Pain Refractory to Appropriate Opioid Management

Understand how medical marijuana helps with Refractory Pain.

Click here to ask us a specific question.

Medical marijuana can provide relief from refractory pain. "Pain refractory to appropriate opioid management" means that a patient's pain is not adequately controlled even when receiving the highest appropriate dose of opioid medication that is considered safe and suitable for their condition. Essentially, the pain is not responding to standard opioid treatments, even when administered at the maximum tolerated level. 

Key points about refractory pain

• Refractory means not responding to treatment:
  This phrase indicates that the pain is not being relieved to an acceptable level despite using appropriate opioid medications. 

• Requires further interventions
  When pain is refractory to opioid management, it often means that additional pain management strategies beyond opioids may need to be considered. 

Example situations where this might occur

• Severe chronic pain conditions:
  Patients with advanced cancer, neuropathic pain, or complex regional pain syndrome might experience pain that is refractory to standard opioid therapy. 

• High opioid tolerance
  If a patient has been taking opioids for a long time, they might develop tolerance, meaning they need higher doses to achieve the same pain relief, which could lead to refractory pain. 

• Underlying pain mechanisms
  Some types of pain may not respond well to opioids alone, requiring additional treatments like nerve blocks or medication adjustments. 

Medical marijuana can help with Refractory Pain.

Marijuana can help with chronic and refractory pain by reducing pain signaling and perception, and by reducing inflammation. 

How it works

• THC: THC binds to cannabinoid receptors in the brain and nerve cells, which can slow pain impulses and reduce pain perception. 

• CBD: CBD may help reduce inflammation and stimulate the immune response. 

• CB1 receptors: THC and CBD modulate CB1 receptors in the spinal cord and central nociception processing areas, which can reduce pain. 

• CB2 receptors: THC and CBD activate CB2 receptors, which can reduce inflammation. 

Potential benefits

• Marijuana may help with chronic pain that stems from inflammation, like rheumatoid arthritis. 

• Marijuana may help with other symptoms of chronic pain, like depression, irritation, weariness, and insomnia. 

• Marijuana may be an alternative to opioids for chronic pain management, which can be addictive and abused.