Having cancer doesn’t mean that you’ll always be in pain. However, as the disease progresses and the frequency of your treatments increases, the pain can become more and more intense.

According to the American Cancer Society, taking medical cannabis is one way to manage this pain.

In this post, we’ll be discussing recent research that focuses on the benefits of medical cannabis for cancer pain among older women:

Pain and age—is there a link?

As cited by Forbes, over 50% of women who deal with conditions like cancer are above the age of 50. As women age, all kinds of factors related to old age exacerbate the side effects of medical treatments. This doesn’t just apply to cancer. Let’s look at arthritis as an example. Women who are undergoing menopause experience greater muscle and joint discomfort compared to younger women, which leads to arthritis becoming more unbearable.

The pain that arises as a side effect of treatments like chemotherapy is known as neuropathy. Although it extends to all body parts, the pain is usually confined to the hands and feet and is more problematic among older individuals.

It not only impacts their quality of life, but also limits their ability to get through everyday tasks.

Cannabis for Symptomatic Management of Pain 

Forbes also mentions an in-depth study that was carried out at the Lankenau Medical Center earlier this year. There are 22 respondents— all women who were near the age of 65. All of them were dealing with some stage of cancer.

According to the findings, 73 to 89% of the respondents took medical cannabis for symptomatic management of pain. 45% of them took the treatment to deal with anxiety, 33% for insomnia, and 4% for nausea. This is because pain is almost always accompanied by other symptoms such as insomnia and anxiety.

A major benefit of symptomatic management through cannabis is that it’s safer in a number of ways. Unlike other conventional drugs, there are no heavy metals, no use of pesticides, and no unregulated sources.

Other than that, the method of delivery is safer compared to smoking or vaping. This makes it easier for cancer patients who are already dealing with processes like radiation and chemotherapy.

It also reassures them that they’re now less dependent on opioids. For someone already taking heavy medications back to back, this is a healthy departure.

At IndicaMD, we help residents of Manhattan, Buffalo, and Rochester purchase medical marijuana from authorized dispensaries legally! Get in touch to learn more.