4 Benefits Of Medical Marijuana For Chronic Back Pain

Health & Medical Blog

Back pain is a very common complaint and has many possible causes, such as spinal diseases, stress from excess weight, etc. However, chronic non-specific back pain can be harder to treat since there may not be an attributable root cause. If you are struggling with managing spasms, pain, and other symptoms related to your back pain, you may want to reach out to your doctor about medical marijuana. Here are four benefits of medical marijuana for back pain.

It Helps Reduce a Dependence on Opioids

One problem with treating chronic back pain is that patients may develop a tolerance to their current dosage or be at risk for opioid dependence. WebMD outlines two studies that found that people who took medical marijuana for their back pain ended up taking fewer painkillers or stopping them completely. Although medical marijuana is a newer treatment method and long-term follow-up is lacking, one study found that it had an appropriate side effect profile and was effective at treating back pain.

It Helps Reduce Inflammation

Chronic back pain may be inflammatory in nature, which is different than biomechanical back pain. Biomechanical back pain is usually caused by issues with vertebrae, discs, and spinal joints. Inflammatory back pain may be associated with diseases, or the underlying cause may be unknown. Medical marijuana can help reduce immune-signaling proteins called cytokines. When cytokine production is disrupted, symptoms of inflammation may decrease.  

You Have More Choices with Dosing

Marijuana has many different strains, so adjustments can be made to cover a variety of back pain symptoms. Heavy tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) strains seem to work best at relieving pain, whereas Cannabidiol (CBD) works best for relieving inflammatory symptoms like swelling or muscle stiffness. However, heavy THC causes more psychoactive effects, so patients may opt for a combination of THC and CBD for different times of day.

There is Flexibility with Administration

With other medications, you may be restricted in the administration methods. For instance, one analgesic may only come in tablet form even though you may prefer a topical. One benefit of medical marijuana is that there are multiple administration methods, such as tinctures, vaping, edibles, topicals, and juice. The Jerusalem Post says provides some pros and cons of each method. For instance, sublingual administration may be more helpful for people that need to stick with a strict dosing regimen, while inhaled THC-rich marijuana may provide more relief to certain back pain symptoms.

Reach out to health and medical provider or a dispensary such as GoodBlend to learn more.

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24 January 2023