain, medical marijuana could significantly alleviate your symptoms and improve your quality of life. Research has shown that medical cannabis for chronic pain can be an effective method of treatment that is far safer than many other options.