Using Cannabis for Pain Management

Many people in the United States suffer from what is called chronic pain. Chronic pain is an extremely broad category of physical conditions and encompasses a lot of different ailments, but the main thing about chronic pain is that it does not really go away on its own. By definition, chronic pain is here to stay. That’s what makes it so debilitating and so hard to deal with. Over the past few years, there has been a bigger push for patients with chronic pain to be able to use medical marijuana in the United States. 

The reason for this is because chronic pain can be very hard to manage with over-the-counter drugs. Prescription medications can also have some very bad side effects, including addiction. In fact, the reason there is such an opioid epidemic going on in the United States is because of people trying to treat different types of pain that they are experiencing. So can cannabis be effectively used to treat pain? Keep reading to find out! By the end of this article, I hope that you will be able to think more positively about using cannabis for treating different health conditions. Remember that medical marijuana is available in about 39 states in America, and each of those states have their own qualifying health conditions that you must be able to pass. 

Medical marijuana has long been used to treat chronic pain conditions. However, the problem is that there has been such a bad stigma surrounding cannabis for far too long. Many people still think of marijuana as an illegal, dangerous substance that will kill your brain cells and make you poor. Luckily, these stigmas are starting to change (slowly but surely). While there are not a whole lot of clinical studies that support using medical marijuana for chronic pain management, it has proven time and time again for medical patients to be an effective way of relieving some of their pain. So what about cannabis makes it such an effective treatment for pain? Well, it comes down to the cannabinoid compounds that are from the cannabis plant. When these compounds interact with the chemicals in our brain, they are super effective at treating our pain and helping us to relax. In fact, medical marijuana can be used very often without some of the nasty side effects that are associated with other pain management medications. If you or someone you know is dealing with chronic pain, you have come to the right place. I am going to tell you about some of the best marijuana strains available on the market today for dealing with pain.

This first strain is one that I have brought up several times in my other blogs. White Widow is one of the best strains for dealing with chronic pain, but it is definitely not for beginners. White Widow is an indica dominant hybrid that is extremely potent in THC. Are you wondering why it’s called the White Widow? It is due to how the cannabis buds have crystalized into a weird, but unique white color. This strain is great for relieving pain symptoms as well as calming your mind and body. It will help you to feel more relaxed and at ease both mentally and physically, and it will also help you fall asleep at night if you are having trouble with that. Another strain that is great for treating chronic pain is called Blueberry. This strain has been around for a really long time - since the 70s! It is one of the most notable marijuana strains and is great for pain management due to its high THC and CBD content. 

Cannabis and Panic Attacks

Cannabis is something that people may use to help relax and feel better, but for some people, it can actually do the opposite, and make you feel more anxious.  This is something that some people feel, and it’s important to understand that it can happen.

Can cannabis create this 

Cannabis has a ton of terpenes and cannabinoids. The thing with cannabis is that it’s not just a singular medicine, which is why you can use it for a lot of things. It’s not a one-size-fits-all approach either.

One thing about THC though, is that if you take too much, it can cause other effects that you don't want to deal with. Have you ever experienced a medication that makes you anxious? That's similar to how cannabis can make you feel.  If you’re dealing with this, you might want to try another strain or medication dosage. 

The correlation of such 

There are different cannabinoids that are great for reducing stress.  The presence and the usage of 22-AG for example, can help with this, and there are different neurotransmitters that help with this. While we may not know the reason for the anxiety spikes in those that use cannabis, some research has found that there may be a link in 2=AG itself. They found that it does stimulate similar types of receptors, and usually, it reduces the connections of anxiety in these brain regions. 

Cannabis is something that might hold a possible key that’ll help with creating different medications that can help with mood disorders and even normal anxiety.

THC is your main psychoactive component, and it can cause different effects.  One thing that happens, is that THC may cause a sudden effect on the amygdala, which is responsible for anxiety, depression, stress, and even worry. 

So can Cannabis cause this? 

Well, some studies show that cannabis can help with anxiety, and also can help those who have tried Paxil and Zoloft actually reduce their anxiety, along with the depression. It works to help with this, in ways that regular antidepressants can. The side effects of antidepressants are hard for people to manage, and they can take a long time for it to work, and don’t offer symptoms that improve people’s lives. Cannabis does cause anxiety in some people, but ultimately, this is dependent on the strain.

If you’re someone with an anxiety disorder, you want to stay away from those strains that are high in THC, but instead get something with more CBD in this, as this one actually has anxiolytic properties that you can take advantage of, and it works better than most. 

Some studies have found that CBD actually is really good for social anxiety, and it can help with chronic pain, so combining this is actually good for you.

Cannabis Anxiety Disorders 

There are some people who do get anxiety disorders and triggers through the use of cannabis. With cannabis becoming a more popular substance than ever before, people are using this to treat different problems. Those who have too high of a dosage can cause people to experience major issues, including anxiety.  With this, if you start to deal with this, the doctor may prescribe a break. 

This is one that's still being studied, but usually, if you’re using too much, to the point where you feel distress or impairment in some settings, you can start to feel this anxiety, until you stop taking this. The symptoms can be severe, but if you stop using it, they typically go away.

Cannabis can help, but you have to be mindful if you have anxiety due to the effects of this that can linger.