Chime in if MJ is truly pain-killing medicine for you - I'm confused

[hard rain]

Did you read the very article you linked, or did you just copy and paste from google? The article is about neuropathic pain, pain caused by damaged nerves. Working for neuropathic pain doesn't mean it is a true pain reliever. Study doesn't show it will help me if I tear a muscle or bruise a bone. I know morphine will though.

You made the statement "There is no evidence MJ helps with pain at all". Clearly it does help with some pain. Would you mind explaining your position a bit more.

I personally get a lot of relief from back pain using cannabis.

 

[EatMoGrass]

Again eating cannabis is many times more effective for pain than smoking. Cannabis works totally different than any of the opiates I have been prescribed for nearly ten years. Opiates kill pain and allow you to forget that you are damaged and should limit the use of damaged body parts. Eating cannabis relieves my pain while allowing me know and stay within my physical limits.

 

[TheKiefMailman]

two titanium pins in my knee and i had a truck roll over me bout 15yrs ago. crushed my skull, shattered some ribs, permanently fucked both neck and back. Have had several serious neck and back injuries since then and i have to agree that MJ doesn't get rid of the pain it just places the mind in a state where it isn't paying attention to the pain. Just as effective in my opinion, i just dont believe it to be a pain reliever in the traditional sense.

 

[highonmt]

There is no evidence MJ helps with pain at all.

It might either:
A: be a placebo and people want it to work, so it works
B: you just forget about the pain because you are high.


If it works, it works, but it isn't a true pain reliever.

What? The research is somewhat limited because of the legality of producing the plant but the evidence is strong that some cannabiniods are actually very efficient at pain reduction...and what exactly is a true pain reliever? Cox 2 drugs? Willow bark? Big pharma companies are very interested in the cannabinoid system for pain therapy they don't spend Big money on compounds found to be ineffective placebos. That said I personally have serious complications from inter cranial surgery that cause me intense and chronic pain and unfortunately preclude me from using opiates. I get almost no relief from asprin, advil or Tylenol, etc, but a cookie with 2g of bubba kush and a few bowls of the same and I'm nearly pain free for 4-6hrs. With the positive side effect of not feeling like a clubbed seal for 12hrs...I can work, play with my kids, and enjoy life...that my friend is evidence enough of Cannabinoids being true pain relievers.Oh and just because you can't find the research on wiki and google doesn't me it's not being done..
peace
HM

 

[EatMoGrass]

Are you guys smoking or eating it? I find eating cannabis to be 5-10 times more effective for my pain management than smoking. Using my Volcano vaporizer is only slightly more effective for my pain than smoking. However smoking and vaping are great relievers of stress, which is a trigger for my pain and muscle spasms.

 

[]A[Boss]

i think it helps best with stomach disorders, sleep and appetite disorders; and if you're generally in a bad mood or have anger and hyper-activity disorders.

 

[Bud Bug]

I've eaten it in cookies. The pain went away a bit but again I was fucked up and non functional for anything but sitting on a couch. This to me is a deal breaker as whats the point of looking and or acting stoned all day dealing with people.

I've taken canna caps and again I was fucked up with some pain relief.


At least for me there's no pain relief value in weed.

 

[EatMoGrass]

I've eaten it in cookies. The pain went away a bit but again I was fucked up and non functional for anything but sitting on a couch. This to me is a deal breaker as whats the point of looking and or acting stoned all day dealing with people.

I've taken canna caps and again I was fucked up with some pain relief.


At least for me there's no pain relief value in weed.

What if your in so much pain you cant get off the couch to begin with? What if your pain is so severe you simply cannot deal with people at all? In those cases eating cannabis might actually make you MORE productive. I know this, this is my life. I live with this every day. Cannabis helps me manage my pain making me more productive, and much easier to be around.

 

[Bud Bug]

What if your in so much pain you cant get off the couch to begin with? What if your pain is so severe you simply cannot deal with people at all? In those cases eating cannabis might actually make you MORE productive. I know this, this is my life. I live with this every day. Cannabis helps me manage my pain making me more productive, and much easier to be around.

Well then thats you and not me. When I get out of my 45 min car drive to and back from work every day I limp away for 30 min after I get out of the car.

My best pain relief was actually exercising and working my back and stomach muscles but its hard to do it long enough to get into a regular habit. I'm restarting my exercise routine this sunday.

Sometimes I get short and sharp pinching pain in my wrists and elbows (I'm pretty sure its from my days of BMX'ing and Mountain biking, man I use to go and bike for at least 3-4 hours per day when I was younger). If I smoke weed when this is happening the pain is way more intense.

 

[Hydro-Soil]

I've eaten it in cookies. The pain went away a bit but again I was fucked up and non functional for anything but sitting on a couch.

Wrong damn strain. DUH!

Not your fault though. Prohibition has kept the truth from being spread.



Yes... it works on both Neuropathic pain and bone/muscle pain but you have to use the correct strains. Everyone is different but there are enough similarities that finding yours is not impossible. It does help significantly to have a source of multiple strains nearby.

ANYONE that's on opiates should read up on ALL tincture and Cannacap threads around here. EatMoGrass is correct about opiates dulling your sense of damage.... it makes it too easy to re-injuring yourself, every single day.

Cannabis, on the other hand, works on your perception of the pain. Kinda hard to describe but it takes away the pain while still leaving you aware of the injury. It also leaves your head in a MUCH better place than opiates and you actually are COMFORTABLE.... not something you get with opiates (and intense pain) until you're blotto and worthless.

Stay Safe!

 

[Nicoli]

If I have a stomach ache and I puff, instantly relieved.

If I have a headache and I puff, instantly relieved..

thats just me tho.

