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Meds Cannabis and Pain

momofthegoons

Vapor Accessory Addict
Staff member
IS CANNABIS THE BEST MEDICINE FOR CHRONIC PAIN?




Fact: pain severely impairs quality of life.

There are different kinds of pain. Broadly categorised, we can divide them into acute and chronic.

Acute pain is usually the result of tissue injury and is essential in alerting us that something is wrong. When pain persists beyond the expected time of healing, it becomes chronic or persistent pain.

Chronic pain is a very complex phenomenon made up of biological, psychological, and social components. While we do not know the exact figure for Malta, over 100 million people across Europe suffer from chronic pain.

When pain is persistent, it no longer reflects tissue injury and can become a severe burden for affected persons and their carers. Unfortunately, there are very few effective conventional analgesics (painkillers) for this type of pain. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are only recommended for short-term use as they can cause some serious side effects. Powerful alternatives exist but are opiate-based drugs such as morphine and codeine, which have even worse side effects. In high doses, opiates can even cause respiratory depression and death.

To manage chronic pain, an interdisciplinary approach is key. Diet and lifestyle changes are important to reduce triggers and improve mobility. Stress-reducing activities such as mindfulness meditation, yoga, and low impact exercise all help with reducing severity and impact of pain. Some cases may require more specialised interventions such as psychotherapy or psychiatric review. Despite this holistic, interdisciplinary approach, many patients with persistent pain still claim they are not well-controlled.

So is there any hope for these people? The answer is yes, there is and many already know about it: cannabis.

Cannabis has been used to manage pain for over 5,000 years, a history now backed by rigorous research. Despite these facts, the plant has been rarely used with this therapeutic aim.

The two main ingredients of cannabis are cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Marijuana is the the most effective drug in managing many types of persistent pain. Its mode of action, through the endocannabinoid system (ECS), and its ability to control various associated symptoms such as anxiety, depression, and insomnia make it an immensely valuable therapeutic tool.

The ECS is made up of nerves and receptors which communicate using endogenous cannabinoids produced by the body. This system of nerves and receptors is larger than all the other different systems of receptors put together, making it the most important system of neurotransmitters in the body. It is also responsible for controlling all of the other systems and maintaining homeostasis, our body’s balance.

Marijuana appears to be a promising source of painkillers. More studies need to be conducted to determine ideal dosing and delivery routes, yet no patients have ever experienced any major adverse events. On the other hand, opioids, the current gold standard for painkillers, have resulted in overdoses; the contrast is stark and it is time to act.

Pain
Chronic pain is an escalating public health problem affecting one in five people. Over the next decade this will increase to one in three because of a combination of population aging and the advancement of medical technology saving lives but leaving survivors coping with serious pain conditions.

Current analgesics or painkillers are inefficient in about 70% of patients.

According to one estimate, over 650,000 opioid prescriptions are dispensed each day in the US.

Chronic pain is often comorbid with emotional disorders such as anxiety and depression, suggesting alterations in neuronal brain processing.

Marijuana for pain relief
The cannabis plant contains a large number of compounds, of which 60 are cannabinoids. THC is principally responsible for the psychoactive effects.

When cannabis is smoked, only 25% of the THC content is adsorbed.

Medical marijuana also has a number of side effects, the more common among them being drowsiness, dizziness, dry mouth, and dysphoria. But while these are not pleasant side effects, administration of natural or synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists has shown therapeutic value for a number of important medical conditions including pain, anxiety, glaucoma, nausea, emesis, muscle spasms, epilepsy, and wasting diseases.


 
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If I don't have access to cannabis, I can hardly get out of bed my pain is so bad. I tend to ration what I have, and don't use as much as I need to. As a result, I'm in more pain than I should be. Not allowed to use NSAIDS or Tylenol. Puts me in a really bad situation. Trying to supplement with other herbs for pain like ginger root and Wild Lettuce.
 
IS CANNABIS THE BEST MEDICINE FOR CHRONIC PAIN?




Fact: pain severely impairs quality of life.

There are different kinds of pain. Broadly categorised, we can divide them into acute and chronic.

Acute pain is usually the result of tissue injury and is essential in alerting us that something is wrong. When pain persists beyond the expected time of healing, it becomes chronic or persistent pain.

Chronic pain is a very complex phenomenon made up of biological, psychological, and social components. While we do not know the exact figure for Malta, over 100 million people across Europe suffer from chronic pain.

When pain is persistent, it no longer reflects tissue injury and can become a severe burden for affected persons and their carers. Unfortunately, there are very few effective conventional analgesics (painkillers) for this type of pain. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are only recommended for short-term use as they can cause some serious side effects. Powerful alternatives exist but are opiate-based drugs such as morphine and codeine, which have even worse side effects. In high doses, opiates can even cause respiratory depression and death.

To manage chronic pain, an interdisciplinary approach is key. Diet and lifestyle changes are important to reduce triggers and improve mobility. Stress-reducing activities such as mindfulness meditation, yoga, and low impact exercise all help with reducing severity and impact of pain. Some cases may require more specialised interventions such as psychotherapy or psychiatric review. Despite this holistic, interdisciplinary approach, many patients with persistent pain still claim they are not well-controlled.

