1. < Chronic Pain

Alternatives for pain management

Posted by grandmaR @grandmar, Mar 31, 2018

Hello!
I was wondering if anyone tried cryo therapy or medical marijuana for pain management. If you did, how did they/it work?
Thanks
Ronnie (GRANDMAr)

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Chronic Pain Support Group.

Moderator
Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | Jul 3, 2018
In reply to @tennessegirl "I'm SO glad for you and the fact that you are able to "work thru the..." + (show)
@tennessegirl

I'm SO glad for you and the fact that you are able to "work thru the pain"!!! Unfortunately, my hobbies, including gardening, my 30 + house plants, chores like sweeping,mopping, that side to side motion, bending, stooping, lifting any size bag of trash, even picking up something causes my pain. Which feels like a concrete block sewn in to the middle of my back. But enough whining!!! I'm thrilled for you and that you have someone close who understands!!! Cudos for you. Your words, you, set an example that it can be done!! Thank you..for welcome g me into your group. I realizeI am not alone.

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Music is proven to help. There a great discussion and music and health in the Just Want to Talk group. Check it out here:

- Music Helps Me https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/music-helps-me/

REPLY
Moderator
Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | Jul 3, 2018
In reply to @oregongirl "Artscape...excellent. vaping or oil drops on tongue. My son tried capsules and he did not like..." + (show)
@oregongirl

Artscape...excellent. vaping or oil drops on tongue. My son tried capsules and he did not like them. They have opportunities for non smoker. I am calling Gov office in Texas. I want an appt to sit down with him.

Jump to this post

Some of you have been discussing cannabidiol (CBD), a naturally occurring cannabinoid constituent of cannabis and medical marijuana as an alternative pain management option. I gathered some information to help give some guidance about the evidence, regulation (or lack thereof), and legalities of CBD use in the US. It's not an exhaustive list, but a starting point to help you with your own research and decision-making.

1. Evidence vs usage
To date CBD to treat epilepsy (in children) is the only condition that has some scientific evidence supporting its use in some cases. CBD for pain, anxiety, inflammation and sleep remains as yet scientifically unproven and requires more validated research.

According to this article by NPR (https://n.pr/2HnI1SM), “By one estimate, the CBD industry has doubled in size over the last two years, and is now worth $200 million. But with this popularity the hype may have gotten ahead of the science.”

While there is promise and ongoing research into CBD effectiveness in managing pain, anxiety, inflammation and sleep, the jury is still out. Here are recent articles that help clarify.

– CBD Oil: All the Rage, But Is It Safe & Effective? (WebMD) https://wb.md/2K11QfD
– Does CBD Really Work For Anxiety? (HuffPost) https://bit.ly/2wF1VUs
– Anxiety Relief Without The High? New Studies On CBD, A Cannabis Extract (NPR) https://n.pr/2HnI1SM

2. Industry is unregulated
CBD is not regulated. “Because of the legally murky nature of marijuana, the FDA has not stepped in to regulate products like CBD oil.” States are struggling to put regulations in place. … Meanwhile, a 2017 study led by Bonn-Miller found that nearly 7 of 10 CBD products didn’t contain the amount of marijuana extract promised on the label.” Read more about regulation in this WebMD article (https://wb.md/2KCS4UW).

There are risks associated with medical marijuana CBD. See this post from a Mayo Clinic pharmacist (https://mayocl.in/2KDyip2). People should also consider interactions with other drugs and always discuss the use of CBD with their medical provider and consult with a pharmacist.

3. Concerns about attracting sellers and fraudsters
With the increasing activity related to CBD on Connect comes the unwanted attention of commercial sellers of product and fraudsters. Mayo Clinic Connect’s Terms of Use (https://connect.mayoclinic.org/terms-of-use/) prohibit “any material which … (viii) contains any information, software, or other material of a commercial nature; (ix) contains solicitations or advertisements of any kind; (x) constitutes or contains false or misleading indication of origin or statement of fact…”

Our Moderating team keeps a watchful eye for people with commercial interests posing as members on Connect. If you see posts that contravene the Terms of Use, please report them. Here's how: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/page/about-connect/tab/moderators/

4. Is it legal?
It has often been stated or asked about the legality of CBD in all 50 states. According to this article in Forbes “CBD is not legal in all 50 states (https://bit.ly/2KFY2nV) — even though it is widely available. At best, the law is murky and open to differing interpretations.”

