As humans age, pain becomes a common part of life. It’s an inevitable thing that unfortunately everyone that lives long enough will have to endure. This is why pain management is so important.

Parts of the body that did not hurt while someone was younger can suddenly hurt quite a bit, and that pain increases over time.

Chronic pain among elderly people can range from an uncomfortable nuisance all the way to becoming so debilitating one can’t perform basic functions.

A recent study found medical cannabis may be able to help mitigate pain among elderly patients.

Oral THC and Pain Management

Researchers in Germany recently explored the effects of orally administered THC (dronabinol) on pain among elderly study participants.

The pain management study was a sub-study of a larger research project involving 6,485 medical cannabis patients.

Of the 6,485 larger study participants, 1,515 of them were pain patients, all 75 years of age or older. 

All of the patients were provided THC and asked to provide information regarding how they felt.

“For the most commonly treated symptom “pain,” the therapeutic outcome was recorded as “notably improved” in 21.9%, as “moderately improved” in 36.1%, and as “unchanged” in 39.1%. A moderate deterioration was recorded in 25 patients (2.2%) and in 8 patients a notable deterioration was documented,” the study’s authors stated.

Cannabis is a Less Addictive Treatment

When it comes to managing pain, there are various options for patients to consider, with some options being better than others.

One of the most commonly pursued options is opioid-based painkillers. The opioid medications can provide temporary relief, however, they can also lead to a lot of future issues.

It’s no secret that opioid-based medications are extremely addictive, and in many cases, very harmful.

Over 100,000 people die annually worldwide from opioid use, whereas no one has died of a cannabinoid overdose in recorded human history.

Not only is cannabis a safer form of treatment when compared to opioids, it’s also more effective in many cases based on the countless testimonials of patients’ personal experiences across the globe.