Using Marijuana & Tobacco May Rather Make Your Pain Worse – A Study Shows

Using Marijuana & Tobacco May Rather Make Your Pain Worse

Summary: People often use substances like tobacco and marijuana for pain relief, especially when living with chronic pain. However, a new study shows that concurrent use of tobacco and marijuana for pain relief may worsen their pain in the long run, making individuals more sensitive to the pain.

One of the new studies by Duke University School of Medicine found that using marijuana and tobacco can rather make pain worse. It may significantly increase the risk of chronic pain later. Even if these substances seem to help initially, they do not seem to be a good choice in the long run, especially when both substances are used.

Of course, these findings are worrisome in multiple ways. Although tobacco use is not increasing in the US, marijuana use is. It means that there are now greater chances that many people living with chronic pain may use both these substances regularly.

Further, researchers have noted that in recent years, cannabis has been popularized as one of the ways for pain management. However, researchers warn that evidence in favor of using marijuana for chronic pain is slim. Even if some study shows that it may help subdue pain, this does not mean that it would be effective for all kinds of pain.

It is no secret that many individuals start abusing various substances due to chronic pain. Although some of those substances might help initially, they might do more harm than good. Many of these substances may rather make chronic pain worse in the long run. This may create a kind of vicious cycle. A new study published in the journal Pain found that substance use can drive pain, and chronic pain may increase substance use, thus creating a perpetual pain loop.

This new study found that tobacco may make chronic pain worse in many, and the same is true for marijuana. However, when both these substances are used, the chances of developing moderate to severe chronic pain become significantly higher. Using these substances together may more than double the risk of developing chronic pain.

Researchers examined the data from the 2015-2021 Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study, a nationwide sample of US adults, to understand the relationship between substance use and chronic pain. Considering that many people use these substances to control pain, these findings came as a surprise to researchers.

Here, the reasons for the worsening of pain are multiple. The deterioration of pain may be due to the worsening of general health caused by these substances. Similarly, one of the common reasons is that many individuals using these substances may not seek medical attention for their condition.

Further researchers think that though these substances do provide immediate pain relief to many, but they are not good for pain control in the long run. In the long run, these substances may make a person more sensitive to pain.

Many individuals who use these substances may experience even worse pain once the effect of these substances wears off. But, then, many may start smoking tobacco and marijuana even more often to prevent this issue. It is quite difficult for individuals to quit smoking tobacco and weed, which makes telehealth addiction treatment a necessity for those seeking support.

Researchers do accept that they still need to learn a lot. For example, they could not explain why the concurrent use of marijuana and tobacco is so bad for those prone to or living with chronic pain. They still do not understand the exact reason behind this increased risk of chronic pain, especially considering that these substances are generally used for pain relief, and they even seem to work in the short run.

Despite a significant gap in understanding, this study is an alarm bell for those who use or are thinking of using these substances for pain control. For individuals living with chronic pain, it is always better to seek medical attention for their condition in specialized clinics rather than start using substances.

Source:

Rubenstein, D., Green, M. J., Sweitzer, M. M., Keefe, F. J., & McClernon, F. J. (2022). Bidirectional relationships between pain and patterns of cannabis and tobacco use in a US nationally representative sample. PAIN, 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003381. https://doi.org/10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003381

Gurpreet Singh Padda, MD, MBA, MHP

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