So is there any hope for these people? The answer is yes, there is and many already know about it: cannabis.

Cannabis has been used to manage pain for over 5,000 years, a history now backed by rigorous research. Despite these facts, the plant has been rarely used with this therapeutic aim.

The two main ingredients of cannabis are cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Marijuana is the the most effective drug in managing many types of persistent pain. Its mode of action, through the endocannabinoid system (ECS), and its ability to control various associated symptoms such as anxiety, depression, and insomnia make it an immensely valuable therapeutic tool.

The ECS is made up of nerves and receptors which communicate using endogenous cannabinoids produced by the body. This system of nerves and receptors is larger than all the other different systems of receptors put together, making it the most important system of neurotransmitters in the body. It is also responsible for controlling all of the other systems and maintaining homeostasis, our body’s balance.

Marijuana appears to be a promising source of painkillers. More studies need to be conducted to determine ideal dosing and delivery routes, yet no patients have ever experienced any major adverse events. On the other hand, opioids, the current gold standard for painkillers, have resulted in overdoses; the contrast is stark and it is time to act.

Pain
Chronic pain is an escalating public health problem affecting one in five people. Over the next decade this will increase to one in three because of a combination of population aging and the advancement of medical technology saving lives but leaving survivors coping with serious pain conditions.

Current analgesics or painkillers are inefficient in about 70% of patients.

According to one estimate, over 650,000 opioid prescriptions are dispensed each day in the US.

Chronic pain is often comorbid with emotional disorders such as anxiety and depression, suggesting alterations in neuronal brain processing.

Marijuana for pain relief
The cannabis plant contains a large number of compounds, of which 60 are cannabinoids. THC is principally responsible for the psychoactive effects.

When cannabis is smoked, only 25% of the THC content is adsorbed.

Medical marijuana also has a number of side effects, the more common among them being drowsiness, dizziness, dry mouth, and dysphoria. But while these are not pleasant side effects, administration of natural or synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists has shown therapeutic value for a number of important medical conditions including pain, anxiety, glaucoma, nausea, emesis, muscle spasms, epilepsy, and wasting diseases.
I took 800 mg of Advil (gel caps....my favorite) every night before bed for almost 9 years since a back injury and surgery. But I have been recently trying hard to not take it as its just not good for people with cardiac conditions (me) and its tough on the gut.

So, in the last couple of months I have been only taking it 2-3 nights a week rather than religiously.

But I end up hurting pretty good by 3 am or so.

Here is where the Enano comes in to play. Because I can leave it on all night long...I do. And when I just have to get up because of the pain, I vape a quick bowl and it let's me get back to sleep. The Nano is perfect for this.

I'm not sure that MJ kills pain or just makes it a bit removed and remote. It really seems like the later a good bit...still can tell it hurts, but its not immediate and in my face and when I'm high I don't give a hoot.

I am finding that for real pain relief and especially pain relief and sedation, I have to vape a good of herb. More than in the past as my back has continued to degenerate.

I have tried CBD oil (I have one small bottle and don't mean to indicate that this reflects on all forms and extractions of CBD) and it really didn't do anything for my neuropathic pain. when dispensaries are open by end of summer, I hope to try high CBD herb. Not low THC/high CBD but rather some 1:1 type weed. I'm hopeful that will be even more effective. Gosh...I would love high CBD combined with something that sedates like Bubba Kush. That would be very keen.
 
As of Feb 2017 I'm off 100% of prescription medications. I've been taking pain meds since 1985, and managed to get a decent amount of dependency on them. Fortunately I was able to keep things together work-wise. Right up until the hospitalizations started, and 'they' blamed a suspect allergy to either/both arthritis and pain medications.

Over 5 years my cannabis scrip has gone from 0.5, to 1. to 3, to 5 and now to 10 grams per day. Going through my most recent bloodwork and xrays show that things are much better now than they were 5 years ago.

All I'm taking is cannabis, mainly high THC indica, and also, over the past few months, a couple of tablespoons of CBD oil daily.

I can't understand why this stuff isn't an alternative for anyone with anything that sounds like auto-immune. CBD should be a vitamin supplement available to all, including pets.

@Vicki - I understand your pain. I wish this wasn't an issue for you. Hopefully it will change.
 
As of Feb 2017 I'm off 100% of prescription medications. I've been taking pain meds since 1985, and managed to get a decent amount of dependency on them. Fortunately I was able to keep things together work-wise. Right up until the hospitalizations started, and 'they' blamed a suspect allergy to either/both arthritis and pain medications.

Over 5 years my cannabis scrip has gone from 0.5, to 1. to 3, to 5 and now to 10 grams per day. Going through my most recent bloodwork and xrays show that things are much better now than they were 5 years ago.

All I'm taking is cannabis, mainly high THC indica, and also, over the past few months, a couple of tablespoons of CBD oil daily.

