THC to fight migraines - myth or reality?
What is THC? THC is a compound found in cannabis and because of the effects it can have on the body, several studies have been carried out to determine whether it helps to combat migraines.
If you suffer from this condition, it is important to know whether the THC present in cannabis can help alleviate the symptoms.
What do the studies say?
A frequent question we may have is: is marijuana analgesic?One of its effects is that it helps us to relax. Thanks to this effect, several studies have been carried out to determine whether it can alleviate the symptoms of pain and discomfort caused by migraines.
A team of researchers from the University of Colorado, in conjunction with the Colorado State Department of Public Health in the US, conducted a study in 2017, where they found that THC can be effective in relieving the symptoms of chronic migraine.
Patients who received a low dose of THC experienced a significant reduction in pain intensity, frequency and duration of migraines.
Similarly, researchers at the University of Colorado at Boulder conducted an online survey involving 161 migraine sufferers with access to cannabis.
The results showed that 76 % of participants supported the use of cannabis as a treatment for their migraines and 70 % of participants used both over-the-counter analgesics and triptans in addition to cannabis.
Furthermore, these patients reported that their seizures were mild compared to those who did not use cannabis.
Another study by Carrie Cuttler, an assistant professor of psychology at Washington State University, showed that the use of medical cannabis was able to reduce headaches by 47.3 % and migraines by 49.6 %.
It is important to mention that these studies are small and more studies need to be conducted with larger numbers of participants and in different settings to be able to state with certainty the efficacy of THC in the treatment of migraines.
Patients who received a low dose of THC experienced a significant reduction in pain intensity, frequency and duration of migraines.
Are the results always good?
A study presented at the 73rd Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Neurology suggests that the use of cannabis to relieve headaches may have a rebound effect.
The study, which looked at 368 people with chronic migraine for 15 or more attack days in a month, found a link between cannabis use and migraine, as well as the development of rebound or medication-overuse headaches.
These medication-overuse headaches occur when people with primary headaches, such as migraine, overuse pain medication, which does not occur in people who do not use cannabis.
This shows that THC in cannabis is not always entirely positive for treating migraines, although other studies show that it has positive effects in relieving the symptoms of the condition.
