Migraines… What A Pain.

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If a Migraine is a headache, then the Island of Pompei experienced a minor eruption. Migraines are like a sledgehammer to the head, only from the inside out. Let’s talk about what they are, what they do to a person, and of course… Let’s talk about how Cannabis can help.

It is unclear to the medical community what exactly causes a migraine. It was believed that migraines were caused by changes in blood flow to the brain. This became disproven over time when it was discovered to be an inherited trait and it was concluded to be a flaw in the brain as 4 out of 5 that experience migraines have other family members that have them as well. If a parent has migraines, their child has a 50% chance of getting them as well. If both parents experience migraines, the child’s chances of experiencing migraines jumps to 75%. Ouch!

A migraine occurs when abnormal/overactive nerve cells send out signals that make the blood vessels to the brain expand and contract for extended periods of time. This causes a pulsating and thunderous pain to the dome. These pains lead to nauseousness and vomiting (which will come with a loss of appetite), diarrhea, extreme fatigue, sensitivity to light, sound, and smells, mental confusion, doubled and/or blurry vision (also called auras), weakness, trouble speaking, and in some cases even seizures.

So… How can Cannabis help? Cannabis has cannabinoids which interact with our endocannabinoid system and stimulate the CB1 and CB2 receptors in our brain, which control everything from behavior to the nervous system. The 2 big cannabinoids most like to talk about are THC and CBD.  Both been proven to be great antiinflammatories and found to be assistive in an array of conditions ranging from atherosclerosis to joint pain and help to ease the tension of constricted blood vessels. These cannabinoids also help with the nausea, anxiety, and muscle tension that come with a migraine. In fact, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Colorado recently published a report stating that out of 121 subjects 85% reported having fewer migraines per month with cannabis that was either inhaled or ingested.

 

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