I can't understand why this stuff isn't an alternative for anyone with anything that sounds like auto-immune. CBD should be a vitamin supplement available to all, including pets.

@Vicki - I understand your pain. I wish this wasn't an issue for you. Hopefully it will change.

@Killick thank you. I'm sorry you're going through it too. So glad you are off the nasty pain pills, though! That is awesome!

10 grams a day, wow! I'm using about a gram of concentrate weekly. I really need to stretch out my medicine, though.
 
@Vicki The pain meds stopped when the hospitalizations started, but the psych meds didn't. The pain meds was an instant stop due to extended hospitalizations - all I was taking there was IV fluids and gravol. As a diet program it worked very well, and when I graduated to solid foods I went to a pain clinic, and also found some other therapies (Prolo, PRP, RF Ablations) that helped put a big enough dent in the pain that I was able to deal with it better.

Psych meds... The short story is that I was using very high doses of high THC Indica strains, in much the same way that PTSD patients do. I was trying to fix something I couldn't quite figure out... My current hypothesis, and I'd love some feedback from any medical types in the etherness of Vape Asylum, is wierd, but it seems to make some sort of sense, is this...

Psychiatric medications work in the brain. Cannabis, through neurogenesis, also works in the brain. With psych meds *and* cannabis in there trying to 'fix' things they were actually fighting with each other. I went through a 5 month taper-off from the meds while keeping cannabis levels high. According to a psych I've been on the wrong meds for the past 2 years, and they've been acting as a stimulant. I'm borderline ADHD in that I process things incredibly quickly (according to the psych), and the additional stimulant effect kinda exacerbated that. We're working on it... So now I'm experimenting with microdosing, small amounts through the day. I've also adopted a recipe from the wonderful team at Skunk Pharm (if any of y'all are on here - thank you!) 'Holy Shit' (a type of shatter that has been decarbed, mixed with just enough oil to be liquid, and a few kick-butt anti-inflam additions), put some in coffee, and then kinda forget to vape throigh the day - things are manageable for hours at a time. Pain is still there (joint pain, from arthritis in most joints), but it's not incapacitating. I'm just back from garden tinkering, which hasn't happened for some time.
 
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Here's the recipe, which may work with your shatter...
https://skunkpharmresearch.com/holy-anointing-oil-and-holy-shit/

And here's the important piece:

Holy Shit:

10 grams BHO Cannabis oil
3 grams Coconut oil
.7 grams Cinnamon Bark oil
.7 grams Cinnamon Leaf oil .
.3 grams Myrrh Gum
1 gram Cinnamon candy flavoring oil

We make these oils, by adding the other ingredients to the decarboxylated cannabis oil, while the oil is above 82C/180F, and stirring until well mixed. Bottle and use as is.

Thanks again Skunkers!
 
I'm glad you have such good access to cannabis @Killick

Yeah, the doctor's prescribing the psych meds is ridiculous, IMO. They had me on Gabapentin, Paxil, and Xanax, all for pain! My stupid doctor refuses to prescribe pain meds, but all three of those instead. Those and Flexeril, which does me no good at all because most of my pain is in my spine, and neck. The first three really didn't help the pain either, and she kept trying to increase the doses to outrageously high doses. I finally said enough, and said I wanted off of them because they were making me feel funny, but doing nothing for my pain.
 
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8d91bdd3ceb11973d37cdeed3025e0c7.jpg
 
Cannabis Strains vs. Chronic Pain
5 Marijuana Strains To Try For Chronic Pain

Cannabis Strains vs. Chronic Pain



Science has proven that cannabis is a potent natural alternative to the common chemically engineered pills prescribed to patients suffering from chronic pain. The use of cannabis provides a remarkable relief without the fear of suffering from the side effects of an overdose. This is a likely solution to the opioid epidemic. It is a very good alternative for the common opioid medications prescribed for pain, also as a means to reduce the withdrawal symptoms common with opioid addiction.





There are many reasons why you will feel pain in your body. The most common causes of pain include injuries, inflammations caused by infections, and other side effects of more life threatening medical conditions. Often this pain becomes gradually Chronic and is usually an indication that you need to quickly seek the attention of a medical doctor for an evaluation. An estimated 1.5 billion people suffer from chronic pain worldwide. There are different cannabis strains. Each strain is independently unique in its features. Let us discuss some of the strains that can ease the symptom of pain





whitewidowstrain.jpg




The White Widow: This is a popular hybrid strain. The white widow strain has a characteristic earthy taste that is loved by many users. The nature of White Widow arises from its originating strains from South Indian Indica and South America Sative combined. This strain is known all over the world to be very effective when used for pain relief. It also gives a deep euphoric feeling and can be a source of energy too. This strain is good for patients who are suffering from stress, depression and lack of appetite.


ak47.jpg


AK-47: The origins of the AK- 47 can be traced to different parent strains of South America, Mexican and Thai Sativa strains. There are also links with the Afghani Indica strain. AK-47 has a characteristic earthy and skunky aroma and was a big hit in the menus of “Coffeeshops”of Amsterdam. This strain provides a powerful solution not only against chronic pain, but is also a valuable weapon in the fight against stress. The euphoric high has the potential to ease also cases of depression.


