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Migraine pains are quite common these days, but they can make life extremely stressful for those who bear them. With symptoms like throbbing headaches, vomiting and nausea, sensitivity to noise and light, and even transitions to a vision like flashes of light or blind spots, it can be difficult to resume everyday chores when a migraine hits.
In fact, migraines are so draining they are the second leading cause of weakness for those younger than 50.
Sadly, migraines can also be tricky to manage. While many prescription medicines exist for migraines, they aren’t always useful for some migraine patients who seek them. This has left people looking for alternative ways to treat migraines.
The idea that cannabis eases the pain is becoming more widely accepted – but does it reduce pain for headaches? Let’s try to find the answer in the following post!
What Does the Research Say?
Marijuana might be one under-the-counter treatment for migraine relief. A November 2019 study issued in the Journal of Pain declared that cannabis could relieve migraine and headache intensity by 50%. Even if the patients increase the dose, cannabis use does not worsen headaches or migraines over time.
A 2019 retrospective study issued in Neurology discovered that 88.3% of a sample of 279 sufferers reported an improvement in their condition after using the herb. More than half of the victims remarked on a decline in the headache cycle, and 38.3% found their sleep increased. Fifty percent of those using opioid medicines were able to reduce their doses.
Jamie Bacharach is an authorized acupuncturist and herbal treatment practitioner who prescribes cannabis for migraine and headaches from her infirmary in Jerusalem.
With a talk to Healthline, she said that inhaling marijuana is a faster approach as it reaches into the bloodstream quicker than the ingestion method. Because oxygen in gasped breath meets the alveolar surfaces quickly, it can easily be connected to blood to carry the characteristics of smoke through the body.
She added that consuming marijuana via other methods takes more time to act and otherwise does not offer the health benefits along into the body as efficiently.
How Does Cannabis Reduce Headache?
Cannabis and its cannabinoids seem to work within different neurological pathways and electrical courses in the brain, nerves outside the brain, nervous system, and spinal cord. In some of these, they stimulate the same courses and brain receptors that many migraine medicines target.
Cannabis has natural substances named cannabinoids. When you ingest it, these cannabinoids go into your body and search for the receptors. They alter how the receptors operate, and this way, they can ease the pain signals.
According to medical cannabis experts, the endocannabinoid system (ECS) can directly alleviate migraine pain when stimulated by naturally composed cannabinoids or medical marijuana taken by patients.
Cannabis can soothe the pain in the protective dura mater tissue, including the brain, and reduce the discharge of pro-inflammatory chemicals, both of which add to the origin of a migraine.
Studies have also discovered that one cause of chronic migraines is anandamide deficiency. Anandamide is one of two cannabinoids generated in the brain and is correlated with reduced inflammation and activation of pain centers in the head.
Sativa or Indica? Which One is Better for Heavy Heads?
There are two main varieties of the cannabis plant: Sativa and Indica. Among these two, Sativa strains contain high THC levels and low CBD levels. Consequently, it tends to generate more uplifting, vibrant, and euphoric feelings. That’s why Sativa is most beneficial during the daytime.
Then again, cannabis Indica has an average THC level and remarkably high CBD levels. It gives more soothing, relaxing, and calming effects. Indica strains carry more sedative effects and might be more useful at night as they can cause drowsiness.
Are there the best strains for migraines?
Of course, you will find many seed banks and dispensaries claiming that this strain is best for headaches, etc. You need to be careful while choosing the right cannabis strains for migraines, as all of them won’t be examined by experts. Please remember that marijuana is a marketed product that is not submitted to the laws applying to drugs.
Here are some well-known cannabis strains that might help you pass a hard time:
Who Should Not Consume Medical Marijuana?
Because of insufficient research, medicinal marijuana is still seen as a last hope after conventional therapies have failed. Given the least adverse effects and safety profile of the herb, it may be a viable option for opioids which are also viewed as a last resort.
The experts recommend the following group of people not to take cannabis:
- Youngsters under 21 are not advised to use marijuana because of its potential impacts on the developing brain.
- Those with a history of drug abuse or obsession.
- Individuals with a psychiatric disorder, especially schizophrenia or a family history of schizophrenia.
- People with lung disease should avoid inhaling methods of cannabis
- Pregnant and breastfeeding ladies
- Those who are expected to drive, run machinery, and other dangerous tasks regularly.
What Should We Expect In The Future?
As more people are getting informed of the benefits of medical marijuana, you can expect more heated disputes, controversial headlines, and the gradual relaxation of strict marijuana laws.
We still don’t know what combinations or proportions of cannabinoids and cannabis aggregates will help with the disease and symptoms.
Expert medical practitioners may discover new medications based on cannabis plant-derived cannabinoids. These may be more efficient in targeting particular diseases or symptoms and with fewer side effects.
Much more analysis is desperately needed to explore these potential new medicines. Luckily, clinical trials are on the rise. We are still only in our infancy of learning all the values within the cannabis plant and its potential.
Last Thoughts
While more comprehensive studies, or preferably double-blind clinical trials, could lead us to more reliable data on these questions. The results of the initial trials are extremely beneficial for those who haven’t found comfort from conventional migraine therapies. Hopefully, in the future, medical researches will help fill in some of the gaps and give migraine patients precise parameters for how to treat migraines with cannabis.
Attention!
Marijuana is not legal everywhere globally, and violating any rules regarding substance use can put you into legal problems, possibly marking your record and causing long-term outcomes. Make sure you understand the laws regarding cannabis and medical marijuana in your region before trying this route of treatment.
