Disclaimer: Under the Texas Compassionate Use Program, chronic pain by itself doesn’t qualify you for medical cannabis. However, if you happen to suffer from an underlying qualified condition, such as cancer or an incurable neurodegenerative disease that is causing you chronic pain, you can access medical cannabis.
Chronic or persistent pain is pain that continues for longer than three months despite treatment or medication. This type of pain can occur anywhere on the body. You may feel the pain all the time, or it may come and go. An estimated 20% of U.S. adults suffer from chronic pain.
Following an injury, illness, or operation, people experience some kind of pain, but in most cases, it goes away after the body heals. Sometimes, however, the pain carries on despite medical intervention. In these cases, many people wonder how to deal with chronic pain.
The brain and spinal nerves make up the central nervous system of your body. These nerves carry information from various parts of your body back to the brain, where it’s “interpreted” and results in bodily reactions.
This is what causes pain, chronic and acute. It’s the brain’s way of alerting your body that something is wrong so that you can figure out how to deal with the pain and what’s causing it. Chronic pain can happen when something is consistently affecting the well-being of your body, such as a long-lasting illness, or it may be the result of several overlapping causes with no single, obvious reason.
People variously describe the feeling of chronic pain as aching, throbbing, shooting, stinging, burning, squeezing, or stiffness. If they aren’t able to figure out how to treat or deal with chronic pain, it can lead to follow-on symptoms such as anxiety, depression, mood swings, insomnia, and fatigue.
Common types of chronic pain include:
Chronic pain can also be neurological when it stems from nerve damage. Conditions like multiple sclerosis, diabetes, and AIDS have been known to cause neuropathic pain.
Research has shown that medical marijuana has a number of potential benefits for chronic pain. Cannabinoids are considered to be potent anti-inflammatory agents. Scientists believe THC interacts with the brain's cannabinoid receptors to help reduce pain perception. In many studies, CBD has been shown to potentially help with symptoms such as anxiety, depression, and insomnia.
Medical cannabis is also considered a viable alternative if you’re wondering how to deal with chronic pain without opioids.
At Texas 420 Doctors, we simplify access to medical cannabis for eligible Texans. Book a telemedicine appointment and speak with one of our doctors about the cause of your chronic pain. All our physicians are board-certified and CURT-registered. Get your approval letter and dispensary recommendations and order medical cannabis online from the comfort of your home.
Feel free to reach out to us with more questions about our services, what causes chronic pain, and how to deal with it using an effective pain management strategy.
