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Health+Wellness
Cannabis for Back Pain
People have been using cannabis for back pain and other pain for centuries. Back pain is a terrible feeling, and it’s very common.
Did you know the CDC says back pain is the number one cause of disability around the world?
It’s shocking to think so many people become disabled from back pain. At the same time, it’s also very interesting to know cannabis can help so many people. One of the most well known medical benefits of cannabis is pain relief.
Back pain can be caused for a number of reasons. You could suffer a simple sprain in a muscle or ligament, be involved in an accident, or get injured playing sports. Even things like poor posture, obesity, and stress, can cause back pain to start or get worse.
Cannabis can ease several symptoms of back pain. This includes reducing muscle spasms, lowering levels of inflammation, and lessening the nausea and vomiting that can accompany pain. Many patients are prescribed opioids, which come with a high potential for addiction. Several states with legal cannabis programs have seen reductions in opioid prescriptions and addiction rates. This makes cannabis a solid contender in the fight against the opioid epidemic.
Medical Evidence
There is a lot of anecdotal evidence of patients reporting cannabis helps with back pain. One impressive piece of anecdotal evidence was presented by the University of Colorado’s Spine Center. The researchers talked to 200 people suffering from back pain. What they found out was, “according to the users, marijuana worked. A total of 89% said it greatly or moderately relieved their pain, and 81% said it worked as well as or better than narcotic painkillers”.
Reducing or eliminating the pain is the primary reason why physicians recommend cannabis for pain, but it’s not the only reason. The positive effects of cannabis on a person’s mood can also provide an uplifting sense of relief from psychological symptoms caused by the pain, like anxiety and depression. Cannabis is known to help people fall asleep faster, and stay asleep longer, so it can help treat insomnia and other difficulties sleeping, which are common among people with back pain.
All of these different medical benefits of cannabis are ways the plant can work together to help patients with back pain ease their symptoms. For some, this can mean regaining mobility, providing mental relief from coping with the stress of pain or disability, and enjoying a better quality of life, or in other words, getting your life back.