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The term neuropathy refers to damage to the nerves in your body, most especially the nerves that are not part of your brain or spinal cord. Information that travels from your injured nerves usually travels from your damaged nervous system in the brain and spinal cord to the rest of your body. Therefore, severe discomfort, agony, and weakness are frequently the result of injury to these nerves. This is a very serious condition and it can affect the patient for a long term.
In this article, we will explore how medical marijuana helps in treating neuropathy and how you can get an MMJ card for treating this condition.
Symptoms of Neuropathy
You can experience the following symptoms:
Sensation of needles and pins
High sensitivity to contact
Burning sensation
Severe pain
Difficulty with balance
Weakened muscles
Muscle paralysis
Stuttering
Spasms
Excessive sweating
Difficulty managing bowels
Increased heart rate
Dizziness
Neuropathy and Medical Marijuana
The endocannabinoid system plays a crucial role in the treatment of neuropathy, by maintaining the body's equilibrium and directly affecting neuropathy symptoms such as pain and inflammation. The application of cannabis and the resultant cannabinoids, THC and CBD, has demonstrated considerable promise in the management of neuropathic pain.
Which Cannabinoids Are Effective in Treating Neuropathic Pain?
Although THC and CBD were already discussed, here's a little more information:
- THC has the ability to numb or distort nerve pain by acting as an analgesic. THC reduces inflammation via interacting with CB1 and CB2 receptors.
- CBD does not always directly interact with the cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2, although it does act on many receptors simultaneously. In addition to decreasing THC's psychoactivity, CBD works on serotonin to elevate mood. It also acts as a negative allosteric modulator of CB1 and opioid receptors, which helps lower the intensity of pain signals.
- Tetrahydrocannabivarin, or THCV, may be a very useful treatment for the nerve pain brought on by diabetes and Alzheimer's disease.
- Cannabigerol (CBG) has the potential to repair or regenerate damaged nerve and brain tissue in addition to helping relieve chronic nerve pain!
Which States Permit Cannabis Use for Neuropathy?
Neuropathy patients can use medical marijuana in the following states:
- Arkansas
- Connecticut
- Georgia
- Missouri
- Montana
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Dakota
- Pennsylvania
- West Virginia
A patient with neuropathy may also be approved in other states at the choice of a doctor. For example, in DC, doctors have the authority to recommend medical marijuana for any other condition that is long-term, and cannot be successfully treated by ordinary medical measures, or any condition for which treatment with medical marijuana would be beneficial.
How Can I Begin Using Marijuana to Treat Neuropathy?
In order to use marijuana to treat neuropathic pain, you need a recommendation from a qualified healthcare provider. After that, you have to register with the medical marijuana program in your state. Your state program will allow you to obtain a medical marijuana card before using medical cannabis. For obtaining a medical marijuana card, there are certain qualifying conditions and neuropathy is one of the qualifying conditions for getting an MMJ card. Follow the below steps to get an MMJ card for treating your neuropathy symptoms:
- Set up the initial consultation with your doctor.
- Your doctor will assess your condition and give you a recommendation.
- After getting approval from the doctor, wait for 2-3 weeks until your card arrives.
Note: Don’t forget to check your state laws because marijuana is a controlled substance and is prohibited on a federal level.
Conclusion
Neuropathic pain has few effective treatments available. Many people choose medical cannabis over prescription drugs because it has fewer negative side effects, eases nerve pain, and enhances quality of life by increasing appetite and sleep.
