Mirror Athlete Blog Articles

August 21, 2009

Alleviate Pain Through Nutritional & Herbal Remedies

Filed under: Anti-Aging, Nutrition, Prevention, Weight Management, herbal, how to, manage depression, pain, remedies, secrets, well-being — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Marc Woodard @ 16:32

For those of you seeking to alleviate pain through nutritional and herbal remedies there seem to be a significant benefit for those with pains and aches caused through degenerative and progressive pathogen illness and disease.  Certainly, it is well founded through scientific studies that healthy and nutrient strong foods (visit our health repository and read MAE articles on super foods) intake contributes greatly as a preventative measure against illness and disease that lead to and cause pain.  If illness and disease can be defeated before it ever gets the opportunity to become a pain disorder within the body then one has a good chance minimizing and managing normal aches and pain while aging.  Healthy cell development and maintenance of the body at the molecular level requires proper nutrients and is of great importance in keeping the body pain free and/or alleviating pain once a pain disorder is present.

In order to determine a nutritional or herbal remedy course of action that would work for you, you first must understand the concept of a customized pain management program.  My premise is “what remedies work for others may only work in part, whole or not at all for what is causing your particular pain disorder.”  That’s right, what nutrients and herbal remedies work for me in my pain management program may not work for you at all, or have insignificant pain alleviation benefits.  Within my chronicles “Mirror Athlete with Chronic Pain” located within the Chronicles Repository, I discuss customized pain management programs in detail and how you can begin to apply this knowledge to your particular “unique” pain program regardless of pain disorder.  You must learn to educate yourself in such matters in order to find natural cures, super food quality supplements and whole foods that will work for you providing a better quality of healthy life experience.  I’ve also written articles, “Man Made Foods Bad, Natural Foods Good,” which you can also find in the health repository.

Good nutrition is one of the “key” preventative means to a healthy mind and body in order to have a fighting chance at combating unhealthy cell mutations that cause pain.  In my opinion, stressed cells that cause “pain symptoms” should not be confused with long-term illness leading to “pain disease and disorders.”  This is because sick, or stressed cells that cause acute pain, may, or may not propagate other cells to become permanently damaged leading to chronic “long-term“pain disease.  The point is, don’t let the acute pain get out of hand to become a chronic pain disorder that will not go away.  One of the best ways to combat cell illness causing pain is to feed it God’s natural foods provided on this earth.  Note – When I refer to foods I’m also referring to herbs.

The premise that good nutrition and herbal remedies will stave off increased pain disease in all cases, or cure pain illness, regardless of medical situation is not all inclusive, but certainly can’t hurt for a hopeful health or pain alleviation outcome for a terminally ill patient.  For example, there are terminal pathological diseases, regardless of treatment will not abate the damage done to the internal immune, muscle, skeletal, nerve or organ systems, etc., within the body.  Even if a patient has terminal disease with significant pain a holistic customized pain management treatment approach appears to provide a better quality of life outcome than not implementing such a treatment.  When I refer to customized pain management treatment, I’m referring to treating the mind, body and soul of an individual.  The predominant healthy activity components of a pain management program include, but not limited to:  Nutritional-herbal, exercise, spiritual, physical therapeutic, alternative medicine, social and healthy activities.

You can live a better quality of life as opposed to a never ending treatment program that fills your life with inactivity, or doctor’s visits that only seem to appease the aggravating pain for moments in time.  You can also accept the never ending supply of pharmaceutical prescriptions to dull the aches and pains while battling frequent depression, weight gain and other illness symptoms as a result of medicated body rejection.  Or you can become proactive in your pain management program and expand your pain alleviation efforts by adding good nutrition and herbal remedies to the mix.  Also stop bad consumption habits, e.g., smoking, drinking, consuming enriched package-can foods, drinking diet sodas, to include high fat and other sugar enriched foods (read Aspartame the Silent Killer, MAE Health Repository).

