Medical Marijuana for Chronic Pain with Dr. Rachna Patel

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In this episode of The Functional Medicine Radio Show, Dr. Carri’s special guest Dr. Rachna Patel explains medical marijuana for chronic pain.

Dr. Rachna Patel has been practicing in the area of medical marijuana for over half-a-decade. She walks patients step-by-step through how to use medical marijuana for their specific medical condition without getting high off of it, without getting addicted to it, and without smoking it.

She speaks from the experience of having treated thousands of patients and having read research study upon research study on marijuana. She completed her medical studies at Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Main Questions Asked about Medical Marijuana for Chronic Pain:

How did you end up in the field of medical marijuana?
What are the big five conditions that medical marijuana is good at addressing?
How much does medical marijuana change the quality of life?
Are there any conditions that medical marijuana wasn’t effective?
Are there areas of medical marijuana that the listeners should be aware of?

Key Points Made by Dr. Patel about Medical Marijuana for Chronic Pain:

Medical marijuana studies have shown that treatment can help patients lower the doses of conventional medication they are taking.
Chronic pain and insomnia are two major issues that medical marijuana is effective at treating.
There are a variety of different types of pain and the effectiveness of medical marijuana is determined largely by the amounts of components we are using.
Certain types of pain are accompanied by inflammation which is treated best by CBD, but THC can be used as well.
There is a synergistic effect between CBD and THC.
Medical marijuana dampens the pain signals that the body sends the brain, but it also alters the perception of the pain.
The third way medical marijuana treats pain is by attacking the cells that cause inflammation and prevents further inflammation from happening.
There doesn’t seem to be long term side effects of marijuana use, especially when compared to traditional opiate based medication.
In states where medical marijuana has been legalized, the rate of opiate abuse has dropped by 30% or more.
There are a lot of people that still associate a stigma with medical marijuana due to government intervention in the early 20th and 21st century. Perception of marijuana tends to vary depending on the generation the person was raised in.
Many medical marijuana patients have seen many improvements in their quality of life including a reduction in pain and the ability to do the activities that they love that pain was preventing them from doing. Sleep is often improved as well.
Many patients have also seen an improvement at work due to increased clarity and focus.
Severe cases of spinal stenosis and shingles are conditions that don’t appear to respond well to medical marijuana treatment.
Make sure you use the right combinations of chemicals and you’re using the correct dose. Too high of a dose can actually make your pain worse. Be careful with frequency as well.