6 Impressive Benefits of Using Cannabis for Psoriatic Arthritis

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I honestly didn’t know what to expect when I first tried using cannabis for psoriatic arthritis pain. One thing was for sure, it was nothing like relief that I had experienced from opioids. To some, the difference could be seen as a con, but only if they don’t factor in all the benefits that cannabis provides as a pain reliever.

Turning to a fully natural and alternative psoriatic arthritis pain management plan was a no-brainer for me. Being allergic to most pharmaceutical options, I couldn’t take a full dosage without suffering from horrible hives. I could only take a half dose once a week and chase it with Benadryl to keep the itching down. And the pain medications that I wasn’t allergic to were no more effective than a breath mint after two or three doses. To say I was desperate for something that could provide relief more often was an understatement.

Here are six reasons that I have been using cannabis to combat psoriatic arthritis pain since 2013.

Disclaimer: This blog post contains affiliate links. I may earn a small commission to fund my coffee drinking habit if you use these links to make a purchase. You will not be charged extra, and you’ll keep me supplied with caffeine. It’s a win for everyone. I am not a medical professional, and nothing stated in this article should be mistaken for medical advice…

Relaxation

Unlike opioids, cannabis relaxes my body. The key to undoing a day’s worth of pain is to allow my body to rest. With opioids, I would become hyper and energized. I attest this to the fact that they masked my psoriatic arthritis pain. So instead of using that pain-free time to relax and recuperate, I would do more damage by tackling everything I couldn’t do during the day.

Cannabis does not hide my pain. It significantly lowers it by going after the reactionary pain. I had no idea how much my muscles reacted to my PsA pain sources until I began treating it with cannabis.

Spending a few hours before bed relaxing allows the cannabinoids to work their inflammation-fighting magic.

Cannabis Highlights Psoriatic Arthritis Pain Sources

As mentioned before, the relief that cannabis provides is very different from that of opioids. It reduces pain, but it doesn’t mask it.

For example, I have spondylitis psoriatic arthritis. What that means is that my worst PsA pain points are at my sacrum and neck. After my evening dose of cannabis kicks in, I can literally feel the muscles connected to and affected by the source relax. You do not realize how much reactionary pain you have until it is relieved.

After my body relaxes, I may feel a release of tension in my spine with a few pops. But it is what happens to the pain source that I find most interesting. The pain turns into a tingling sensation which serves two purposes. The first is that it allows me to fall asleep. And secondly, it highlights the exact areas where my psoriatic arthritis pain stems from. This knowledge helps me know where to focus my pemf treatments. It also helps me decide what types of modifications will be needed the next day.

Relief Without A Hangover Or Side Effects

It did not matter if I took prescription pain relievers daily or once a week; I always felt awful the next morning. My body felt stiff as a board, my neck barely able to move, and my feet, oh how I dreaded having to stand up.

Treating chronic pain with cannabis is a completely different experience. I start my days with a massively lower pain level than the decade before I embraced marijuana. My muscles are relaxed not only before I go to bed but also when I wake up.

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No more:

• morning headaches unless there happens to be a major weather disturbance.
• dreading morning
• medicated hangovers
• having to combat allergic reactions with every dose
• UTIs (I suffered from chronic urinary tract infections while treating pain with opioids. Since stopping in 2012, I haven’t had one UTI!)

Cannabis Reduces Psoriatic Arthritis Inflammation In A Variety Of Ways

The benefit of there being a variety of ways to consume cannabis is that you have options. Not everybody wants to smoke or vape it. Some prefer not ingesting it at all.

My favorite ways to consume medical marijuana are edibles, topical lotions and balms, and cannabis flowers with a dry vaporizer. I use edibles for long-lasting and deep-rooted pain. Topical cannabis products provide relief to tendons without the high. Dry vaporizing the marijuana flower is healthier than smoking because there is no combustion. Vaporizing cannabis flower versus concentrates gives me a clean vape void of nasty chemicals.

Cannabis reduces swelling around the base of my neck and spine and can be felt in individual joints. Before cannabis, I had limited use of several fingers. After a few weeks, I could bend them. Over time I experienced an overall reduction of inflammation in my feet which made mornings less painful.

Promotes Restorative Sleep

With the effects of cannabis edibles lasting anywhere from six to ten hours, it is an outstanding form of consumption for all-night relief. Without the ability to relieve pain or relax, our bodies never reach the quality of sleep that it requires. Sure a flare or pure exhaustion could force me to sleep for twelve or more hours, but it was never a relaxed or restorative sleep.

Cannabis, along with closely following a set bedtime, allows my body to recover from the daily trauma my chronic illnesses inflict.

Cannabis Does The Job of Several Prescriptions

Before 2013, my purse looked like a pharmacy. I had prescriptions for sleep, pain, inflammation, muscle relaxers, and anxiety. Cannabis has replaced them all. And because I live in a state where marijuana is legal for medical and recreational purposes, I don’t have to ask for pain relief or deal with my insurance company.

The downside to consuming cannabis for medical purposes is that even with it being legal in California, most doctors will not prescribe or condone its use. Every doctor that I have come into contact with my HMO stops me when I mention the C-word. They don’t want to hear it or talk about it.

Final Thoughts

Cannabis isn’t for everyone. But a fantastic option for those looking for a natural alternative to relieve chronic pain from psoriatic arthritis.

The biggest downside is not having the support of medical professionals and having doctors downplay my condition because I am not begging them for relief. However, as I continue to expand my natural remedy cabinet, I really don’t care about what they think. How I feel is more important. With that said, if you decide to go with this route, tread carefully.

Related posts:
My Psoriatic Arthritis Diagnosis Story
Cannabis For Fibromyalgia

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