Medical Marijuana and Pain Management

The use of medical marijuana has been a controversial subject for a long time. Although, in 2016, medical marijuana was legalized in Florida under severe terms and conditions.

Medical marijuana doctors in Florida have claimed that medical marijuana can potentially benefit patients suffering from chronic pains and different health conditions. That is why researchers are doing more research to make medical marijuana more legitimate because of the uncertainty of the situation. 

Some pains seem to never go away regardless of regular medicine intake. For which, the potential pain-relieving qualities of medical marijuana have drawn the attention and hence the usage. 

There are three types of chronic pains:

  1. Neuropathic Pain.
  2. Nociceptive Pain. 
  3. Central Pain. 

Medical marijuana is believed to possibly help in treating the aforementioned pains. Let us discuss how.

Does Medical Marijuana Treat Neuropathic Pain?

Neuropathic pain is considered difficult to treat. 7% – 10% of the entire population becomes the victim of neuropathic pain. Emerging from the damaged region to the entire nervous system, neuropathic pain is majorly the result of severe injury, stabbing, or pinching ultimately damaging the nerves. There are diseases notoriously known for causing neuropathic pain including Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, and HIV.

At times, Chemotherapy also causes neuropathic pain as the method damages a lot of cells in the patient’s body. Since neuropathic pain is not the consequence of inflammation that is why anti-inflammatory drugs cannot be used to treat it. Due to this reason, medical marijuana is a prospective source by doctors to cure neuropathic pain. 

The patients are turning to medical marijuana for pain management as it seems to be the probable option for their wellness. Medical marijuana may help cure non-chemotherapy type of pain too. Sciatica is one of the examples of non-chemotherapy pain type. CB1 receptors when activated cause Sciatica. To cure this, medical marijuana is suggested by doctors as it may reduce the intensity of pain signals in the backbone and its functions in the brain. 

Does Medical Marijuana Treat Nociceptive Pain?

Nociceptive pain is the cause of tissue damage. It is an inflammatory pain defined as a sharp ache or thumping ache. The general method to treat nociceptive pain is by softening or reducing the pain signals and blocking the inflammation it radiates. Another method is to weaken the effect while they are moving to the brain via the spinal cord.

Medical marijuana is said to possibly help in achieving both the target methods. The natural components of medical marijuana CBD and THC possess a very strong anti-inflammatory property to simmer down the pain. Although, after some time of taking medical marijuana, the pain-relief property and the soothing effect may not be the same. It happens when a body is used to the consumption of THC. 

To avoid this, THC and CBD are advised by medical marijuana specialists in Florida to be consumed in a balanced way for long-term pain management. 

Does Medical Marijuana Treat Central Pain? 

Central pain is an umbrella term for all the pains that are radiated from dysfunction to the nervous system. At times central pain is caused by injuries, more often than not it emerges because of unknown reasons. For which, it is listed as a difficult pain to treat. 

One of the examples of central pain is Fibromyalgia because like many pains the foundation of Fibromyalgia is not known. Central pains are diverse and are still under the research process for obvious reasons. 

Medical marijuana became possibly helpful when treating central pains. It was observed during a research that Fibromyalgia patients felt considerable relief in their pains when they consumed medical marijuana. It implies that medical marijuana may be the source of pain management for central pain originating from unidentified regions.

Health Conditions That Qualify the Use of Medical Marijuana. 

The specialists have discussed a list of few conditions that qualify the use of medical marijuana only if a patient possesses a medical marijuana card in Florida. You can only get the card from the health department of Florida if you have previously tried all possible treatments and have proof to justify that. 

The health conditions for medical marijuana include: 

  • Depression 
  • Multiple sclerosis 
  • Alzheimer’s
  • ADHD
  • Dementia 
  • Cerebral Palsy
  • Arthritis 
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Diabetes
  • Severe Nausea 
  • Muscle spasm
  • Migraine Headaches 
  • Anorexia
  • Seizures or Epilepsy
  • Cancer
  • Glaucoma
  • PTSD
  • Parkinsons
  • Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
  • HIV/AIDS

Patients may use medical marijuana for other health issues such as terminal conditions and other diagnostics. You can contact MMJ Health to gain more information regarding medical marijuana, its usage, and laws in Florida. Do you want to assess if you qualify for medical marijuana? Fill out our qualification form now.