jackherer.jpg


Jack Herer is another popular (and potent > THC around 20%) strain from the combination of Shiva Skunk, Northern Lights #5 and a Haze Hybrid..It was named after the popular cannabis activist Jack Herer). This strain is very good for providing relief from pain. As an authentic Sativa comes with all the amazing features and properties that Sativas hold. It is good not only for pains but also for depression, and works against the lack of appetite and fatigue. It is loved for the characteristic pine and earthy flavor.


sourdisel.jpg


The Sour Diesel is another noteworthy strain. It is the product of a combination of the Chemdawg, Northern lights and skunk #1. It is commonly used for the treatment of depression, lack of appetite and fatigue. The THC content falls within the range of 18-23% and the CBD content falls within the range of .01 to .03%. This strain has been described as having a characteristic pungent, diesel like flavor. It usually makes the users feel very happy and uplifted in their spirits. If you need to be energized al through the day, this is your strain.


ogkush.jpg


The OG Kush is believed to be a hybrid of the Hindu Kush, Chemdawg and lemon Thai. It has a great tasting earthy flavor too.It is excellent as a pain reliever, good for people under stress and sufferers of insomnia. It is also used by people suffering from depression. The THC content falls within the range of 19 to 26 % and the CBD content is from 0 to 3 %.

We expect that more strains will be developed in the nearest future. This list will be constantly updated as new strains are discovered through cannabis scientific research continues. The medical value of cannabis in the treatment of severe chronic pain is confirmed by many Health Organizations.


 
Cannabinoids could make opioids more effective, meaning pain relief with lower doses and reduced risk of dependency
https://www.researchgate.net/blog/p...th-lower-doses-and-reduced-risk-of-dependency

9th June 2017
by Katherine Lindemann
In animal studies, four times less morphine and ten times less codeine was needed when cannabinoids were given at the same time.

The higher the dose of opioid pain relievers, the more likely it is a patient will experience side effects and complications. With the opioid epidemic becoming a pressing problem, researchers are working to find ways to provide pain relief with less risk. To understand whether therapeutic cannabinoids could be an effective strategy to reduce opioid use, researchers at the University of New South Wales and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health analysed data from 19 pre-clinical studies and nine clinical trials. We spoke with author Suzanne Nielsen to learn more.

ResearchGate: What motivated this study?

Suzanne Nielsen: There have been serious harms associated with use of high-dose opioids in the US and Australia, including the current prescription opioid overdose epidemic in North America. Despite this, few strategies exist to assist people who are using prescribed opioids for chronic pain to reduce their opioid dose without compromising their pain relief.

Medications used to enhance the effect of opioids and enable lower doses are called “opioid-sparing” medications. This is what we are very interested in. There have been a number of recent observational studies (i.e. surveys with people who have uses medical marijuana) in the US that found that those using cannabis for therapeutic purposes have reported greatly reducing their need for opioid pain medications, or even being able to cease opioids altogether. These studies highlight the potential beneficial effects of combining opioids and cannabinoids, but did not have the scientific quality to change clinical practice. We were really interested to explore the scientific literature to understand whether the use of therapeutic cannabinoids may be an effective strategy to help people reduce their need for high-dose opioids for pain relief.


“These studies highlight the potential beneficial effects of combining opioids and cannabinoids”




RG: What did you find?

Nielsen: We found there were quite a few animal studies (nineteen in total) that examined the synergistic effects of opioids and cannabinoids, and almost all of these confirmed that by combing opioids and cannabinoids, much lower doses of opioids are needed for effective pain relief. For example, the dose of morphine needed was four times lower when cannabinoids were given at the same time, and for codeine it was ten times lower. While this is very powerful, we often find that results in humans are quite different from those seen in animals.

We also looked at studies with humans but didn't find as many. Most of the studies in which patients were given opioids and cannabinoids didn't specifically measure if there was a change in opioid dose, or even instructed patients not to change their opioid dose to measure the effect of cannabinoids on pain. In the few studies that did examine the effects of combined opioids and cannabinoids, the results were inconsistent. Only one smaller, low quality report showed promising results. This is an area where more research is needed.

RG: What do you think explains the difference between pre-clinical and clinical results?

Nielsen: Studies in animals are very tightly controlled, so results are often a lot more consistent. With this consistency, the effect of medications can be easier to detect than it is in human studies. This is because patients clinical trials tend different from each other in important ways. This can be because of differences in age, weight, gender, other health conditions, other medications people take the different ways people experience pain. A medication might work really well in one person, and not at all in the next, so the average effect is diluted. These differences between people and responses to different drugs tend to make a lot of “noise” in the results so it can be harder to detect an effect, or only some patients respond, so the effect seen is smaller.


“We hope that our review will support the need for more research in this area, and we are currently seeking funding to do just that.”




RG: How do you hope your findings will be applied?

