Chronic pain is one of the most frustrating parts of aging. Unfortunately, it is the reality that millions of people around the United States deal with on a daily basis. Establishing helpful methods for managing chronic pain will go a long way toward improving the quality of life that these people experience.
Medical marijuana has long been regarded as a viable method for managing chronic pain. However, cannabis use has not always been met with a positive reception. There are attitudes, biases, and preconceived ideas about how effective and safe cannabis is even when used for medical purposes such as managing chronic pain symptoms. New research into medical marijuana is helping doctors to better understand just how helpful it might be.
Cannabis use is met with mixed reception when it comes to pain management.
A recent study from Rutgers Health found that adults with chronic pain strongly support policies expanding access to cannabis, significantly more than the physicians that were treating them. The team surveyed over 1,600 chronic pain patients and about 1,000 physicians in states with medical cannabis programs. They found that 71 percent of patients backed the federal legalization of medical cannabis, compared to 59 percent of physicians. Additionally, support for the federal legalization of adult recreational use was 55 percent among patients versus only 38 percent amongst the physician sample. A notable 64 percent of patients favored requiring insurance coverage for cannabis treatment, while only 51 percent of physicians agreed with this.
The study revealed that personal experience had a large amount of influence on people’s attitudes toward cannabis use. For chronic pain patients who have found relief through cannabis, their support for expanding access probably comes from a more direct understanding of its benefits. Conversely, physicians who have not had the opportunity or inclination to recommend cannabis might feel less informed or confident about its use, leading to a more cautious stance on expanding access.
Patients who had used cannabis for pain reported the highest support for expanding access, while physicians who hadn’t recommended it showed the least support. The study’s authors emphasized the complexity of cannabis policies, as regulations vary widely across states, complicating the landscape further. Not all doctors have the same law and policies that they must follow when it comes to medical marijuana use.
About 70 percent of both patients and physicians favored requiring medical schools to train future doctors on cannabis treatment for chronic noncancer pain. This support for increased education underscores the need to bridge the knowledge gap between patients and healthcare providers, potentially improving patient-provider discussions and outcomes regarding cannabis as a treatment option.
Medical cannabis might be helpful for some in the fight against chronic pain, but it is a treatment of the symptoms, and not a cure. It might have the potential to help some people minimize the pain and discomfort that they experience on a daily basis, but it won’t treat the root causes of chronic pain. And it won’t change the fact that many people who experience chronic pain need assistance in order to get through their days safely.
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