Thursday, January 29, 2009

Medical Marijuana Research Helps In Neuropathic Pain

By Dr. Julian Reindhurst

Studies have shown that medical marijuana can reduce the problem that happen when someone has what is known as chronic pain syndrome which is when a burning sensation occurs and a simple touch can feel like pain.

This condition is unaffected by drugs in the aspirin family and fairly resistant to stronger analgesics such as opiates.

In a 2007 case study on neuropathic pain was done on patients that had HIV related infections; they had 50 patients smoke marijuana cigarettes 3 times a day or a medical marijuana cigarettes from which active ingredients had been extracted.

They were then instructed to rate their pain on a scale from "no pain" to "worst pain imaginable."

The results revealed a 34% reduction in ratings of pain in the medical marijuana group compared with 17% in the placebo group over five days of research and published in the journal Neurology.

Another study in 44 patients reported that they found medical marijuana helped reduce neuropathic pain arising from a variety of conditions, including spinalcord injury and diabetes and was published in in June in the Journal of Pain.

The study was conducted by having the participants smoke medical marijuana on a set schedule of the first two puffs, three puffs an hour later, followed by four puffs an hour after that -- and the product from a single cigarette containing either 0%, 3.5%, or 7% THC.

Prior to smoking medical marijuana, the average pain rating was a 55 on a 100-point scale and decreased by 46% in both treatment groups and by 27% in the placebo group one hour after the last inhale.

It is quite normal for analgesic drugs are often tested against experimentally induced pain. Such studies have been conducted for medical marijuana too.

For example, 15 healthy volunteers received skin injections with capsaicin in a study conducted in 2007 and reported in the journal Anesthesiology.

capsaicin is the chemical behind that fiery spice in chile peppers and then smoked different strength medical marijuana cigarettes.

The medium dose, with a 4% THC concentration, lessened the burning pain.

All studies concluded that smoked marijuana can bring relief to sufferers of neuropathic pain comparable to other analgesic drugs.

Just like all medications it is not a cure, It's just like other pain medicines as you have to keep taking it. - 14130

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