Does medical marijuana work for chronic pain?

In response to @cheriums… May I ask what your spine issues are? I am dealing with the collapse of L4-5 with a recent recommendation of an injection and/or surgery if this is unsuccessful. Do you have any thoughts on this given what you said about leg muscles weakening over time? It would be greatly appreciated!

@migizii I'm sure for there are plenty of people that are in more pain then Cannabis can handle. Topicals may work well with other pain drugs. Nothing short of drugs that turn you into zombie may help people in severe pain. That is what they are here for! Pain management, therapy, often a series of drugs, and low level exercise, and diet. Everything needs to work together, sometimes changing things up to get relief from such pain. When you get to the point you can't stand it anymore, you try anything. Looking for the magic cure all drug doesn't always work either. Strong pain medications are great masking pain. That is why seeking alternative natural methods of healing may need to be considered to work with pain meds. God speed with your recovery.

It took me a year of experimentation with THC and CBD combinations to finally find my sweet spot. I wanted to stop oxycodone for breakthrough pain and I did. I’m still using buprenorphine patch for pain relief 24/7 as I do not believe cannabis alone will suffice to relieve osteoporosis, spinal stenosis, chronic pain syndrome symptoms. It took a lifetime of living for our backs to get bad and to expect instant pain relief to me is unrealistic. For whatever you decide to treat your pain with give it some time and yourself some time to see if it works before chalking it off.

Not sure what you mean. Did your ortho surgeon tell you that if you DID or Did not have the surgery you would wind up in a wheelchair?

What this for bad neuropathy? Cymbalta is giving my a lot of trouble.

Yes I suffer from bad neuropathy.

If I did not. He or his PA checked every visit. I could feel my loss of strength myself. The pressure on nerves, once I understood, was obvious even to me.

I have arthritis. Which causes the vertebrae to create bone spurs. I also have degenerative disc disease, common in mature adults. The combination of these narrowed the space for the spinal cord to pass thru. And also for the nerves to the legs to be pressured by inadequate space. Initially the problem was largely in the L4-5 area. I had surgery first, last year, to open up that space. This year, L3-2 needed the same intervention.
I am hoping this is IT. The surgeries are painful and recovery is slow. But I am still able to walk -- not like I could before. But I haven't finished healing and recovering. So I haven't given up hope, not at all, that I can regain that ability.
How was it explained that an injection could help with the collapse of vertebrae? An injection of? If the injection can be tried once to see if it helps? I would ask what the risk(s) would be of the injection.

I have done the same thing working for years working towards finding the right formula. I get anxiety from a large THC content, not sure why. I have neuropathy and chronic pain from scarring following plastic surgery of my front upper torso. I purchased 2 different tinctures, one being a 4 to 1 from Vidda....., and the other 20 to 1, that being a broad spectrum CBD from the same company. Both are grown from Stanley brothers seed. I took the 4 to 1 yesterday and have serious pain today. So I just took my 20 to 1 again. Unlike the many that have told me THC is as much a pain killer, it really depends on you. For me the high medical CBD low THC is killing my pain. I can't compare my pain with other conditions, So i won't knock anything that help you with your pain. Pain is pain, but its source I'm sure makes a difference. THC does in fact work in the topicals for me.

I completely agree with your assessment. I too found that higher CBD and lower THC worked best for relieving chronic pain. I have a prescription for oxycodone I received in September for 28 pills and I still have more than half remaining. I too just tried a THC/CBD cream for pain today and we’ll see if it works on my new pain in my left hip. Radi-
ography showed no fracture or acute changes just more of my same old osteoporosis of both.