– Is CBD Legal? The Legal Status of CBD in 2018 (Medium) https://bit.ly/2EEuwYB
– The legal status of cannabis (marijuana) and cannabidiol (CBD) under U.S. law (Elsevier 2017) https://bit.ly/2tk68Zu
– State Medical Marijuana Laws (2018) https://bit.ly/1udxSs4

5. Information from Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic provides the following information on medical marijuana https://mayocl.in/2KyrGvp

6. Get informed
Information about the use, efficacy and legality of CBD and medical marijuana is constantly being updated. Do your research. It is advisable to talk with a health care professional if you have questions.

REPLY
Texas Freedom | @oregongirl | Jul 3, 2018
In reply to @gailb "The article below is copied from the NORML newsletter. I thought it might be helpful for..." + (show)
@gailb

The article below is copied from the NORML newsletter. I thought it might be helpful for some members. Gail, Volunteer Mentor

Patients Replace Opioids With Cannabis
Thursday, 07 June 2018

Chronic Pain Patients Replace Opioids With Cannabis
Cleveland, OH: More than two-thirds of chronic pain patients registered to legally access medical cannabis products substitute marijuana for prescription opioids, according to data published in The Journal of Headache and Pain.

Investigators from the United States and Canada assessed the use of medical cannabis and prescription drugs in a cohort of over 2,000 Canadian patients licensed to access marijuana products. Among those patients with a primary diagnosis of chronic pain, 73 percent reported substituting cannabis in place of opioids. Among those patients diagnosed specifically with headache/migraine, cannabis was frequently reported as a substitute for other medications - including opiates (43 percent), anti-depressants (39 percent), NSAIDS (21 percent), triptans (8 percent), and anti-convulsants (8 percent).

"Most patients in the pain groups reported replacing prescription medications with medicinal cannabis, the most common of which were opiates/opioids across all patient groups," authors concluded. "This is notable given the well-described 'opioid-sparing effect' of cannabinoids and growing abundance of literature suggesting that cannabis may help in weaning from these medications and perhaps providing a means of combating the opioid epidemic."

For more information, contact Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director, at: paul@norml.org. Full text of the study, "Patterns of medicinal cannabis use, strain analysis, and substitution effect among patients with migraine, headache, arthritis, and chronic pain in a medicinal cannabis cohort," appears in The Journal of Headache and Pain. NORML's fact-sheet highlighting the relevant, peer-reviewed research specific to the relationship between cannabis and opioids is available online.

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Just please help us to get it in Texas.

REPLY
Texas Freedom | @oregongirl | Jul 3, 2018
In reply to @tennessegirl "I'm SO glad for you and the fact that you are able to "work thru the..." + (show)
@tennessegirl

I'm SO glad for you and the fact that you are able to "work thru the pain"!!! Unfortunately, my hobbies, including gardening, my 30 + house plants, chores like sweeping,mopping, that side to side motion, bending, stooping, lifting any size bag of trash, even picking up something causes my pain. Which feels like a concrete block sewn in to the middle of my back. But enough whining!!! I'm thrilled for you and that you have someone close who understands!!! Cudos for you. Your words, you, set an example that it can be done!! Thank you..for welcome g me into your group. I realizeI am not alone.

Jump to this post

Paul Wilber. Oh my goodness, beautiful Christian and Hebrew music.

REPLY
Texas Freedom | @oregongirl | Jul 3, 2018
In reply to @lioness "@tennessegirl Hi Im from Pa. lived there all my life till I lost my husband ,son..." + (show)
@lioness

@tennessegirl Hi Im from Pa. lived there all my life till I lost my husband ,son out here so wanted to be near his family. So diff. out here the trees ,flowers birds not like back east but up on the roof of my sr. apt building I did something I never saw back east and it was a golden eagle beautiful. Im use to SOCAL now after 7 yrs. This is a good group glad to have you

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My Beloved passed thru to Heaven 10 yrs ago. I am not very social as I have RA. I sometimes make myself to invest my time with others. I moved near my son. Love it here in my own apt not senior living. I left a beautiful home overlooking the shrimp boats and crab boats. Oregon to Texas.