Nielsen: While the preclinical findings were very promising, more research is needed before cannabinoids could be recommended as an opioid-sparing medication for patients with chronic pain. We hope that our review will support the need for more research in this area, and we are currently seeking funding to do just that: establish a human study to test the opioid-sparing effects of cannabinoids.

RG: What should the public take away from your findings?

Nielsen: We think there are two important things. Animal studies can highlight potential areas of opportunity for human research, but it is important not to jump to conclusions until high quality studies have been conducted that replicate pre-clinical findings in those with chronic pain. Secondly, having the right study design is needed to really test how well cannabinoids may help people with chronic pain that want to reduce their opioid doses. Many study designs we found were measuring other things, such as analgesia, but didn't measure opioid-sparing effects.

RG: Could there be drawbacks from using cannabinoids to reduce opioid?

Nielsen: It is clearly important to make sure that patients with chronic pain won’t experience other unexpected harms from cannabinoids as we attempt to reduce harms from opioids, such as fatal overdoses. Opioids are associated with an enormous number of deaths every year, but there are concerns with the potential for people to become addicted to cannabinoids, or experience other side effects such as psychosis. There are many areas where there isn’t enough scientific data to know that, for an individual patient, the benefits of cannabinoids will outweigh the harms. This is one of the reasons why we think well-designed and conducted studies are really critical to explore the potential therapeutic uses of cannabinoids before recommending then widely for clinical use.
 
Cannabinoids could make opioids more effective, meaning pain relief with lower doses and reduced risk of dependency
9th June 2017
by Katherine Lindemann
In animal studies, four times less morphine and ten times less codeine was needed when cannabinoids were given at the same time.

The higher the dose of opioid pain relievers, the more likely it is a patient will experience side effects and complications. With the opioid epidemic becoming a pressing problem, researchers are working to find ways to provide pain relief with less risk. To understand whether therapeutic cannabinoids could be an effective strategy to reduce opioid use, researchers at the University of New South Wales and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health analysed data from 19 pre-clinical studies and nine clinical trials. We spoke with author Suzanne Nielsen to learn more.

ResearchGate: What motivated this study?

Suzanne Nielsen: There have been serious harms associated with use of high-dose opioids in the US and Australia, including the current prescription opioid overdose epidemic in North America. Despite this, few strategies exist to assist people who are using prescribed opioids for chronic pain to reduce their opioid dose without compromising their pain relief.

Medications used to enhance the effect of opioids and enable lower doses are called “opioid-sparing” medications. This is what we are very interested in. There have been a number of recent observational studies (i.e. surveys with people who have uses medical marijuana) in the US that found that those using cannabis for therapeutic purposes have reported greatly reducing their need for opioid pain medications, or even being able to cease opioids altogether. These studies highlight the potential beneficial effects of combining opioids and cannabinoids, but did not have the scientific quality to change clinical practice. We were really interested to explore the scientific literature to understand whether the use of therapeutic cannabinoids may be an effective strategy to help people reduce their need for high-dose opioids for pain relief.


“These studies highlight the potential beneficial effects of combining opioids and cannabinoids”




RG: What did you find?

Nielsen: We found there were quite a few animal studies (nineteen in total) that examined the synergistic effects of opioids and cannabinoids, and almost all of these confirmed that by combing opioids and cannabinoids, much lower doses of opioids are needed for effective pain relief. For example, the dose of morphine needed was four times lower when cannabinoids were given at the same time, and for codeine it was ten times lower. While this is very powerful, we often find that results in humans are quite different from those seen in animals.

We also looked at studies with humans but didn't find as many. Most of the studies in which patients were given opioids and cannabinoids didn't specifically measure if there was a change in opioid dose, or even instructed patients not to change their opioid dose to measure the effect of cannabinoids on pain. In the few studies that did examine the effects of combined opioids and cannabinoids, the results were inconsistent. Only one smaller, low quality report showed promising results. This is an area where more research is needed.

RG: What do you think explains the difference between pre-clinical and clinical results?

Nielsen: Studies in animals are very tightly controlled, so results are often a lot more consistent. With this consistency, the effect of medications can be easier to detect than it is in human studies. This is because patients clinical trials tend different from each other in important ways. This can be because of differences in age, weight, gender, other health conditions, other medications people take the different ways people experience pain. A medication might work really well in one person, and not at all in the next, so the average effect is diluted. These differences between people and responses to different drugs tend to make a lot of “noise” in the results so it can be harder to detect an effect, or only some patients respond, so the effect seen is smaller.


“We hope that our review will support the need for more research in this area, and we are currently seeking funding to do just that.”




RG: How do you hope your findings will be applied?

Nielsen: While the preclinical findings were very promising, more research is needed before cannabinoids could be recommended as an opioid-sparing medication for patients with chronic pain. We hope that our review will support the need for more research in this area, and we are currently seeking funding to do just that: establish a human study to test the opioid-sparing effects of cannabinoids.

RG: What should the public take away from your findings?

