Back pain is currently a leading cause of disability worldwide. It is a condition that can make you less productive especially when chronic. Everyone experiences it at least once; it is an unpleasant experience for anyone. Different individuals have a different experience to this condition; a person may suffer a large herniated disc and experience no single pain, another person may suffer severe back pain just because of a muscle strain. Back pain is a complicating condition. While some people experience this for a few hours, others may experience it for several days or weeks and lower back pain seems to be the most common one. Can Medical Marijuana help with chronic back pain?
There is no specific or underlying cause of most back pains; this makes it very difficult even for doctors to determine the exact cause of most back pains because of the anatomical structures of the spine. The spine is a complex zone, filled with bones that help us stand erect and also connect the different parts of the human skeleton to each other. These bones are connected to several parts of the body and many parts of these overlapping structures are responsible for back pains.
Causes of Back Pain
Common causes of back pain can be associated with strained muscles, ligaments and muscle spasms which are a result of lifting objects improperly. Other causes of back pain can be a result of structural problems. Some include skeletal irregularities or muscle and ligaments strain.
Other causes of back pain which may be related to structural problems such as:
- Ruptured or bulged disks: The vertebrae spine in our body is padded by disks; rupture or bulging of the disk will place so much pressure on the nerve, which will result to a back pain. It is important to note that not every bulged or ruptured disk will lead to back pain.
- Sciatica: This is a fast-moving pain that moves through the buttock, down to the back of the leg. More people are suffering from this condition.
- Individuals with osteoarthritis experience pain at their lower back.
- Osteoporosis: Caused by a pH imbalance that forces the body to draw minerals from the bones, ligaments and organs. Bones become brittle and break easily.
The type of work we do. Some job put more demand on our back than other; whether on the back muscle or the spine, this can also lead to back pain
- Give you peace of mind that you’re using a natural treatment for your back pain.
- Allow you to live a better quality of life.
The causes of back pain continually increase every day with our always changing lifestyle. Factors such as a bad mattress, work pressure, sleep disorder and many more, could result to back pain.
Most common types of back pain
Mechanical Pain
Mechanical back pain is also known as axial back pain; it is the most common cause of lower back pain. The pain concentrates more from the ligaments, muscle, and bones in our spine. It is mostly experienced at the buttocks, lower back or the top of our legs.
Lower Back Pain
Carrying heavy loads may affect the spine which can induce a lower back pain and different motion can change the feel of the pain.
- Sitting
- Standing
- Resting
- Twisting
- During activity
Radicular Pain
Radicular pain occurs when the spinal nerve root becomes inflamed or compressed. The pain goes further into the leg or buttock, following a particular nerve root system. This pain usually feels like an electric shock, sharp and a burning sensation. It sometimes comes along with weakness or numbness.
Nociceptive Pain
Nociceptors are receptors that receive the information linked to any pain. An injury to your tendons, muscles, ligaments, joints, and bones would send a message to the nociceptors that would result in a “Nociceptive pain”. This pain is described as a deep throbbing, aching or soreness. These are some nociceptive pain experienced
- Back pain after a fall or car accident
- Back pain after trauma
- Arthritis pain
- Pain after back surgery
- As your injury heals, the nociceptive pain eases.
Neuropathy
Neuropathic pain is caused by injury or damages in the nerve tissue. The nerve damage may be a result of an injury or infection in the body. Damage in the nerves is awful because the nerve continues to send pain signal even after the healing of the injury.
Sciatica, for instance, is a back-related neuropathic pain, this occurs when the nerve root in our lower back is pressured, such as compressed. This triggers numbness and pain along that the sciatic nerve that travels from your feet to your buttocks.
Acute vs. Chronic Pain
The last two pains mentioned which are the nociceptive and neuropathic pain can still be broken down into acute and chronic pain.
Acute pain mostly occurs as nociceptive pain, the level of tissue damage determines the severity of the pain felt. Acute pain signals that a tissue has been injured or deceased. The body has a protective reflex to avoid such pain as this, once the injury heals, the pain disappears.
Chronic pain occurs as neuropathy pain, the nerve continues to send pain signal even after the healing of the injury.
How Can Marijuana Be an Effective Treatment for Back Pain
Marijuana as a back pain relief! Medical Marijuana is the plant. In the plant there are two major natural compounds also called cannabinoids: the CBD and the THC. While the THC produces the psychoactive (High) effect, the CBD is the other cannabinoid with all the health virtues. CBD is extracted industrially, and the most effective way to extract it is known as the Supercritical CO2 extraction. The compound is then added to a carrier oil and used as CBD oil. CBD oil is a recommended treatment for individuals with chronic back pain. Conventional medicine also seems to be effective in relieving back pain but they still come with side effects like nausea, stomach upset, ulcer, gastric bleeding and of course raises your body’s acidity level with the problems that come along.
CBD oil does not have the same side effect as traditional chronic pain medications. CBD oil can be helpful in the following ways.
- Reduce or eliminate your pain so you can live an active life.
- Reduce or eliminate your need to take potentially dangerous or addictive medications
- Reduce or eliminate your depression, insomnia, and anxiety that may come with chronic pain
The amazing thing about the CBD oil is the absence of the psychoactive effect usually found in THC. It can be taken orally (A drop under the tongue) or massaged on the affected area. CBD has so many potentials for treating several sicknesses and back pain is one of these illnesses CBD oil can treat.
Conclusion
Most pains we go through are the symptoms of a greater health problem affecting most of us which are acidosis. While some of those symptoms are still reversible with a lifestyle change, some others have evolved into chronic troubles such as chronic back pain and have become burdens to carry for the rest of our lives. In such cases, CBD oil extracted from medical marijuana has proven to be a better remedy compared to conventional medicine painkillers that make us addictive and even sicker as we become a permanent customer for a bigger system. If you suffer from back pain and have been taking painkillers to calm down your pain, try CBD oil or medical marijuana in the form prescribed to you by your health practitioner and you will witness wonders. Hope this article participates in getting back control of your health.