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Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is hands down the most strongly recommended first line of treatment for individuals suffering from PTSD. This recommendation holds true across virtually all of the most prominent medical associations dealing with PTSD, including the United States Department of Veteran Affairs. CBT is a form of treatment that helps individuals focus on the relationships between their thoughts, feelings and behaviors. The first step is to identify the dysfunctional patterns between their thoughts, feelings and behaviors that are resulting in the harmful symptoms they are experiencing, in addition to any personal, professional or legal problems that their PTSD may be worsening. The next step is to explore making changes to these patterns in ways that help the individual to overcome their harmful effect on their lives. The second line of treatment for PTSD is medication. The most commonly used medications are what are known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), such as Zoloft or Paxil.
However, if conventional therapies have failed to work for a given individual, cannabis can be considered as an alternative or adjunct form of treatment. There are numerous anecdotal cases and small studies where patients suffering from PTSD have reported an improvement in their symptoms with the use of cannabis. And now within the state of Arkansas, it is possible for individuals to consult with their physician to determine whether they qualify for a medical cannabis card.
It must be noted that the data for the benefits of cannabis in the treatment of PTSD are not of particularly high quality. A randomized control trial performed among military veterans with PTSD did not show any benefit compared to placebo. And while another small study did show reported improvement of PTSD symptoms among veterans, a confounding factor was that the participants were already using cannabis prior to the study, raising the issues of selection bias and begging the question of why their symptoms had not improved with their cannabis use prior to initiation of the trial.
The use of cannabis in the treatment for PTSD is, therefore, something for which there is not enough compelling statistical evidence to make a strong generalized recommendation. However, many individuals do report improvements in their PTSD symptoms and cannabis could be explored alongside their physician on a case by case basis to determine whether or not this is a good option worth trying for them.
To further explore interesting ideas and stay up to date with ongoing changes in the medical arena, check our main blog site at My Virtual Physician!! (https://myvirtualphysician.com/blog/)
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Chronic pain can last for months or even years, and it can occur anywhere in the body. Depending on its severity, it can seriously impact a person’s daily life, activities, work, and even lead to mental health problems such as depression or anxiety. It may be the result of things such as past physical trauma, degenerative changes in the body, neuropathic pain, or even in some cases no underlying cause is ever found. In some cases, it can even be psychogenic in origin, where the person’s mental health problem results in (or manifests as) physical pain. For example, a person with severe persistent depression might begin experiencing subjective physical pain as a byproduct of their psychological distress.
The first thing to do when experiencing chronic pain is to speak with a physician and rule out an underlying problem that might be causing it, such as cancer or an autoimmune condition. This step is very important and should not be skipped, as doing so might result in missing some potentially fatal illness. As mentioned above, included in ruling out an underlying problem is considering potential mental health causes to an individual’s chronic pain (such as depression, anxiety, hypochondriasis, conversion disorder, etc.). Once a treatable underlying cause has been ruled out, treatment usually centers around a combination or medications, therapies, and/or lifestyle changes.
If conventional therapies have failed to successfully or adequately address an individual’s chronic pain, an alternative therapy that can be considered is the use of cannabis or other cannabis-derived products. The state of Arkansas currently allows individuals to meet with their physician and explore the possibility of qualifying for a medical cannabis card.
There have been numerous studies that have shown cannabis to be effective in the management of chronic pain. Furthermore, in studies looking at the use of cannabis for the treatment of multiple other health problems or diseases, pain reduction was often the primary effect reported by participants in those studies.
In addition to the pain reduction itself, some studies have shown that cannabis use for chronic pain can significantly reduce opioid use among these patients. This reduction in opioid use carries multiple benefits, particularly right now as we find ourselves in something of an opioid epidemic in the United States. Illicitly obtained opioids can be of wildly varying concentrations and strengths, in addition to often being laced with cheap-but-extremely-potent narcotics such as fentanyl. Thus reducing opioid use can help prevent accidental overdoses. But even with legally obtained opioids from a reputable medical institution with accurate concentrations, opioids still carry risks such as respiratory depression, which can still result in death if abused by the patient or combined with alcohol or other drugs.
Therefore there is good evidence that cannabis can be an effective adjunct treatment in the management of chronic pain and can be considered by patients with the advice and counsel of their physician. Cannabis still carries its normal health, safety and legal risks. Patients must be consciously aware of the dangers of impaired cognition and memory, particularly when it comes to performing activities such as driving, operating heavy machinery, or carrying out one’s professional duties.
To further explore interesting ideas and stay up to date with ongoing changes in the medical arena, check our main blog site at My Virtual Physician!! (https://myvirtualphysician.com/blog/)
