Back pain can have any number of root causes, making diagnosing the condition and managing symptoms a tricky task. While some patients will experience acute pain — which has an identifiable origin and lasts a set period of time — others can suffer from chronic pain that lasts for years.
Given the critical role the back plays in facilitating movement, any injury or disease that targets this part of the body can have significant consequences. Hence, an increasing number of patients are looking into the possibility and benefits of using medical cannabis to help manage symptoms of their chronic back pain.
An incredibly broad question with no concise answer: back pain can be caused by many diseases, disorders, and injuries.
Firstly, back pain often develops in response to poor posture. Whether you're sitting at your desk or bending over to pick something heavy up from the floor, you need to engage your muscles and distribute your weight evenly to prevent excess strain on your back.
Back pain can also be caused by musculoskeletal disorders like scoliosis. Osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia are two conditions that are often associated with chronic pain in the back. Certain infections that target your kidneys and pelvis may also produce symptoms of back pain.
Medical cannabis may be an appropriate way to manage back pain for certain patients.
If you have been diagnosed with an acute condition that has a clear cause and treatment strategy, medical cannabis is unlikely to be a recommended pain management product. While the medication was legalised in 2018, there are strict guidelines dictating who is eligible for a medical cannabis prescription. Patients must have had their condition diagnosed by a physician and have tried at least two other treatment strategies without success.
For that reason, medical cannabis to help manage back pain is more likely to be prescribed to patients suffering from a chronic condition.
Medical cannabis has a long history of use as a pharmacological product, with evidence of it being prescribed by Chinese herbalists thousands of years ago. The medication interacts with our endocannabinoid system, a widespread system associated with a number of different bodily functions. Included in this list is pain regulation.
Two of the active ingredients found in medical cannabis — THC and CBD — interact with receptors found in the endocannabinoid system to modulate pain. Back pain is not the only chronic pain condition that medical cannabis may be prescribed. Patients suffering from fibromyalgia, neuropathy, cancer-based pain, and other rheumatic diseases may also find medical cannabis to be an appropriate treatment strategy.
While the medication is legal in the United Kingdom, a medical cannabis specialist will take a detailed look at your medical history to confirm that medical cannabis to help manage back pain is the right product for you. For more information and to discuss the potential benefits and side effects of this medication, contact a specialist today.