Could Medical Marijuana Be a Good Choice for Treating My Chronic Pain?

Since its creation in 2015, the Compassionate Use Program (CUP) has enabled eligible Texans to have access to medical marijuana to help with a variety of conditions, including epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, autism, and spasticity. 

Medical marijuana can also be a good choice to help manage chronic pain conditions such as neuropathy. Darryl Camp, MD, and our team here at the Texas Herbal Clinic in Houston, Texas, understand the profound ways in which chronic pain can affect your life.  

Read on to learn more about medical marijuana and chronic pain.

Medical marijuana and chronic pain

Chronic pain refers to any pain that lasts more than three months, and it may be persistent or it can come and go. There are many conditions that can contribute to chronic pain, including pain from cancer and neuropathy.  

Medical marijuana could be a good choice for your chronic pain if it’s related to an eligible condition such as:

Chronic pain from neuropathy

Neuropathy is notorious for causing chronic pain, but depending on which nerves are affected, you may also experience tingling and burning sensations or numbness. 

According to a 2018 review, several small studies determined that medical marijuana provides several benefits for peripheral neuropathy, including pain reduction. In addition to helping with chronic pain, the studies also demonstrated that medical marijuana can help improve sleep quality and overall function.

Chronic pain from cancer

Medical marijuana may be a good choice to help manage pain related to cancer because it:

• Helps reduce cancer pain by binding with cannabinoid receptors in the brain
• Helps manage neuropathy (a common side effect of cancer treatments)

Medical marijuana can also help ease nausea (from chemotherapy) and boost your appetite.

Chronic pain from multiple sclerosis 

Multiple sclerosis is also listed as an eligible condition for medical marijuana. People with multiple sclerosis may experience pain related to muscle stiffness or spasms. Medical marijuana can help ease this pain as well.

Medical marijuana can help with other symptoms of multiple sclerosis, including anxiety.

This is just a small list of eligible conditions that cause chronic pain. Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and dementia are other examples of eligible conditions that may also cause pain. If you’re unsure if you qualify, don’t hesitate to reach out to us for clarification. 

Getting started with medical marijuana for chronic pain

To get started with medical marijuana for chronic pain, our team must first determine that your chronic pain is related to an eligible condition. Board-certified neurologist Darryl Camp, MD, provides everything you need under one roof. 

To book your appointment, complete this short contact form. During your appointment (either virtual or in person), Dr. Camp confirms your eligibility and enrolls you into the Texas medical marijuana program. Then, simply pick up your medical marijuana from the Texas Original Dispensary 一 no medical card needed!

Help for chronic pain is just a call or click away. You can reach our office at 713-955-3325 or through our online form.