Migraine Management: Providing Hope with Medical Cannabis
If you have ever experienced a migraine headache, you know they are far worse than normal headaches that you may experience from something like a long day at work. Migraines often make it hard for you to function and you’ll do almost anything to get relief. They hinder your ability to go about your daily life and get the things done that you need to. People that suffer from migraines know how truly terrible and debilitating they can be so it’s important to know what your options are for treatment and relief. Medical Cannabis can be a great option to relieve the dreadful symptoms that migraine sufferers experience.
What Exactly is a Migraine?
Migraines are different than headaches. While headaches do have pressure and pain associated with them, migraines are more intense and usually have other symptoms that come along with the head pain. They can be accompanied by nausea, pain behind the eye or ear, pain in the temples, vomiting, sensitivity to light/sound and visual effects such as seeing spots or flashing lights.
A migraine can either be classified as with or without an aura. An aura means the sufferer feels certain sensations before a migraine really hits. These can be the visual disturbances, tingling or having trouble concentrating.
How Many People are Affected?
In the United States, more than 37 million people are affected by migraines. Some studies estimate that two to three million of these suffer from chronic migraines. They occur most often in women, people between 35 and 55, and Caucasians.
How Medical Cannabis Can Help:
While cannabis has been used for a long time to treat migraines, it’s only recently that the research has begun to fully back up the claim. A recent study from Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Colorado dug into the question further. They looked at both inhaled and ingested cannabis and the effects on those who suffer from migraines. There were 121 adults who participated and the average number of migraine headaches went down from 10.4 per month to 4.6. This is a huge decrease for those who suffer from migraines. 85 percent reported having fewer migraines per month.
Are There Any Side-Effects From Using Medical Cannabis to Treat Migraines?
In the same study conducted by Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, those who inhaled cannabis had the fastest results. Those who had edible cannabis were more likely to have negative side effects, such as sleepiness and overly intense euphoria. This happened in 11.6 percent of participants.
The mild side effects experienced by a small number of individuals seem like a small price to pay to reduce chronic migraines in those that struggle for relief on a daily basis. For those that have an overwhelming number of migraines per month, cannabis could be an excellent option to inquire about. If you or someone you know suffers from mediate to severe migraines, MedWell Health & Wellness Centers wants to help! You can easily schedule an MMJ card certification appointment by clicking here to determine if medical marijuana is a viable treatment option for your ailment.
