All headaches are painful, however, a migraine headache is especially agonizing.
If you suffer from migraines, then you know first-hand that the pain can be absolutely unbearable.
For some migraine sufferers the pain can be so excruciating that they are rendered debilitated and cannot perform even basic life functions.
Migraine headaches are often described as a throbbing or pulsing pain that is worsened by even moderate physical activity, bright light, or loud sounds.
A typical day for someone who is suffering from a migraine consists of laying down in a very dark, quiet room, waiting for medication to kick in.
Medication regimens often include pharmaceutical drugs that can be harmful and, in some cases, very addicting.
Cannabis may be a better alternative, at least according to a recent study.
How Effective is Cannabis at Treating Migraines?
One of the best ways to evaluate a medicine’s effectiveness is to ask the patients that are using it, and that is exactly what researchers recently did regarding cannabis and migraines.
The team of investigators surveyed over 9,800 migraine patients in North America and asked them whether or not they consumed cannabis, and whether or not the cannabis was effective at treating their condition if they did indeed consume cannabis.
According to the data collected via an app survey, roughly 30% of the survey participants reported consuming cannabis to treat their migraines.
Among the group of participants that stated that they treat their migraines with cannabis, 82% reported cannabis to be effective at treating their condition.
Being that the study involved a large amount of subjects, the 82% rate of reported relief is very significant.
Can Cannabis Prevent Migraines?
The medical community does not know what causes migraines.
The symptoms and some treatments are known, however, the root cause is still unknown.
A number of factors are associated with an increased risk of developing migraines, and one factor that is at the top of that list is stress.
Stress is one of the biggest contributors to a number of conditions, and it is associated with migraines often enough to think there may be a correlation. Though, as all scientists will tell you, correlation does not imply causation.
However, we know that cannabis is naturally relaxing and has been used for centuries to reduce stress.
Perhaps migraine sufferers could benefit from incorporating more cannabis into their lives, or at the very least, pursue healthier coping mechanisms for dealing with stress.
As always, make sure to consult with your medical professional to see if using cannabis for medical purposes makes sense for your situation.