Alternative Methods Of Pain Treatment And Management Essay

Marijuana has survived the passing of time and still helps the sick today. The advanced stages of treatment for patients with Cancer, AIDS and other diseases often include, terrible nausea, vomiting, and different types of pain. Patients have reported much relief from

Neuropathic pain is the result of injury. “Neuropathic pain can occur as the result of such conditions as shingles, cancer, phantom limb pain, the phenomenon known as entrapment neuropath” (The Gazette). People with pain go see a doctor and they get subscribe to pain killers. However Pain killers can be very dangerous. For instance on can get addicted to pain killers by taking them for a long period of time. Using pain killers can be damage to your system and by the time you don’t need them anymore the body will still want them.

There is a huge need for alternative ways to provide comfort for patients that have adverse

Medical marijuana, also known as cannabis, is a controversial topic because many find it beneficial as others find the usage to be recreational. Throughout the years, medical marijuana has gone through periods of times in which it was legal and illegal. Over the years laws have been developed in order to try and regulate the usage of the drug. Studies have shown many the benefits of treating diseases and symptoms. Today it is used in treatment with many different diseases and disorders such as cancer, post-traumatic stress disorder, and multiple sclerosis. As medical marijuana has different species and uses of the product, it is important to depict where the drug can be used for treatment. The usage of this drug enables patients to have a more positive and livable outcome with treatments.

Legalization of medical marijuana is a disputed issue in the United States. In 1996, California was the first state to pass the Compassionate Use Act allowing for the legal use of medicinal marijuana (Freisthler, Kepple, Sims, & Martin, 2013). Subsequently, this lead to the enactment of similar laws from 25 states allowing those with medical illnesses and chronic pain to use medicinal marijuana. The efficacy of the Compassionate Use Act can be determined via data analysis of pain management and other nontraditional benefits before and after 1996. Each state can be categorized as either fully functional, meaning medical marijuana laws are enacted, non-functional, not yet operational or in process, and cannabidiol specific.

In the United States, marijuana for medical purposes has gained more prevalence in current political discourse than in previous years. Marijuana, also known as cannabis, is a flowering plant that originally came from South and Central Asia. For centuries, the cannabis plant has been used for many natural products such as seed oils, seed, fiber that is used to make hemp products and contains over four hundred chemicals, some of which have an antibiotic like effect (Nordqvist, 2013). Studies have shown that two of the chemicals, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and Cannabidiol (CBD), have a positive effect on humans for mild to moderate painkilling effects and sedative effects (Nordqvist, 2013). The purpose of this paper is

"Various forms of medicinal cannabis have provided mostly positive responses for patients with different types of pain: Neuropathic, chronic, postoperative, and that related to fibromyalgia, rhematoid arthritis, mutiple sclerosis and cancer" (Borgelt, Franson, & Nussbaum, 2013). In a study outlined in the article The Pharmacologic and Clinical Effects of Medical Cannabis, which evaluated smoked cannabis compared to placebo, significant improvements in pain were observed. The study included 56 patients and used cigarettes wtih varying THC contents. In general, a higher THC content (up to 9.4%) appears to be more effective for pain relief (Borgelt, Franson, & Nussbaum, 2013).

Medical marijuana laws are currently in effect in 25 states, as well as the District of Columbia. In recent years, medical marijuana advocates, and members within the scientific community have joined together with the New York City Council to present compelling patient vignettes before state lawmakers in Albany to show legitimate need for cannabinoids. New York City maintains its position as actively investigating into these claims. As a New York City nursing candidate, depending on state legislation, this may be an avenue of therapeutic treatment that I must research, educate patients on, and utilize effectively in my future career plan. Currently, opioids remain the only

Marijuana is a drug that divides people. Some people claim it as the wonder drug of the '90s, capable of relieving the symptoms of many serious illnesses. Others curse the day the cannabis plant was ever discovered. From pain relief to stimulating the appetites of patients on chemotherapy, marijuana seems to have plenty going for it as a medicine. The legalization of marijuana is a large controversy in many parts of the world today, but the obvious negative effects that the drug induces has kept it from being legalized. Many researchers have a strong positive attitude towards marijuana. It has been said that the drug is “worth investigating and even providing as a medicine for pain relief, severe

