Check Out Medical Marijuana and Back Pain Guide
While the researchers are shading more light and making it easy to understand everything about back pain, the lack of lasting treatment modalities is the main concern. Experts have identified the difficulty in meaning non-surgical back pain as the basic factor contributing to this opioid epidemic. The struggle continues despite the tremendous legislative effort to cut or curb the trends. Studies show that managing post-operative pain remains difficult for spine surgery patients. Like most surgeries, experts associate spine surgery with musculoskeletal tissue damage. Furthermore, several cases of post-operative neurologic manifestation can also result in these disabling pain perceptions. Besides substantial patient distress, inadequate pain control can inhibit optimal early and post-surgical recovery.
Back Pain Statistics
The American Chiropractic Association shows that:
● More than 31,000 individuals in the United States suffer lower back pains at different stages of their life.
● Half of the American worker reports back pain symptoms annually
● 80% of the United States population usually have back pain at a certain stage in their life
Furthermore, the Bone and Joint Program reports that:
● The United States loses approximately $253 billion yearly due to the cost of back pain treatment and loss of work
● Approximately 10% of the total hospital and emergency room visits comprise neck and back pain
These back pain statistics show how common and serious this spinal injury condition can become. Furthermore, the statistics illustrate the debilitating effect the condition presents on society and individuals. The statistics are even worse in industrial countries, as most reports that 60-70% of individuals suffer back or neck pain at a given point.
Let’s look at the primary causes of back pains:
● Sciatica
● Simple sprain or strain
● Arthritis
● Scoliosis
● Bulging disc
● Osteoporosis
● Ruptured disc
Despite the numerous treatment alternatives, experts reveal that pills to alleviate nerve pain, anti-inflammatories, injection therapy, antidepressants, and addictive medications, like antidepressants & narcotics, offer conventional treatment options. Remember, when suffering from back pains, you may require surgery to alleviate the conditions, resulting in further issues. Fortunately, most individuals or patients are taking medical cannabis therapy to alleviate their back pain.
What is the Effectiveness of Medical Marijuana as a Back Pain Solution?
Research shows that medical marijuana has become a better alternative to traditional therapies. For instance, traditional therapies can result in numerous side effects, such as stomach upset, ulcers, gastric bleeding, and nausea. Nevertheless, medical cannabis doesn’t come with these adverse effects. Let’s look at the ways medical cannabis can help you alleviate your back pain:
● Medical marijuana reduces your back pain to a better point, allowing you to live an active life.
● It keeps you off from possible addictive and dangerous medications, ensuring that you have a better or improved quality of life.
● Medical cannabis will help reduce or eliminate various symptoms of chronic back pain, like anxiety, depression, insomnia, etc.
● The treatment is natural and free from any chemicals.
The University of Colorado conducted a study involving 200 patients with lower back pain. This pain results from various conditions or issues related to degenerative changes. The study revealed that 80% of the patients got moderate pain relief after using medical marijuana, while 81% claimed the treatment therapy was better and safer than narcotic medication. The researchers allowed the patients to consume medical cannabis once or twice daily.
Currently, most individuals and experts believe that you can achieve the best results or remedy by applying the appropriate pain relief therapies, such as "Enhanced Recovery After Surgery,’ and combining them with other common effective therapies. Unfortunately, most patients rely on opioid analgesic therapies to alleviate their back pain. Long-term usage of opioids causes various undesirable and well-documented adverse effects, like drug abuse, addiction, and habituation. With the rising concerns about opioids in the US and worldwide, medics hope to look for alternative safe pain management modalities for non-surgical and surgical back pain.
Utilizing marijuana to treat and improve your back pain is gradually increasing worldwide among the general population. Studies show that this therapy uses a proper endocannabinoid pain modulation mechanism independent of how opiates operate. The independent nature of the treatment mechanism makes cannabinoids a potentially attractive adjunct medication to manage your back pain and help you reduce the overreliance on opiates.
