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More than half of people who use medical marijuana products to ease pain also experience clusters of multiple withdrawal symptoms when they're between uses, a new study finds.
The findings also indicated that about 10 per cent of the patients taking part in the study experienced worsening changes to their sleep, mood, mental state, energy, and appetite over the next two years as they continued to use cannabis.
According to the reports, some people report experiencing significant benefits from medical cannabis, but our findings suggest a real need to increase awareness about the signs of withdrawal symptoms developing to decrease the potential downsides of cannabis use, especially among those who experience severe or worsening symptoms over time.
Many of them may not recognize that these symptoms do not come from their underlying condition, but from their brain and body's reaction to the absence of substances in the cannabis products they're smoking, vaping, eating, or applying to their skin, the researcher said.
For the study, published in the journal Addiction, the team involved 527 participants. All were participating in the state's system to certify people with certain conditions for use of medical cannabis and had non-cancer-related pain.
The researchers asked the patients whether they had experienced any of 15 different symptoms - ranging from trouble sleeping and nausea to irritability and aggression - when they had gone a significant time without using cannabis.
The researchers used an analytic method to empirically group the patients into those who had no symptoms or mild symptoms at the start of the study, those who had moderate symptoms (meaning they experienced multiple withdrawal symptoms), and those who had severe withdrawal issues that included most or all of the symptoms.
They then looked at how things changed over time, surveying the patients one year and two years after their first survey.
Further research could help identify those most at risk of developing problems, and reduce the risk of progression to cannabis use disorder, which is when someone uses cannabis repeatedly despite major impacts on their lives and ability to function, the researcher said.
If you have a toothache, backache, or any other type of pain, your first impulse may be to reach for a pill. Many people rely on medications, but they come with the risk of side effects, drug interactions, and habitual use or addiction. Many herbs and spices can treat inflammation and other related conditions. Try these natural painkillers for a better experience with pain.
Turmeric is the spice that gives curry its yellow color and unique flavor. It contains the compound curcumin, an antioxidant that helps protect the body from free radical molecules that can damage cells and tissue.
Like other herbal supplements, you can use cloves to treat a wide range of conditions. Cloves may help ease nausea and treat colds. They may also help relieve the pain associated with headaches, arthritic inflammation, and toothaches. Cloves can also be used as part of a topical pain reliever.
The lavender essential oil may help relieve pain naturally. People use lavender oil for pain relief, to help sleep, and to ease anxiety.
Ginger, or Zingiber officinale, is a root that shows promise as a natural pain reliever. According to the research, ingesting 2 grams of ginger per day modestly reduced muscle pain from resistance exercise and running when people took it for at least 5 days.
People also use capsaicin, present in chili peppers, for natural pain relief. This substance can cause a mild burning or tingling sensation when a person applies it topically.
Be sure to use a carrier oil to dilute your chosen essential oil. Applying an undiluted essential oil can cause skin irritation and inflammation.
Since herbal therapies for pain management have yet to be thoroughly studied, be careful when embarking on this treatment path. Regardless of the herb, you try, remember that they're not benign. Research into their safety and efficacy is still limited.The best course is to talk to a health-care professional before testing out a herbal remedy.