Nielsen: We think there are two important things. Animal studies can highlight potential areas of opportunity for human research, but it is important not to jump to conclusions until high quality studies have been conducted that replicate pre-clinical findings in those with chronic pain. Secondly, having the right study design is needed to really test how well cannabinoids may help people with chronic pain that want to reduce their opioid doses. Many study designs we found were measuring other things, such as analgesia, but didn't measure opioid-sparing effects.

RG: Could there be drawbacks from using cannabinoids to reduce opioid?

Nielsen: It is clearly important to make sure that patients with chronic pain won’t experience other unexpected harms from cannabinoids as we attempt to reduce harms from opioids, such as fatal overdoses. Opioids are associated with an enormous number of deaths every year, but there are concerns with the potential for people to become addicted to cannabinoids, or experience other side effects such as psychosis. There are many areas where there isn’t enough scientific data to know that, for an individual patient, the benefits of cannabinoids will outweigh the harms. This is one of the reasons why we think well-designed and conducted studies are really critical to explore the potential therapeutic uses of cannabinoids before recommending then widely for clinical use.

No "could" about it. MJ poteniates narcotics, its clear and not subtle, and I know this from long personal experience.
 
No "could" about it. MJ poteniates narcotics, its clear and not subtle, and I know this from long personal experience.
I agree. But, in my case, not only was I able to lower my dosages.... I was able to not get addicted to narcotics my last two operations by using mmj in conjunction with the narcotics I was prescribed. I was definitely able to use much lower doses of the pain killers during recovery and suffered fewer side effects as a result. I actually think lowering my dosages of opiates helped me recover quicker. And I've been able to replace opiates completely with mmj for chronic pain management. I don't even take Tylenol or Ibuprofen anymore.
 
Pain relief is one of the major uses I have for cannabis. But to really get the most of it, I had to force myself to walk through some of the nerve pain in the mornings and make major changes in my diet.

Now I have a very healthy relationship with the sacred herb, I eat much healthier, walk to work (1.5 miles) everyday and sometimes back home (up hill) after running around and playing with children for 8 hours.

I use CBD in the morning and at lunch, and that does a lot for me, then once I'm home I rip a few bowls and then get on with my night.

I look forward to the day when I can actually try to find cannabis that helps me in more specific ways.
 
I look forward to the day when I can actually try to find cannabis that helps me in more specific ways.

Me too....MMJ program is underway in my state, I have my medical card, but dispensaries won't be open until late fall, IME. It will be mind blowing to be able to buy by strain/effects and not just take any bag of crap you can (not saying my weed is crap...its definitely NOT, but somebody hands you a bag of green weed and says "its AK-47", the fact remains that in non-legal states you generally really don't know what it is...hence, bag of crap.

Cheers
 
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Cannabis For Disk and Sciatica Back Pain

Medical Marijuana Helps Regenerate Disks In Mice

Back pain, in many cases, can be severely painful that it affects the ability of patients to live comfortably. Back pain is an umbrella term referring to pain that comes from structures in the back and spine including the nerves, bones, muscles, and joints.

There are many forms of back pain, although it’s described depending on the affected area. Examples include upper back pain, lower back pain, or middle back pain. In some cases, back pain can spread to other areas, so it would be referred to as “upper back pain with sciatica”.


Around
65 million Americans suffer from one form of back pain or another, and it’s most common among adults aged 30 to 50. In fact, it’s the second most common reason adults have to visit a doctor. It’s common for American adults to experience severe back pain at different points of their lives, while for others; it’s a chronic affliction. In 5% of cases, the pain is so severe that it prevents the patient from performing even simple daily tasks.

Back pain can either be neuropathic (caused by nerve damage), or nociceptive (damaged tissues located outside the nerves). It’s not uncommon for some patients to experience both kinds of back pain at the same time, which is referred to as mixed pain. There are several factors that can cause back pain: herniated disc, bulging disc, spinal stenosis, sciatica, arthritis, scoliosis, strained muscles and ligaments, or other skeletal irregularities. If you smoke, are obese, female, or are exposed to sedentary or strenuous work, you are at higher risk for developing back pain.

When it’s not serious, back pain usually disappears on its own and with self-care. In severe cases, doctors prescribe pain-killers and over the counter treatment medications which are usually opioids. These medications are known to have serious side effects such as drowsiness, memory and balance problems, addiction, headaches, gastrointestinal problems, and more. If a patient overdoses on painkillers, the results can be fatal.


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How Can Cannabis Help?

Many medical patients rely on cannabis to treat back pain as well as other related symptoms. In several cases, cannabis works more effectively at treating back pain compared to conventional medications and has no side effects. Both of the key cannabinoids in the plant, THC and CBD, are well-documented and are proven for their powerful analgesic properties. Most back pain problems are caused by inflammation, which results from a breakdown in the intervertebral discs, which are made of jelly-like material that protects the bones in your spine by acting like a cushion.

