Studies on cannabis have long confirmed the plant’s ability to relieve users from chronic and severe pain. However, despite this common knowledge, many remain unaware of the true connection between pain and marijuana.
How exactly does cannabis relief users from this agonizing sensation? Here, we will examine how marijuana use affects different types of pains.
What causes pain?
There are various reasons why a person could experience pain. Generally, this unpleasant sensation is caused by tissue damage, compelling special nerves to send signals to transmit information about the damaged tissue to the brain via the spinal cord. Unknown to many, there are different classifications of pain and knowing each one is important to identify the proper treatment needed.
Fundamentally, pain can be divided into nociceptive andneuropathic. To give you an overview, here are some brief details about the two:
- Nociceptive – This is the type almost everyone is most familiar with. Also called as “inflammatory pain,” nociceptive is generally described to be the sharp, throbbing sensation one feels due to tissue damage. Among the most common causes of this type of pain are burns, sprains, fractures, inflammation, bee stings, and many more. One important feature of nociceptive pain is that it typically changes with movement and/or position.
- Neuropathic – This type is fundamentally much more complex than the previous one. Bearing the word “neuro,” this category concerns pain that arises from damage to the body’s nervous system, usuallybecause of disease, injury, or pinching. Unlike nociceptive, neuropathic pain is described to have a burning feeling. It is also chronicand may even escalate through time. Examples of this include neuralgia, peripheral neuropathy, cancer pains, and many more.
How does Cannabis affect pain?
1. Nociceptive and Cannabis:
Generally, there are two ways to reduce the level of nociceptive pain. One is by reducing the pain signals by blocking the inflammatory process or the signals they release, while the second is by dulling their effects as they traverse up to the spinal cord to the brain. Since cannabis presents anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving effects, it comes as a perfect solution to counteract pain. The CBD, in particular, can block inflammatory mediators and minimize inflammation. It also interacts with the endogenous cannabinoid system, which inhibits the release of pro-inflammatory molecules; thus, dulling pain signals as they make their way into the brain.
2. Neuropathic and Cannabis:
Unlike nociceptive, the neuropathic is not easy to treat since it’s not caused by inflammation. However, cannabis promises potential treatment alternative, especially to cancer patients that are suffering from neuropathic pains. CBD, for instance, counters pain caused by chemotherapy by activating serotonin receptors, which help regulate pain and mood. Another remarkable thing about thisis that marijuana could minimize the ache without reducing the effectiveness of the chemotherapy to counter cancer.
Up today, scientists still continue to research on the effects of cannabis to pain, and how to transform the plant into an absolutely safe drug.
Which between the two represents the pain you’re feeling at the moment? Contact the experts and make sure to get the right CBD product like CBD topical that could relieve your ache today.
