By Green Apple

Have you ever touched a hot frying pan, broken a finger, or experienced any other pain sensation? You feel pain because your body is sending a message through your nervous system between your brain and the part of the body that you injured.

Vital to our survival is the ability to feel pain.  It is something we learn at a young age.

These types of pain are considered acute pain: a short-lived limited sensation limited to a specific location within the body.  Acute Pain can generally be treated with over-the-counter medicine.

What is Chronic Pain?

Chronic pain is a kind of pain that is ongoing and lasts for more than six months, even after a medical condition or an injury has gone away. This is most often due to pain signals that have remained in the nervous system for months, or even years after the treatment. 

Chronic pain is also common for people who have certain underlying medical conditions, such as arthritis, diabetes, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, IBDs, low back pain, and others.

Chronic pain is certainly a common issue. In 2018, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a report that an estimated 50 million Americans, or just over 20 percent, have some form of chronic pain. This data came from the CDC’s 2016 National Health Interview Survey Trusted Source. People who experience chronic pain often struggle to find relief.  Chronic pain persists over a longer period of time and is resistant to most medical treatments.  Chronic pain often causes severe problems for people.

There are four main categories of chronic pain: 

Mechanical/compressive pain: pain experienced while stretching or touching affected parts of the body. If you have a broken or fractured bone, you may experience mechanical pain when you touch the affected area.

Inflammatory pain: due to internal inflammation caused by arthritis, injury, or infection.

Muscle pain: injury or frequently repeated movement can cause chronic muscle pain in the neck, shoulders, back, arms, hips, or legs.

Neuropathic pain: primarily affects the nervous system and may be caused by several factors.

Many states allow doctors to recommend “medical marijuana” (mmj) to treat chronic pain. Other states have laws governing medical cannabis use specifically for patients with neuropathy. States that legalize cannabis for all chronic pain include:

• Alaska
• Arizona
• Arkansas
• California
• Colorado
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• Florida
• Hawaii
• Illinois
• Maryland
• Michigan
• Minnesota
• Montana
• Nevada
• New Hampshire
• New Jersey
• New Mexico
• New York
• North Dakota
• Ohio
• Oregon
• Pennsylvania
• Rhode Island
• Vermont
• Washington
• West Virginia

Chronic pain has been one of the most researched medical illnesses in terms of medical cannabis. More than a dozen published papers including 4 clinical trials have directly examined the impact of cannabinoids (e.g. THC, CBD) on cancer-induced pain.  This analysis determined that high-quality scientific evidence supports cannabis as an effective treatment for chronic and neuropathic pain!

The National Academies of Sciences has determined that adult patients with chronic pain who were treated with medical cannabis were more likely to experience a scientifically supported reduction in said pain symptoms. TNAS rated the evidence for pain relief as substantial. Of the positive findings in pain reduction, they go as follows: cancer-related pain, migraines, fibromyalgia. Medical cannabis /cannabinoids have been suggested as valuable in dealing with the pain conditions of rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and various other types of acute and chronic musculoskeletal pain. However, much research needs to be completed to identify the strains of cannabis, methods of use/ingestion, and dose for pain management.

So, how can marijuana alleviate chronic pain in the body using the endocannabinoid system? Let’s take a closer look at the science underlying the cannabis plant and chronic pain. The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is in charge of keeping the body in balance. Cannabinoids aid in the body’s ability to perform its duties. CB1 and CB2 are the two primary cannabinoid receptors responsible for body control. Endocannabinoids found in cannabis can bind to these receptors and assist restore balance to the ECS when medical diseases disrupt it.

Cannabis’s cannabinoids aid in the treatment of chronic pain! Because CBD is most known for its pain-relieving effects.  

If you qualify for medical cannabis in your state, learn more about Compassionate Clinics of America Consultation Services. The CCOA team will work with you to help determine ingestion method, dosing, and product selection.  Our private one-on-one consultation provides our patients with the information, tools, and plan to start their journey.  Reach out to learn more about how you can use cannabis to treat your condition.

Process of Getting a medical card

By northallertonman

If you suffer from chronic pain or another qualifying illness, you can apply for a medical marijuana card in Illinois, Missouri, and Pennsylvania.  Our caring patient support staff at Compassionate Clinics of America, will walk you through every step of your medical cannabis journey.

To obtain a medical cannabis card in Illinois, Missouri, or Pennsylvania, you must first be diagnosed with a qualifying medical condition, obtain certification from a certified physician, register with the state’s Department of Public Health, have a valid state ID or driver’s license.  Our team will assist you with every step of the process.