Back in 1999, a report issued by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) discussed that medical cannabis contained cannabinoids that are useful in treating acute pain and neuropathic pain, particularly those that are caused by post operative pain and spinal cord injury as well as multiple sclerosis, and cancer pain. According to the report, cannabinoid receptors found in the nervous system can detect as well as manage pain perception. This means that cannabis is effective for its analgesic properties. The IOM also revealed that the cannabinoids are beneficial in providing both mild to moderate pain relief which is similar to the analgesic properties of codeine without its side effects. The report cited one study where 10mg of THC produced the same analgesic effects as 60mg of codeine.

A 2006 study conducted at the Creighton University Medical Center in Omaha analyzed the use of cannabinoids as a potential analgesic to treat chronic pain. The researchers concluded that cannabinoids show promise as an alternative approach to pain management due to its mechanism and unique therapeutic properties. Since chronic pain usually requires a polypharmaceutical approach for pain management, the cannabinoids in cannabis are seen as a useful addition or complement to other treatment options.

In a
2014 study, researchers punctured intervertebral discs in rats to imitate the symptoms of degenerative disc disease. Using a needle, the researchers were able to break down components in the discs. The rats were divided into 3 groups, each injected with varying amounts of cannabis. The first group was given 30nmol, the second 60nmol, and the third, 120nmol. The rats’ spines were later on analyzed using an MRI, and the results showed that the animal subjects that were administered with 120nmol of cannabis showed a significant decrease in the breakdown of their intervertebral discs. The researchers concluded that this occurred due to the powerful anti-inflammatory properties of cannabis.

 
Cannabis For Disk and Sciatica Back Pain

Medical Marijuana Helps Regenerate Disks In Mice

Back pain, in many cases, can be severely painful that it affects the ability of patients to live comfortably. Back pain is an umbrella term referring to pain that comes from structures in the back and spine including the nerves, bones, muscles, and joints.

There are many forms of back pain, although it’s described depending on the affected area. Examples include upper back pain, lower back pain, or middle back pain. In some cases, back pain can spread to other areas, so it would be referred to as “upper back pain with sciatica”.


Around
65 million Americans suffer from one form of back pain or another, and it’s most common among adults aged 30 to 50. In fact, it’s the second most common reason adults have to visit a doctor. It’s common for American adults to experience severe back pain at different points of their lives, while for others; it’s a chronic affliction. In 5% of cases, the pain is so severe that it prevents the patient from performing even simple daily tasks.

Back pain can either be neuropathic (caused by nerve damage), or nociceptive (damaged tissues located outside the nerves). It’s not uncommon for some patients to experience both kinds of back pain at the same time, which is referred to as mixed pain. There are several factors that can cause back pain: herniated disc, bulging disc, spinal stenosis, sciatica, arthritis, scoliosis, strained muscles and ligaments, or other skeletal irregularities. If you smoke, are obese, female, or are exposed to sedentary or strenuous work, you are at higher risk for developing back pain.

When it’s not serious, back pain usually disappears on its own and with self-care. In severe cases, doctors prescribe pain-killers and over the counter treatment medications which are usually opioids. These medications are known to have serious side effects such as drowsiness, memory and balance problems, addiction, headaches, gastrointestinal problems, and more. If a patient overdoses on painkillers, the results can be fatal.


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How Can Cannabis Help?

Many medical patients rely on cannabis to treat back pain as well as other related symptoms. In several cases, cannabis works more effectively at treating back pain compared to conventional medications and has no side effects. Both of the key cannabinoids in the plant, THC and CBD, are well-documented and are proven for their powerful analgesic properties. Most back pain problems are caused by inflammation, which results from a breakdown in the intervertebral discs, which are made of jelly-like material that protects the bones in your spine by acting like a cushion.

Back in 1999, a report issued by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) discussed that medical cannabis contained cannabinoids that are useful in treating acute pain and neuropathic pain, particularly those that are caused by post operative pain and spinal cord injury as well as multiple sclerosis, and cancer pain. According to the report, cannabinoid receptors found in the nervous system can detect as well as manage pain perception. This means that cannabis is effective for its analgesic properties. The IOM also revealed that the cannabinoids are beneficial in providing both mild to moderate pain relief which is similar to the analgesic properties of codeine without its side effects. The report cited one study where 10mg of THC produced the same analgesic effects as 60mg of codeine.

A 2006 study conducted at the Creighton University Medical Center in Omaha analyzed the use of cannabinoids as a potential analgesic to treat chronic pain. The researchers concluded that cannabinoids show promise as an alternative approach to pain management due to its mechanism and unique therapeutic properties. Since chronic pain usually requires a polypharmaceutical approach for pain management, the cannabinoids in cannabis are seen as a useful addition or complement to other treatment options.

In a
2014 study, researchers punctured intervertebral discs in rats to imitate the symptoms of degenerative disc disease. Using a needle, the researchers were able to break down components in the discs. The rats were divided into 3 groups, each injected with varying amounts of cannabis. The first group was given 30nmol, the second 60nmol, and the third, 120nmol. The rats’ spines were later on analyzed using an MRI, and the results showed that the animal subjects that were administered with 120nmol of cannabis showed a significant decrease in the breakdown of their intervertebral discs. The researchers concluded that this occurred due to the powerful anti-inflammatory properties of cannabis.
Poor rats!!

