The 5 Best Ways To Use Cannabis for Pain

How to Use Cannabis for Pain Management; The Ultimate Guide

Cannabis for pain relief is not a new thing, as its use to manage pain dates at least 5,000 years back.

Ancient civilizations, including Romans, Egyptians, Greeks, and the Chinese, used a form of cannabis to manage pain. 

Unlike then, we now have a large body of scientific research to help us understand how cannabis for pain works. 

In this blog, we’ll get into the science behind cannabis and pain relief. 

We’ll explore how cannabis interacts with the endocannabinoid system to manage chronic pain, including nerve and arthritis pain.

Cannabis for Pain Management: Understanding the Science

To understand how cannabis for pain works, we need to look at how weed interacts with the body’s endocannabinoid system.

Commonly known as the ECS, the endocannabinoid system is a network of receptors. 

The system is composed of receptors ( CB1 and CB2) receptors, and endocannabinoids. 

It’s responsible for modulating vital body functions, including mood, appetite, inflammation, pain modulation, and immune response.

When your body is in pain, endocannabinoids bind to cannabinoid receptors to help regulate the pain and other body processes.

Cannabinoids such as THC and CBD are thought to interact with cannabinoid receptors the same way endocannabinoids do.

When you take cannabis, the cannabinoids interact with CB1 and CB2 receptors reducing pain and inflammation.

The ability of THC to bind to CB1 and CB2 receptors makes cannabis an ideal natural remedy for people with chronic pain, arthritis, and nerve pain.

Apart from reducing pain, cannabis can also help manage mood disorder symptoms such as stress and anxiety.

Can Cannabis Help Manage Arthritis & Nerve Pain?

Now that we know how cannabis for pain works generally, it’s time to look at cannabis for nerve pain and arthritis. Does it work?

Cannabis for Arthritis Pain

Arthritis is an umbrella term for over 100 conditions that affect body joints. The most common forms of arthritis are rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative condition affecting joint cartilage and bones, causing stiffness and pain. It often affects the knee, hip, and thumb joints.

On the other hand, rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that causes the patient’s immune system to attack their joints.

This causes inflammation, leading to stiff and swollen joints in the hands and feet, where it’s most common.

While cannabis isn’t a proven cure for arthritis, evidence suggests that cannabis for pain may help relieve the symptoms.

According to this study, Sativex, a spray containing CBD and THC, may help manage arthritis pain. 

A 2020 review also concludes that cannabis for pain may be effective in managing joint diseases. 

Other studies show that cannabis for pain management inhibits the production of rheumatoid arthritis synovial fibroblasts.

This refers to molecules responsible for the breakdown of cartilage in body joints.

What about cannabis for nerve pain? Does the flower offer any hope?

Cannabis for Nerve Pain

Also known as neuropathy, nerve pain refers to debilitating chronic pain resulting from damage to the nervous system.

The body’s nervous system is composed of the central and peripheral nervous systems.

The central system is made up of the spinal cord and the brain. 

On the other hand, the peripheral nervous system comprises the nerves outside the spinal cord and the brain.

Damage to these peripheral nerves interrupts the normal communication between the brain and other parts of the body.

This miscommunication can cause the nerves to send confused signals to the brain. 

This often causes impaired muscle movement, inhibits normal sensation in legs and arms, and causes chronic pain.

While there are pharmaceutical drugs to manage these symptoms, most of them are addictive and with far-reaching side effects.

Most people are therefore exploring cannabis for pain to manage nerve pain. But does it work? 

According to this animal study, cannabis for pain may help manage nerve pain by reducing inflammation in the brain.

Researchers also suggest that cannabinoids such as CBD may inhibit the build-up of immune cells in the spinal column.

This may reduce inflammation and chronic pain.

One of the common causes of neuropathy is cancer treatments. According to a 2021 study review, cannabis for pain appears to reduce chemotherapy-linked nerve pain.

In another 2020 study, transdermal CBD therapy was found to be beneficial for acute nerve pain and cold/itchy feelings.

Yet another 2021 study found a 1:1 combination of THC and CBD effective for managing neuropathic back pain.