 

[ROJO145]

I suffer from bouts of chronic Dafundsalow,a sack here and there Always makes me feel better and eases my pain

 

[Guest 16149]

I was prescribed and on Morphine and Loratabs for bad back pain for over 5 years, they just kept increasing the dose, when I told them I did not like being in a coma all the time I was told if I did not eat my pills I would not be able to live with the pain, when one day I asked the doctor what the overall game plan was, I was told I would be given ever increasing amounts of pain pills till I stopped bothering them ie died. I told them right then and there I wanted off the meds and refused to take anymore, they told me I would be on my knees begging them for Morphine by Monday, this was on a Friday. I went thru 2 terrible weeks of withdrawl but have not had a pain pill in over 5 years now, I do toke a lot, it never kills all the pain, but it makes it bearable, unfortunately I live in a totally Nazi state when it comes to MMJ, so fuck Florida, I do what is medically necessary.
So yes it does help some people, my pain is all nerve pain they say MMJ seems to really help people with this kind of pain. Also the MMJ was more effective for pain than the painkillers, and I can still function.

 

[Marywanna]

How ironic that Fl is the capital of Rx drugs........yet they still oppose MMJ. What a "compassionate" Dr. What bullshit this is............

 

[Guest 16149]

How ironic that Fl is the capital of Rx drugs........yet they still oppose MMJ. What a "compassionate" Dr. What bullshit this is............

Exactly, let the pill heads have theirs, I just want the meds that work for me

 

[Tony Aroma]

There is no evidence MJ helps with pain at all.

It might either:
A: be a placebo and people want it to work, so it works
B: you just forget about the pain because you are high.


If it works, it works, but it isn't a true pain reliever.

And your point is? Does it really matter why or how it works? If it helps someone with pain, or any other condition or disease, live a more normal life, for whatever reason, then that should be enough. You had it right when you said, "if it works, it works." Everything else is irrelevant.

 

[Scrogerman]

Different strains of MJ have different attributes & quality's. Some strains have increadible pain killing quality's & some just dont, some will heighten senses and others will not, i find some mind numbing and others body numbing. This Question is most certainly strain specific, & different strains have different effects on different individuals, what kills pain for one may not for another, there are a whealth of variables to consider here, reading/web-surfing gives us as growers the oppurtunity to find out which strains to go for that meet our needs, but the only way to truely find out the quality's of a strain is to grow it for yourself & see what effects it brings for you.
Peace .......Scroger!

 

[NiteTiger]

Great topic! Haven't gotten to read the whole thing yet, I'm in a bit of a hurry, so I'll just respond to the OP for now and come back.

OP, you're not the first to note this, actually. There was a study that came out about 2 years or so ago that showed that while MJ had significant pain relieving qualities, very high levels may actually increase felt pain. In other words, too much MJ made it worse!

As a pain sufferer myself, I've noticed the same issue.

I think the problem comes from how we classify MMJ in our minds. We know it has loads of medicinal value, and no risk of fatal OD, so we use it for any and everything. And we use LOTS of it. But that's not how you use a medicine.

Also, advocates and opponents fall into the same trap with MMJ. We think of cannabis along the lines of a single drug, instead of as a family of drugs. All cannabis is not created equal. An early sativa is not a good sleep aid, but a late indica will hustle you right off to nappy time.

Accordingly, just because it is cannabis does not make it the right cannabis. Every strain has a different cannabinoid profile, meaning every strain does things just a bit differently from each other. This means that not every strain carries the best medicinal benefit for a given purpose.

So, if we're to use Cannabis medicinally, for specific medicinal effect, we have to alter our approach to it. If you're seeking pain relief, then you have to find a strain that gives you relief for your pain. Once you've found that strain, you then need to find the correct dosage. Over using any medication reduces its effectiveness.

For my wife, a very rare cannabis user, extremely small doses are the order of the day. If her carpal tunnel flares up, she'll come have me get the proper strain loaded up and take one, maybe two hits. Maybe. Usually just one. That's all it takes for her.

Remember, for pain use, you've got to think about pain levels, balanced against functionality. As mentioned by other posters, you can get ridiculously high and feel no pain, but be unable to function. This is true of all pain medicines. So, you're looking for just the right dose to ease the pain enough to function, and leave you clear headed enough to function well.

So, to the OP, yes, you can find excellent pain relief with cannabis, but it requires a different approach. And yes, cannabis can actually increase felt pain if not properly administered.

This is one of the key reasons the caregiver system is crucial to proper mmj use, imho.

 

[LovableHuggable]

I've got a connective tissue disorder that causes joint hyper-mobility and chronic inflammation. It can be painful at times depending on what activities I've been doing. I find MJ doesn't kill the pain but it dulls it to the point I feel like I have 98% of my pre-condition life back. B/t MJ and osteobiflex, fish oil, lodine (prescription NSAID) and vitamin C, I can almost live a normal life. Take any one of them away and I have issues.

 

[Presto_D]

I achieve significant pain relief with very small amounts of the good herb. My SO does not know I smoke/eat cannabis yet... So I have to keep it on the down low.
I wasn't sure if I could get any benefit from using small amounts that don't make me too stoned to hold a serious conversation. I don't want to appear altered until my first crop comes in.
I got my MMJ card, and right away popped some beans and also picked up some medicine. SO is not cool with the thought of obtaining meds by any other means than growing my own, so I'm keeping it low profile for now.

But I hurt so often and in more ways than one. Digestive issues and arthritis in my back and neck.
I needed some relief. And I get it without popping big pharma pills.

It has a profound effect on digestion, and relieves the spasms caused by the arthritis. Without spasms, I have far less pain and stiffness. Whether it's actually killing pain for me, I'm not sure, but the benefits are doin me some good!