Cannabis helps manage your back pain through the endocannabinoid system that uses CB1 and CB2 receptors. You can find CB1 receptors in your peripheral and central neurons, whereas CB2 receptors occur in the immune cells. They believe that CB1 receptors work by modulating neurotransmitters to release and stimulate pain transduction, while CB2 receptors help modulate cytokine release. Cytokine release is vital in modulating the body’s peripheral neuropathic process. In addition, Delta-9tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is one of the major psychoactive cannabis components that activates the Central Nervous System’s CB1 receptors. Studies in animals have proved that exogenous cannabinoids and endocannabinoids suppress nociceptive transmission. The suppression of nociceptive transmission occurs both centrally and peripherally in the posterior horn of your spinal cord, leading to the isolation of approximately 66 different cannabinoids. Additionally, the system produces various synthetic cannabinoids, like dronabinol and nabilone. Among the numerous cannabinoids, THC is popular, and studies show it ranks as the best-utilized cannabinoid in the population.
Reports show that individuals started utilizing medical cannabis as early as 1975. Despite the first report of using this medical therapy in 1975, individuals experienced its medical properties as early as 400 AD. Reports show that California became the first state in the US to legalize the medical use of marijuana in 1996. Approximately 35 states have legalized medical cannabis in their respective jurisdictions, with experts projecting the number to rise soon. The widespread medical cannabis among patients and medics corresponds with the increasing interest in understanding the therapy's analgesic properties. A recent meta-analysis presents evidence that when having most randomized control trials, there is the existence of significant analgesic effects that favor marijuana over placebo alternatives for non-cancer pain treatment or management. The therapies provide the best alternative with little to no side effects.
Furthermore, many individuals report medical cannabis as a productive alternative in reducing pain resulting from various conditions' progressions, such as rheumatoid, fibromyalgia, cancer, and multiple sclerosis. We've got growing evidence of the treatment therapy being effective in supporting or mitigating non-surgical back pain. Nevertheless, medics and patients provide mixed assessments when using marijuana for post-operative pain relief. With the increase in medical cannabis treatment success for alleviating pain, it's evident that it's an effective alternative to alleviate your neck or non-surgical back pain management. The therapy is more effective in managing post-operative pain after spinal fusion surgery. Researchers performed formal Systematic Reviews to assess the potential of cannabis in helping alleviate spine-related pain. The goal of this review was to evaluate medical cannabis' efficacy in alleviating pain in spinal surgery patients. This review focuses on patients with chronic neck and lower back pain or those with previous SCI pain or spinal cord injury.
What are the Back Pain Symptoms that Medical Marijuana can Treat?
Studies reveal that medical marijuana effectively alleviates numerous back pain symptoms, as the conditions come with numerous symptoms. Below are some back pain symptoms that medical cannabis can alleviate:
Muscle spasms and pains
Medical cannabis helps to alleviate muscle spasms. Studies reveal that inhaling marijuana results in a 45% reduction of pain intensity after 20 minutes. The therapy is more effective when dealing with lower back spasms. Remember, most states have included muscle spasms as a qualifying condition for medical cannabis. For instance, the Pennsylvania MMJ program approved the therapy for:
● Severe intractable or chronic pain
● Severe intractable or chronic neuropathic pain
Vomiting and nausea
Cannabis has been an effective therapy for reducing vomiting and nausea in most patients. Medics commonly prescribe traditional medications, such as opioids, to treat lower back pain and other debilitating conditions. These medications have various side effects, including nausea and vomiting. With marijuana being a popular remedy for pain and nausea, many patients prefer it to other back pain medications. More so, medical marijuana effectively reduces depression, anxiety, and improves sleep that may result from chronic pain.
Most states in the US have approved medical cannabis to help patients alleviate vomiting and nausea. Most cancer patients have considered marijuana for a long time to improve their appetite and for its antiemetic properties to reduce the chemotherapy’s side effects.
Inflammation
Cannabis has various strong anti-inflammatory properties. These properties make cannabis vital in treating inflammation resulting from various conditions, like degenerative changes, arthritis, and changes in the thoracic, cervical, and lumbar spine. Studies show that most neck or back pains usually occur due to degenerative spine changes. Most patients are switching to cannabis to alleviate their inflammation.
Appropriate Ways to Use Medical Cannabis to Alleviate Back Pain
You can use marijuana topically or internally to alleviate your pain. Below are some of the appropriate methods for using medical cannabis.
Inhalation
It involves vaping or smoking cannabis. Studies show it produces fast and instant effects, approximately within 1-2 minutes.
Raw juice
You can incorporate marijuana into your diet by supplementing it with juice. Using raw marijuana juice allows you to reduce pain without experiencing any psychoactive effects.
