January 16, 2018

Marijuana vs Traditional Medication For Migraines

January 16, 2018
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Marijuana can be used to treat migraine headaches, and there are several pros to using it instead of traditional meds.

Can marijuana effectively treat migraines?

Did you know that marijuana has been used to treat migraines for centuries? In fact, the first recorded use of cannabis for treatment was in 1874!

The combination of migraine and marijuana has made a great pair for a long time. However, there are still some skeptics out there that doubt the healing powers of cannabis. Some people still use traditional medication to treat their headaches.

We’ve written this article to explore each treatment for migraines. Let’s take a closer look.

What is a Migraine?

The simplest explanation is a severe headache accompanied by nausea and vomiting. However, if we look at the facts, we can see that it’s not so simple at all:

  • About 10% of Americans suffer from migraines. This is over 30 million people!
  • Migraines are a severely disabling disease and a leading cause of disability.
  • There’s no known cure and they are difficult to treat.
  • Migraine sufferers spend about 5% of their lives afflicted with a headache.

Marijuana for Migraines

The use of medical marijuana can not only help prevent migraines, but it can also stop migraines that have already begun.

A recent clinical study suggests that marijuana can reduce the frequency and intensity of headaches. This 2016 study found that the frequency of migraine headaches decreased from 10.4 to 4.6 headaches per month when the subjects used medical marijuana. Furthermore, over 85% of study participants experienced symptom relief.

How Does Marijuana Help?

The symptoms of migraines include severe pain and nausea. Marijuana is a powerful pain reliever and it can also help combat vomiting and nausea. Besides its analgesic properties, marijuana has anti-inflammatory qualities that can treat the chronic inflammation known to trigger migraine headaches. Finally, marijuana helps to offset the harmful effects of stress, that can worsen or induce migraines

Marijuana for Migraines Pros

Let’s take a look at some of the pros of using marijuana to combat migraines:

  • Immediate relief with smoking or vaporizing.
  • Easy to control dosing.
  • Few long-term side effects.
  • Fewer drug interactions
  • Reduced risk of addiction.

Marijuana Versus Traditional Medications

While there are some traditional treatments for migraines, there are some things to weigh them against. For example:

  • Overdose Risk
  • Drug Interactions
  • Cardiac Side Effects
  • Kidney and Liver Damage
  • Risk of Stroke
  • Stomach Ulcer and Pain

These are just some of the warnings you can find on traditional medications!

Marijuana Strains for Migraines

Let’s start this out by saying that every strain will affect everybody differently. We suggest you visit your medical marijuana shop and consult with the budtenders there. That being said, the following strains have been known to help diminish migraine symptoms or stop them altogether:

Bubba Kush

Your medical marijuana shop may have more information on the qualities of each strain.

Conclusion

We know that migraines can be a terrible burden to bear. We wrote this article to provide you with the pros and cons of using marijuana vs traditional medication.

  • When you use cannabis, it can help to reduce or even eliminate the need for traditional migraine medications. There are clinical studies that have proven it can work. And marijuana avoids some of the nasty side effects of traditional medication.

Have you ever used marijuana to treat a migraine? Let us know in the comments!

Author Bio:Bjorn Wallman is the co-founder and CEO atHazy Marketing, a specialized marketing agency catering to the cannabis industry. Founder and CEO at Once Interactive as well, he has 8+ years of experience in transforming businesses to digital. Also a designer, crossfitter, Liverpool FC fan and a tech geek.

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