This is me...neuropathic pain subsequent to a very bad disk herniation that crushed the nerve root and in the subsequent 9 years the rest of the disk has degenerated and I now have sciatic pain on the other side. Next step is fusion which I ain't rushing into.

My back degeneration (osteoarthritis is really what its called....kind of a catch all phrase for this crap) has continued despite my daily use of MJ but who knows...it could be much worse if I had not done so.

Thanks, Mom!
 
Vast Majority of Pain Patients Prefer Cannabis to Opioids, Study Finds

A newly released survey of nearly 3,000 medical cannabis patients found that nearly all respondents said they could reduce their opioid consumption after adding cannabis to their treatment regimen, and a vast majority preferred cannabis to prescription pills.


In a survey of its patients, the medical cannabis community website HelloMD asked a wide range of questions examining the use of cannabis as a substitute for opioid and non-opioid based pain medication. The study, conducted in cooperation with University of California Berkeley, was led by researchers Amanda Reiman and Mark A. Welty.

Among the key findings, 97% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that they could decrease their use of opioid painkillers when consuming cannabis. And 92% said that they agreed or strongly agreed that they prefer cannabis to treat their medical condition.

Strikingly, 81% agreed or strongly agreed that cannabis alone was more effective than taking cannabis with opioids. This result was similar when patients were asked about consuming cannabis with non-opioid-based pain medication.

According to Reiman, cannabis could help with pain problems in patients who don’t want to take addictive opioid medications.

“The treatment of pain has become a politicized business in the United States. The result has been the rapidly rising rate of opioid related overdoses and dependence,” she said. “Cannabis has been used throughout the world for thousands of years to treat pain and other physical and mental health conditions.”

Reiman added that she has been hearing anecdotal evidence from patients for years.

“Patients have been telling us for decades that this practice is producing better outcomes than the use of opioid-based medications,” she said. “It’s past time for the medical profession to get over their reefer madness and start working with the medical cannabis movement and industry to slow down the destruction being caused by the over prescribing and overuse of opioids.”

Dr. Perry Solomon, chief medical officer for HelloMD, agreed Reiman’s take.

“The latest publication from the National Academy of Sciences clearly refuted the ‘gateway drug’ theory that using marijuana can lead to opioid addiction, instead finding evidence of cannabis having multiple curative benefits,” he said. “Our study further substantiates this. Hopefully this will awaken the public, medical professionals and legislatures to the fact that cannabis is a safe, non-addictive product, available to help fight the opioid epidemic.”

Find the full study here.
 
Let's hear it again....... and again, and again until just maybe someone in charge listens.....

93% of Patients Prefer Cannabis Over Opioids For Managing Pain, According to New Study


A new study has investigated what patients themselves prefer when it comes to managing pain – opioids, which are widely distributed for intense pain relief, or medical marijuana.

The researchers found that the patients themselves much prefer medical marijuana, and many believe it is just as effective for their pain.

"This study can conclude that medical cannabis patients report successfully using cannabis along with or as a substitute for opioid-based pain medication," the team reported in the journal Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research.

"Patients in this study who are using cannabis and opioids report that they are able to use less opioids and that cannabis presents less unwanted side effects than their opioid-based medication."

The researchers, from University of California Berkeley and Kent State University emailed participants a survey asking them about their pain, and their opioid and marijuana usage.

Out of the 2,810 participants who were currently using cannabis, 828 had used opioids in the last 6 months to manage their pain.

Of that group, "97 percent of the sample 'strongly agreed/agreed' that they are able to decrease the amount of opioids they consume when they also use cannabis. In addition, 89 percent 'strongly agreed/agreed' that taking opioids produces unwanted side effects such as constipation and nausea," the researchers wrote.

But interestingly, the researchers also found that "81 percent 'strongly agreed/agreed' that taking cannabis by itself was more effective at treating their condition than taking cannabis with opioids".

Basically – if given the choice, many of the participants would prefer to use cannabis than opioids. You can see the results from this part of the study in the graph below.

figure2.jpeg
Reiman et al.

Although opioids are an important part of managing pain, nearly 100 people are dying a day due to abusive opioid usage, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

This is a combination of heroin, and prescription opioids such as morphine and codeine.

"Prescription drug overdoses are the leading cause of accidental death in the United States. Alternatives to opioids for the treatment of pain are necessary to address this issue," the researchers write.

Although marijuana is far from a perfect solution, there has been no recorded overdoses from marijuana – and this study has shown that the patients themselves rate the drug highly for pain management.

Unfortunately this study leaves some things to be desired – the reporting was all personal, which can sometimes cause biases. It also took its sample from HelloMD, an online community for medical cannabis patients, who were probably more likely to have had success with cannabis for their pain in the past.

However, the study is still interesting, and shows that many people really do prefer using marijuana than opioids for pain management.

Plus, it gives scientists even more of a reason to find out how marijuana affects people over longer periods, and how harm could be minimised in the future.

The research has been published in Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research.
 

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