Pennsylvania is a U.S. state situated in the Great Lakes, Northeastern, and Mid-Atlantic regions and one of the country’s original founding states. It is the 5th most populous state in the country based on the 2010 U.S. Census data. The state government adopts a healthcare policy aimed at improving access to and quality of care, as well as in reducing the cost of medical care.
In April 2016, Governor Tom Wolf signed the Pennsylvania Medical Marijuana Program into law. The aim is to regulate the use of medical marijuana as a treatment and to protect registered patients and their physicians against civil and criminal penalties.
If you are suffering from chronic pain, you can now secure a Pennsylvania Medical Marijuana Card to use medical-grade cannabis as a treatment option.
1. Medical Marijuana And Its Benefits For Chronic Pain Treatment
Medical cannabis is growing in popularity due to its proven effectiveness in curing various ailments like Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and chronic pain. According to a University of Michigan study, patients suffering from chronic pain account for 62.2% of total applicants seeking to use medical marijuana as a treatment in 2017.
Here Some Of The Benefits Of Medical Cannabis:
- Safety – Cannabis is a desirable option to treat chronic pain due to its low risk of overdose or dependency. Marijuana also has lesser side effects as compared to other drug medications.
- Affordability And Accessibility – Cannabis is more affordable than other pain-killing drugs in the market. Furthermore, there are already lots of licensed medical marijuana dispensaries in the state, making the treatment very accessible. However, you should have a Pennsylvania Medical Marijuana card to be able to buy from licensed dispensaries.
- Better Patient Quality Of Life – Based on the University of Michigan study, patients who use medical marijuana experienced significant improvements in their quality of life. However, experts recommend the use of the treatment under close monitoring by a physician.
- Ease Of Use – As a patient, you can easily take up medical marijuana to ease their pain. You can use it as an oral spray, or you can eat or smoke it if you want.
2. Other Chronic Pain Treatment Options
Aside from medical marijuana, there are lots of general options to treat severe pain. These treatments include oral and topical drugs, skin patches, and natural remedies. Here are some of the alternative therapies for chronic pain:
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like naproxen, aspirin, and ibuprofen
- Acetaminophen or paracetamol
- Antidepressants like duloxetine
- Acupuncture and physical therapy
- Exercises like yoga
- Patient-controlled analgesia
- Onabotululinumtoxina or botox to control chronic migraine headaches
- Surgical implants like spinal cord stimulation implants and intrathecal drug delivery (also known as spinal drug delivery systems and infusion pain pumps)
- Anticonvulsants or anti-seizure medications for nerve type pain like burning and shooting pain
- Muscle relaxants for treating muscle spasms
- Opioids
- Nerve block procedures like epidural steroid injection, lumbar sympathetic block, stellate ganglion block, and celiac plexus block
- Transcutaneous electro-nerve stimulator
Many of the oral and prescription drug remedies for chronic pain management have various side effects like addiction, physical dependence, and abdominal pain. With the approval of medical marijuana as a treatment option, you can effectively manage your pain without experiencing the side effects seen in other medications.