Neuropathic Pain Decreased With Medical Marijuana Research Shows

By Dr. Julian Reindhurst

Studies have suggested that medical marijuana can reduce the pain of a condition called chronic pain syndrome in which is when a burning sensation occurs and touch can feel like an injury.

This condition is unaffected by drugs in the aspirin family and fairly resistant to stronger analgesics such as opiates.

A study on neuropathic pain related to HIV infection had 50 patients smoked medical marijuana cigarettes three times a day or medical marijuana cigarettes from which active ingredients had been extracted in a study done in 2007 .

The studies were then instructed to rate their pain on a scale ranging from no pain to worst pain imaginable.

The results revealed a 34% reduction in ratings of pain in the medical marijuana group compared with 17% in the placebo group over five days of research and published in the journal Neurology.

Another study in 44 patients reported that they found medical marijuana helped reduce neuropathic pain arising from a variety of conditions, including spinalcord injury and diabetes and was published in in June in the Journal of Pain.

Participants smoked medical marijuana on a set schedule — first two puffs, then three puffs an hour later, then four puffs an hour after that — from a single cigarette containing either 0%, 3.5%, or 7% THC.

The average pain ratings before smoking were 55 on a 100-point scale and decreased by 46% in both treatment groups and by 27% in the placebo group one hour after the last puff.

It is quite normal for analgesic drugs are often tested against experimentally induced pain. Such studies have been conducted for medical marijuana too.

For example, 15 healthy volunteers received skin injections with capsaicin in a study conducted in 2007 and reported in the journal Anesthesiology.

capsaicin is the compound behind that fiery spice in chile peppers; and then the participants smoked different strength medical marijuana cigarettes.

The medium dose, with a 4% THC concentration, lessened the burning pain.

The research concluded that smoking marijuana can bring relief to sufferers of neuropathic pain comparable to other analgesic drugs.

As with all pain pills you have to keep taking it to continue gaining the benefits.

Source: http://www.womanmagz.com/neuropathic-pain-decreased-with-medical-marijua...