Tinctures
You consume marijuana by placing the tincture under your tongue or swallowing. Tinctures offer quicker or instant results as the mucosal membranes enhance faster absorption.
Edibles
Marijuana edibles produce a slower response as the body needs to absorb the components from the gut. Despite the slower response, these consumption mechanisms provide long-term results and relief, enhancing a proper psychotropic effect. Studies show that taking edible relief may take approximately one hour before you feel the effect.
Topicals
Experts reveal that this mechanism of consumption results in a different effect. The therapy localizes the absorption to the injury sites. Topicals allow you to ramp the marijuana use based on your desired effects.
Marijuana Strains Effective For Back Pain
Cannabis has numerous strains which work differently among patients resulting in varying symptoms. For instance, strains rich in THC are effective in relieving pain, and CBD-rich strains help alleviate inflammation. Nevertheless, THC-rich strains have more psychoactive effects. Importantly, you can consider using low THC and high CBD strains during the day, allowing you to remain functional, and switching to low CBD / high THC strains at night to improve your sleep.
Below are some of the proven medical cannabis strains to reduce your back pain:
● Bubba Kush (Indica)-contains 22% THC and 0.1 % CBD, making it effective for decreasing muscle spasms and stress
● Candyland (Sativa) - this strain contains 24% THC and 1% of CBN & CBD. It’s a good strain for reducing tension and muscle spasms or pain. Furthermore, its stimulating effect makes it appropriate for alleviating fatigue.
● OG Kush (Indica) - this strain contains 23% THC and approximately 1% CBD. Experts reveal that it’s the best alternative for reducing muscle spasms and offering pain relief.
● ACDC (Sativa) - ACDC is an appropriate strain rich in CBD and low THC. It comes with 1.2% THC and 24% CBD, making it the best strain to make you more functional during the day, with fewer or zero psychoactive side effects.
Possible Side Effects of Using Cannabis For Back Pain
Despite marijuana being one of the most effective back pain therapies, it has various possible adverse effects. Importantly, most effects are mild and usually subside after the treatment or medication wears off. However, it’ll be vital to sit with your medical physician to help you understand these side effects and how to control them. Below are the possible side effects when using marijuana for your back pain or other conditions:
Redness of the eyes
It's a common complaint among most patients. This side effect isn’t harmful; you can treat it using appropriate eye drops like Visine.
Short-term memory loss
It's a temporary adverse effect that subsides after the medication wears off from the body. Depending on the strain and dosage, some patients are likely more susceptible to the effect than others.
Heightened sensory perception
It's a possible side effect that impacts a patient’s hearing, eyesight, and sense of smell or taste.
Fatigue
Fatigue is a common side effect of taking high THC strains. You can avoid the side effects by balancing the treatment with a low THC strain.
Getting Medical Cannabis For Back Pain
Talking to a qualified and licensed MMJ doctor will be appropriate if you suffer severe back pain. The physician will educate you about medical marijuana therapy and recommend the appropriate options. The medical practitioner will assess your symptoms, perform a full evaluation and provide you with a diagnosis and recommendation for using medical marijuana.
Afterward, the State of Pennsylvania will provide you with the MMJ card. The card allows you to shop for the best MMJ products from your preferred state dispensaries.
You can contact any HappyMD locations near you for immediate evaluation in case the pain interferes with your routine life. The platform or service center will help provide the best treatment therapy to alleviate the pain, enhance your functions and improve the quality of your life.
Benefits of MMJ Card for Back Pain
Despite most states legalizing recreational and medical marijuana, getting an MMJ card will be vital when using the therapy to alleviate your chronic back ache. Let’s look at the benefits of the MMJ card for back pain:
Allows legal access to the products
The federal government maintains its stance that marijuana is illegal in the country. However, getting a valid MMJ card allows you to legally obtain and possess medical marijuana for your back pains without legal issues.
Enhances access to a wide varieties
Marijuana has various varieties and strains, with different THC and CBD content. The authorities restrict access to certain strains when purchasing without an MMJ card. Nevertheless, having an MMJ card allows you to have access to a wide variety of strains, choosing the best one for your back aches.
Cheap products
Most states place high taxes on marijuana products, as some have up to 31% tax on these products. However, having the MMJ card allows you to access medical marijuana to cheap medical cannabis products for your backaches as the state waives taxes on these products.
