As more states are legalizing marijuana for medical purposes, consumer demand is growing as patients become more aware of the potential benefits of medical marijuana for different disorders and ailments such as chronic pain. If you are interested in learning more about medical marijuana access for persons with chronic pain, you can get your MMJ card in New York at TeleLeafRX.com.

Medical Marijuana Benefits for Patients with Chronic Pain

Medical marijuana is typically used to treat chronic pain problems such as fibromyalgia when pharmaceutical medications have failed to relieve the pain or have created negative side effects. It is frequently administered with cancer patients, where it can aid with appetite, discomfort, and ease chemotherapy side effects. 

It can also help with other diseases including anxiety and insomnia, where medical marijuana is often recommended since it gives relief with fewer effects than pharmaceutical treatment.

What is Chronic Pain?

Pain that lasts longer than three months, or in many circumstances, beyond the normal healing time, is referred to as chronic or persistent pain. It differs from acute pain, such as that caused by an injury, which arises fast and usually does not persist long.

Chronic pain is a complicated ailment that affects everyone differently. The pain can be slight to severe, and it occurs on a daily basis.

Causes of Chronic Pain

Chronic pain can take many forms, including nerve pain, pain caused by a bone, muscle, or joint disease, and pain caused by cancer.

Chronic pain can also be caused by disorders like migraines, osteoporosis, arthritis, and other musculoskeletal conditions, as well as injuries and surgeries. Chronic pain might often lead to a diagnosis by exclusion (IBS, Migraines, Fibromyalgia).

Nerves send messages from the injured portion of your body to the brain, informing the brain that something is wrong. These signals are interpreted by the brain as pain.

When a person has chronic pain, however, the nerves that transmit pain signals to the brain, as well as the brain itself, behave abnormally. It’s possible that the nerves are more sensitive than usual, or that the brain is misinterpreting other signals as pain.

If acute pain is left untreated or is poorly treated, it might turn into a chronic pain condition. The longer pain goes untreated, the more likely it is to become chronic.

Impact on Lifestyle with Chronic Pain

Chronic pain can make it difficult to work, care for yourself, and participate in activities that you enjoy. It might also have a negative impact on your sleep and emotions. Because of their suffering, more than half of American adults with chronic pain feel nervous or depressed. If this happens to you, it’s critical that you get help.

Improving your emotional health and wellbeing can help you manage your pain, just as pain can affect your mood.  Your physical pain and mental health are very much connected, and the two often work in tandem.  Creating great mental health moments, processing emotions, leads to a healthier body.

Treatment of Chronic Pain

Medicines aren’t the only way to deal with chronic pain. Other treatments, such as self-management, physical activity, and psychological approaches, will be required if you have chronic pain.

Chronic pain sufferers who actively manage their pain on a daily basis fare better than those who rely on passive interventions like medication or surgery. 

Below are a list of some ideas for mental health and physical health management:

  • Seeing a psychologist or using online self-help sites
  • Seeing a physiotherapist or exercise physiologist
  • Activity pacing
  • Relaxation techniques, such as meditation
  • Exercise such as walking, swimming, cycling or tai chi
  • Improving your sleep
  • Creating a healthy routine
  • Mindfulness

Medication

Medicines that can help with chronic pain management include:

  • Paracetamol – this highly effective pain reliever is generally used with other medications.
  • NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) – medications like ibuprofen and diclofenac may help, but use them in the smallest dose for the shortest duration feasible because they can have dangerous adverse effects.
  • Antidepressants, such as amitriptyline, which are commonly used to treat depression, can also relieve pain. Anticonvulsants or antiepileptic drugs can also regulate nerve pain.
  • Opioid pain relievers like morphine, fentanyl, oxycodone, or codeine may be provided for brief periods of time, but they are ineffective in persistent pain that is not caused by cancer. Opioids are addictive and can create long term symptoms greater than the ones you are treating the original chronic pain for.

Long-term opioid use can be dangerous, resulting in lethal overdoses, life-threatening respiratory issues, dependency, tolerance, and addiction.

Medical Marijuana as An Alternative Treatment for Chronic Pain

Medical Marijuana has been used to treat acute and chronic pain because of its ability to reduce pain.

According to a new study published in the journal Health Affairs, the majority of persons who use medical marijuana do so to relieve chronic pain. The findings of the study add to the growing body of evidence showing medical marijuana can be a more effective and safer treatment for chronic pain than prescription opioids.

You may receive your MMJ card in New York. Visit TeleLeafRX.com if you want to learn more about medical marijuana access for people with chronic pain.