REPLY
Texas Freedom | @oregongirl | Jul 3, 2018
In reply to @oregongirl "Artscape...excellent. vaping or oil drops on tongue. My son tried capsules and he did not like..." + (show)
@oregongirl

Artscape...excellent. vaping or oil drops on tongue. My son tried capsules and he did not like them. They have opportunities for non smoker. I am calling Gov office in Texas. I want an appt to sit down with him.

Jump to this post

Well in Oregon pot is highly regulated for mold. When sellers were selling before it became legal, I smelled for mold and carefully examined my purchase. I never had to use constant pain pills for my RA. That is until I moved to Texas. It is totally illegal here. So back to pills. I don't like smoking so I used the oil. Excellent. The pharmasutical business is holding back marijuana. Meanwhile Drs form corporations growing marijuana. Oh you wait, they will get it by and you will need a scrip for it. Money money money.. kick back to doctor, sales person, pharmacy. What a joke. I grew three plants in my sunroom in Oregon. What is wrong with Texas?

REPLY
lioness | @lioness | Jul 3, 2018
In reply to @lioness "@tennessegirl Hi Im from Pa. lived there all my life till I lost my husband ,son..." + (show)
@lioness

@tennessegirl Hi Im from Pa. lived there all my life till I lost my husband ,son out here so wanted to be near his family. So diff. out here the trees ,flowers birds not like back east but up on the roof of my sr. apt building I did something I never saw back east and it was a golden eagle beautiful. Im use to SOCAL now after 7 yrs. This is a good group glad to have you

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@oregongirl it is an adjustment leaving your home for a new one I did this 8,yrs ago left gorgeous Pa.to be near my son in Ca. It was a hugh adjustment for me but not leaving the SNOW that was a no brainer .lol

REPLY
Parus | @parus | Jul 4, 2018
In reply to @tennessegirl "I'm SO glad for you and the fact that you are able to "work thru the..." + (show)
@tennessegirl

I'm SO glad for you and the fact that you are able to "work thru the pain"!!! Unfortunately, my hobbies, including gardening, my 30 + house plants, chores like sweeping,mopping, that side to side motion, bending, stooping, lifting any size bag of trash, even picking up something causes my pain. Which feels like a concrete block sewn in to the middle of my back. But enough whining!!! I'm thrilled for you and that you have someone close who understands!!! Cudos for you. Your words, you, set an example that it can be done!! Thank you..for welcome g me into your group. I realizeI am not alone.

Jump to this post

Never heard of Alexa. I know google it. thanks for info.

REPLY
tennessegirl aka Melinda | @tennessegirl | Jul 4, 2018
In reply to @lioness "@tennessegirl Hi Im from Pa. lived there all my life till I lost my husband ,son..." + (show)
@lioness

@tennessegirl Hi Im from Pa. lived there all my life till I lost my husband ,son out here so wanted to be near his family. So diff. out here the trees ,flowers birds not like back east but up on the roof of my sr. apt building I did something I never saw back east and it was a golden eagle beautiful. Im use to SOCAL now after 7 yrs. This is a good group glad to have you

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@lauren123. Yes. I'm with you. Lost my Mom in Oct 2013 after a 5 year battle. Then My husband Aug 4 2015. My Dad got very sick the following Oct 2015. Had to move in with him as full time caregiver still reeling from the sudden loss of my huband. Then My Dad died just a few months ago. I haven't had time to grieve for....only to miss my husband. It's been extremely tough and I wonder WHAT NEXT?! And how I've kept going..Surely I've earned a break.
I definitely know how you feel.Please know I'm here for you...as is everyone in this group.

REPLY
grandmaR | @grandmar | Jul 4, 2018
In reply to @lioness "@tennessegirl Hi Im from Pa. lived there all my life till I lost my husband ,son..." + (show)
@lioness

@tennessegirl Hi Im from Pa. lived there all my life till I lost my husband ,son out here so wanted to be near his family. So diff. out here the trees ,flowers birds not like back east but up on the roof of my sr. apt building I did something I never saw back east and it was a golden eagle beautiful. Im use to SOCAL now after 7 yrs. This is a good group glad to have you

Jump to this post

@tennessegirl
I am so very sorry for all the loses you had to endure.
You are such a strong woman and pray you get much deserved peace and joy in your life!!!!
Ronnie (GRANDMAr)

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