Researchers believe that cannabis for pain management may work by reducing radicular pain.

This is nerve pain that stems from the spine and spreads into the lower extremities.

Cannabis for pain can reduce connections between the brain’s emotional and sensory processing regions. Hence relieving nerve pain.

It’s important to indicate that while cannabis for pain management works,  most of the current studies are anecdotal. 

However, with the cannabis legalization wave across the globe, this is bound to change.

This is because governments and health organizations will be able to invest more resources and time in human studies. 

If planning to use cannabis for pain to manage nerve and arthritis pain, it’s advisable to consult your doctor.

This is especially important if you’re already on other medications.

How to Use Cannabis for Pain; The Ultimate Guide

Yes, cannabis for pain can help relieve arthritis and nerve pain, but how can you use it?

There are many ways to use cannabis for pain management. Here are the most popular ways of using cannabis for pain:

1. Topical Application

The topical application involves massaging cannabis creams and salves directly to the affected joints. 

Cannabis for pain applied topically has been found to decrease pain sensations locally. It does this by reducing the sensitivity of your joint nerves.

When looking for targeted relief, topicals are your best bet.

While THC is naturally psychotropic, THC topicals won’t get you high. This is because topicals don’t get to your bloodstream. 

Instead, they offer on-spot relief in a specified area.

At MMJ Express, we have tons of high-quality cannabis topicals for pain that you can use to relieve nerve pain.

They come in different flavours, eg, our ALIVIA topicals After Sun – Lavender and Peppermint and Alivia Topicals – Forest Mist Soothing Lotion. 

We also have ALIVIA Topicals – Full Spectrum CBD Lotion Unscented.

You can explore and order other cannabis for pain topicals from our online weed store.

2. Edibles

Another popular way of using cannabis for pain management is through ingesting it. 

Once you consume edibles, they are metabolized in the liver. 

The cannabinoids then enter the blood-brain barrier, inducing full-body relief.

Although edibles take longer to kick in, their effects are more long-lasting. This makes cannabis for pain edibles suitable for extended relief.

We’ve both THC-rich and CBD-rich edibles. If you’d rather get the best of the two worlds, you can order our Potluck Edibles 200MG THC/CBD – Mix N Match 5.

3. Vapes

Vapes are a popular way of taking cannabis for pain management since they offer instant relief.

Unlike edibles, cannabis for pain vapes don’t have to be digested. They go directly to the blood via the lungs.

Vaping is thought to be a better alternative to smoking since it doesn’t involve burning. You just inhale the vapour.

When looking to buy weed online for nerve pain, we recommend you order some of our best vapes.

It doesn’t matter where you’re in Canada, we’ll deliver your weed right to your doorstep.

4. Concentrates

If you have a high tolerance for THC, then we recommend you order rich weed concentrates.

THC concentrates are made by extracting cannabinoids, terpenes, and other beneficial compounds from the cannabis plant.

Results?

A near pure product full of flavours, aromas, and THC.

There’re many ways of taking concentrates. You can dab, roll it up in a joint or add it to foods. 

Buy cannabis for pain concentrates from the best online dispensary in Canada, and our team will deliver it to you.

5. Cannabis for Pain Oils

Another popular way of taking cannabis for nerve pain is through sublingual application.

This involves dropping a few drops of cannabis oil under your tongue and holding it for a few seconds before swallowing.

Apart from being discrete, sublingual applications make it easy to dose as they come with a syringe and a dropper.

If you would prefer to feel the natural taste of CBD or cannabis oil in your mouth, then order cannabis for pain oils online

There Is Great Promise In Cannabis for Pain Management 

If current data and studies are anything to go by, cannabis for pain seems to be an effective natural remedy.

Based on how cannabis interacts with the ECS, it’s able to inhibit inflammation and boost the immune system.

This helps manage chronic pain, including nerve pain and arthritis.

There’re many ways to take cannabis for pain management. From edibles to vapes, tinctures, topicals, etc, there’s something for your specific need.

If you’d like to buy the best cannabis for arthritis pain and neuropathy, we welcome you to check MMJ Express.

We’re the best weed online dispensary in Canada, and we deliver our products throughout Canada.