Pain and Opioids have been playing hide and seek with each other. Nobody is able to make the other one go away. Instead, the scenario is something like they have planned to be with each other for the longest of times. This has significantly affected the balance— both personal as well as professional.
It has been cited as one of the most common causes of disability along with the major shareholder to health care costs. Also, there have been many anecdotal as well as clinical studies that have pointed on the benefits of medical cannabis in relieving pain effectively.
It has led to the rise in the popularity of cannabis among San Jose medical marijuana doctors as well as patients.
Medical cannabis contains a wide variety of cannabinoids as well as terpenes. Studies have revealed that these cannabinoids interact with the body’s endocannabinoid system, primarily the receptors. This process triggers the biochemical response which helps in getting the desired effects.
Another study found that the nerves which signal pain sensations have a large number of cannabinoid receptors present in them. So, when cannabinoids reach their target location, they block the nerve signals significantly. Hence, helping in alleviating pain sensations effectively.
Traditional medication such as opioids has a lot of adverse effects associated with them such as the world-renowned “Opioid Endemic”. Medical cannabis has proved its worth by being one of the safer options for treatment as well as management of chronic pain.
A study published in the Journal of Pain confirmed that cannabis consumption leads to a 60% lower opioid use in patients suffering from any form of chronic pain. Plus, it provides a better quality of life as well by possibility eliminating any risks of addiction.
A study has confirmed that the states which have legalized cannabis have shown 25% cases of opioid overdoses as compared to other states. Some of the studies have confirmed its incredible pain-relieving effects where reportedly more than 60% of cannabis users experience an improvement in pain as well as well-being. Another study published in 2018 revealed that cannabis use helped in relieving pain. Plus, it also said that cannabis could an effective alternative for relieving pain associated with neuropathy.
The advancement of medical cannabis into mainstream healthcare has inspired a lot of researchers to study its mechanism of action and efficacy on a larger platform. Following are some of the researches ongoing for studying its effect for reducing pain signals.
The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) is looking for prospects to conduct research on the effects of cannabinoids as well as terpenes as pain-reducing agents. The applications for this research can be submitted at the latest by March 15, 2019. Apparently, Feds will be providing the required funds among recipients.
Against sublingual fentanyl tablets. It will be a Phase II trial that will see the effects of cannabis as a pain reliever in cancer patients.
Like them, many other clinical studies are working towards checking the efficacy of one or the other cannabinoid against pain. Medical cannabis actually deserves more intense research so that its incredible potential can be unlocked somehow in order to use it in the best possible way.