Lower age limits
Most MMJ programs limit access to marijuana to individuals above 21 years. Nevertheless, getting medical marijuana allows even minors to access medical marijuana to alleviate back aches and related symptoms.
Allows access to THC-rich strains
Studies show that THC is vital in alleviating chronic back pain. With authorities restricting or limiting access to THC-rich strains due to their psychoactive effects, getting an MMJ card will allow you to obtain these products easily. These strains will provide long-term effects in alleviating lower back pain and related symptoms.
Does Medical cannabis Alleviate Back Pain?
Research has shown marijuana offers potential positive effects in alleviating chronic and back pain. The therapy has become key in pain management, as it allows patients to get relief and stay away from addictive and harmful opiates. Medical marijuana effectively reduces inflammation and relieves pain, making it key for managing chronic backaches. Patients using medical marijuana to treat their back pain have reported a significant reduction in pain. Furthermore, these patients enjoy less reliance on addictive medications, decreased depression, mood improvement, alleviation of insomnia, relief from anxiety resulting from severe pain, and improved overall quality of life.
Medical cannabis for back aches
Evidence proves that marijuana can alleviate pain. Despite marijuana's ability to work alone to alleviate pain, some individuals experience the best results by combining it with other therapies or medication. Some studies have shown that medical cannabis helps reduce nausea and feelings resulting from chronic pain, allowing patients to live a normal lifestyle. American for Safe Access also reports that inhaling medical cannabis enhances better absorptions, which results in better results and relief.
Frequently Asked Questions on Medical Marijuana and Back Pain
Can I receive medical cannabis for backaches?
Many states don’t state back pain as a direct qualifying condition. Nevertheless, your doctor can qualify severe back aches as a qualifying condition after a full consultation and evaluation. Remember, most state MMJ programs allow chronic pain as a qualifying condition.
What is the appropriate cannabis dosage for backaches?
Dosage varies with the individual, allowing you to take various doses or adjustments before finding the appropriate dose to alleviate your condition. Focusing on the different formulations that maximize inflammation reduction will be beneficial when looking for the appropriate dose for your back pain. Ensure you discuss the dosage with your doctor or visit the MMTC’s dosing information website to learn more about the proper dosage.
Which method of ingesting marijuana works best for severe backaches?
Studies show that any marijuana dosage is effective for alleviating backaches. The appropriate choice to suit your needs depends on your preferences. However, the primary difference between ingested and inhaled medical marijuana is that inhaled marijuana works instantly and wears off faster. In contrast, ingested cannabis takes approximately 30 minutes to one hour for the effects but may last for long time, approximately 4-6 hours.
Between Indica and Sativa, which is the best alternative for back pain?
Experts reveal that hybrid marijuana, with equal THC, CBD, and terpenes (Caryophyllene or Pinene) content offers the best alternative for controlling inflammation and reducing pain.
What back pain symptoms does marijuana alleviate, and how does the medication work?
Severe backache is a complicated condition having a wide range of causes of symptoms. The ability to address several underlying symptoms as a single therapy or medication makes medical cannabis the best potential treatment alternative. This therapy uses various mechanisms to alleviate your back pain. Cannabis contains CBD, which helps with spasticity & inflammation, and THC blocks pain signals running to the brain. Ultimately, you can use medical cannabis to alleviate the following conditions associated with pain:
● Inflammation
● Nausea and vomiting
● Spasms or pains
How do I get medical cannabis for back pain?
The first of obtaining medical marijuana for any condition is booking an appointment with a licensed and certified physician to recommend the therapy.
Will medical cannabis alleviate spasms resulting from lower back pain?
Researchers reveal that medical marijuana has effectively relieved muscle spasms in most patients.
Between strains with lower and higher THC, which offers the best results for alleviating backaches?
Choosing appropriate strains is usually a personal decision, depending on the pain's root cause. You can consider high THC strains to provide more relief for nerve pain. A more balanced THC and CBD strain will be better for inflammatory pains. Additionally, you can consider Delta-8 THC for the best relief results. However, discussing the issue with your medical practitioner will be vital.
Can CBD alone alleviate my back ache?
CBD provides moderate inflammation relief, making it less appropriate to use CBD alone to treat severe backaches.
Medical Cannabis Physician Near Me
You can take a qualification survey or evaluation and book an appointment immediately at HappyMD if you or your loved one suffers from severe chronic pain and are interested in understanding how medical cannabis will help you alleviate the symptoms.
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