Chronic pain is a common symptom of diseases such as arthritis, fibromyalgia, nerve damage, and is characterized as pain lasting longer than twelve weeks where individuals will experience sharp or dull, causing a burning or aching sensation in the affected areas” and “steady or intermittent, coming and going without any apparent reason” (Cirino & Weatherspoon, 2016). Common management practices of chronic pain involve oral and topical medications, which include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, acetaminophen, opioids, and antidepressants (American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, 2017). The Public Health Agency reports, “out of every 5 Canadians aged 20 years or older, 3 have a chronic disease and 4 are at risk of developing a chronic condition” (Betancourt, Roberts, Bennett, Driscoll, Jayaraman & Pelletier, 2014). Reported in Health Canada’s 2012 Canadian Alcohol and Drug Use Monitoring Survey report indicated of the 17.7% of Canadians who indicated they used cannabis for medical, 49.7% used for “chronic pain caused by conditions such as arthritis, back pain and migraines” (Health Canada, 2014). In recent years a number of studies have researched the potential benefits of marihuana an alternative to traditional western medical practices. Encouraging findings have found that marihuana use has “due to patients reporting significant pain relief and reduction in the use of other medications, including opioids” (Ko, Hendin, Mindra & Jung, 2016). Similarly a review of clinical research noted patients who used marihuana reported significant pain decreases, better sleep, and lessen stiffness (Jensen, Chen, Furnish& Wallace, 2015). Health Canada expects by the year 2024 over 300,000 Canadians will using marihuana for medical practices (Desjardins, 2014), thus, it is important that research continues to increase and ensure health practitioners are staying up to day

Chronic pain is intense suffering/agony that can persist between weeks to years. Currently, there are an estimated more than 3 million cases of chronic pain in the United States each year. That is where the Marijuana comes into play. An article on the JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association states the following for Marijuana being used for chronic pain as well as other medical problems,”Aside from nausea and appetite stimulation, indications for which there are 2 FDA-approved cannabinoids (dronabinol and nabilone), chronic pain, neuropathic pain, and spasticity associated with multiple sclerosis are the indications for medical marijuana supported by high-quality evidence”(Hill). As usual, I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t state the drawbacks to using Marijuana to treat chronic pain. The same article states,”Medical marijuana and cannabinoids have significant potential health risks, such as addiction and worsening of psychiatric illnesses such as some anxiety disorders, mood disorders, psychotic disorders, and substance use disorders”(Hill). Currently, there are no ways to combatant these side

Over the past couple of years, the use of opioid painkillers has skyrocketed. And due to this, so has the number of overdoses. The opioid epidemic is the worst drug crisis that the United States has ever seen. Killing thousands of people and sending many more to either drug rehabilitation programs or prison. Yet doctors continue to prescribe these addictive painkillers, to patients with little to no restrictions. There are many safer options than these opioids, including the use of marijuana, which has been overlooked for far too long.

It is hard to imagine the day-to-day pain that a cancer patient endures, but one can imagine that any type of relief would be invited from the victim and their families. These poor individuals suffer throughout the day, and unfortunately are in so much discomfort that attempting to live an ordinary life is virtually impossible. Providing people in these conditions with something that will help is almost a no brainer to people looking from the outside in. This is where marijuana can be an effective substitute for the treatments they are already taking. On this drug, many of those going through unbearable pain can function, and begin to appreciate life as they might have before the pain began.

The use of cannabis toward medicine should not be shocking to anyone, since it has been around for centuries. As a matter of fact, it has been under medicinal aid for an estimated 5,000 years. Western medicine truly grasped marijuana’s medicinal abilities in the 1850’s. Infact, doctors documented over one hundred papers about how marijuana helped numerous disorders, such as nausea, glaucoma, movement disorders, pain relief, depression, and anxiety. It also helps cancer patients and those with HIV or Aids. Currently, many American patients have access to marijuana use so that they can have effective treatments for their illnesses. Medical marijuana use is achievable because

As you may know, medical marijuana emerged as a mainstream medicine by the 19th century used primarily in the West. Today, medical marijuana is being utilized for numerous medical reasons. Some of these reasons include, but are not limited to, the following: the amelioration of nausea and vomiting, stimulation of hunger in chemotherapy and AID’s patients, lowered intraocular eye pressure (shown to be effective for treating glaucoma, as well as gastrointestinal illness). In addition, cannabis may offer “fewer negative side effects than opioids-which can be highly addictive-and NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), which can induce stomach ulcers, bleeding, and kidney failure,” said Allen St. Pierre, an executive director of the national organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.