Chronic pain can be difficult to navigate. The key to dealing with chronic pain is pain management, but some solutions leave more to be desired, especially in the realm of medication. If it’s legal recreationally or medically where you live, medical marijuana may be a useful addition to your current pain management strategy. Let’s take a look at five ways medical marijuana can help someone with chronic pain.
1. It Reduces the Risks Associated With Other Treatment Options
Certain pain medications like opioids are effective at treating pain, but they also come with the risk of dependency and addiction. A high dose of opioids, especially as it pertains to opioids that are designed to be stronger and more effective, could prove fatal as well. In contrast, medical marijuana can be an equally effective and safer alternative that allows you to experience pain relief without the increased risk of addiction or overdose. You can talk to a medical marijuana doctor to learn more about the benefits of medical marijuana and why it may be a better choice than prescription opioids over the long term.
2. It May Slow Pain Impulses and Offers Anti-Inflammatory Benefits
Medical marijuana is often prescribed to those with pain because studies support the belief that medical marijuana can slow impulses. While more research needs to be done to draw definitive conclusions, evidence points to medical marijuana being an effective pain relief treatment, and it may even offer anti-inflammatory benefits for those with chronic pain tied to an autoimmune disease.
3. It Can Improve Overall Quality of Life
The one thing to remember is that medical marijuana is that it offers benefits beyond just pain relief. Those who have taken medical marijuana to help them cope with chronic pain appreciate it for its ability to improve their mood, help them function more effectively in day-to-day life, and allow them to feel better overall. A good pain management solution shouldn’t just help you reduce pain; it should help you lessen its impact overall, which medical marijuana seems to be quite effective at doing.
4. It Comes in Numerous Forms
The one issue with some pain management treatments is that there’s only one way to take them, which isn’t always ideal. Medical marijuana, on the other hand, is quite versatile. If you appreciate fast effects and you’re on other medications that are metabolized through the liver, you can always smoke your medical marijuana. If you don’t like smoking, and there’s nothing stopping you from consuming your medical marijuana, you could always try edibles instead. No matter which option you feel will be most suitable for you, you have plenty of choices with medical marijuana.
5. It May Be Useful for Multiple Forms of Chronic Pain
There are different types of chronic pain that people face. Some may be related to injuries, while others may be caused by nerve pain. If you experience the latter, will medical marijuana work for you? The evidence seems to suggest so. Medical marijuana has shown promise in reducing the impact of chronic neuropathic pain, making it a viable treatment option for multiple types of chronic pain.
Medical marijuana is an oft-overlooked treatment option for chronic pain. If you struggle with chronic pain, speak to your doctor about using medical marijuana for pain treatment moving forward.