Through much research, pain modality and alleviation experiences; I have treated almost every major muscular-skeletal articulation in my body.  I’ve learned to customize a pain program for myself where I believe anyone that applied my pain management principles would experience a better quality of living while significantly alleviating, or eliminating pain.  Although I’ve been successful at customizing my own pain management program, I cannot guarantee what works for me will work for you one hundred percent.  However, I can guarantee if you apply my principles you will be able to enjoy a better quality of life.  This is because I teach you how to use my 25 years of pain management experience and education to apply to your specific pain program using sound & tried principles!  Some of my techniques use healthy daily nutrition, supplements which include herbal remedies.  Of course, you should know by now proper nutrition is a key ingredient to alleviating pain.  As mentioned, the holistic pain management approach must address the whole being; mind, body and soul.  Proper nutrition and herbal remedies (natural cures and super foods) is a big component of the healing and healthy being maintenance program.

The cold hard truth, “You must learn how to become your own pain management advocate!”  But you don’t have to go it alone.  I can teach you how to do this.  The point here, if a doctor prescribes a specific treatment and you don’t receive a significant pain relief benefit and/or the treatment is impacting your mood… Search for alternative treatments to discuss common sense referrals if possible.  Find a course of pain alleviation that works well for you!  If the mind is depressed so will be the body.  Although your body may receive pain alleviation “at first” regardless of pain modality therapy, if you don’t consider incorporation of a sound nutrient program, your illness, or disease “most likely” will continue to degenerate and may accelerate the disease progression.  This is because the body and mind are complicatedly interlinked (psychosomatic).  Our Western medicine and insurance policies and procedures are so decentralized and complicated in terms of pain modality treatment and practice, it is no wonder chronic pain issues are so difficult for the patient to find resolve.   For example, does the patient advocate for the mind, body, or soul?  Or is the best course of pain alleviation treatment a combination of the entire being?  Do our Western medicine practices treat the whole being when dealing with pain management?  The answer is simple, No.

You must strive always to improve and make preventative and corrective pain management modifications especially as you age, or pain intolerances and depression occur.  A customized pain management program is “almost always” in a state of flux.  This means you must be proactive with the management of your pain program making modifications to daily activity based on pain tolerance and intolerance.  What I mean by this statement, you must develop a pain program that addresses all changing workloads, exercise, activity, nutritional & herbal requirements for your particular lifestyle while living with pain.  I address this work load pain prescription in detail, see (http://www.mirrorathlete.com/ChroniclesRepos.html ) within “Mirror Athlete chronicles and mentioned within many articles and home site (http://www.mirrorathlete.com/HealthRepository.html).

It’s what you don’t know that creates much more pain and depression than is necessary to experience.  I started out by saying that there are nutritional and herbal remedies that will be of benefit for your pain alleviation.  I’ve also made some presumptions for you.  Such as, with the correct natural super food and herbal remedies it is certainly possible to prevent illness and disease that would cause pain in a progressed state, slow down pain disease, or abate the pain pathology.  It is certainly possible to reverse or mitigate disease and illness through applicable super food and herbal consumption as case studies have been verified throughout the medical community.  Use any search engine on the Internet and type in Natural Cures, or Supplements and/or Herbal pain cures, etc.  I cannot possibly list all the combinations of potential cures for all ailments.  Only that you should highly consider implementing after researching a nutritional super food, or herbal remedy that may help your pain disorder situation if you have not done so.

There are a lot of personal testimonials, medical controlled studies that show positive results by those that have incorporated these super foods and herbs into their diet while consulting their medical providers.  Primary care physicians that don’t subscribe to natural cure herbs or foods may only provide you pharmaceutical prescriptions.  Pharmaceuticals are man-made and not necessarily in your bodies best interest in all cases.  If in doubt as what to do, pharmaceuticals, or natural cures decision…  Have discussions with your medical providers about taking both herbal and prescription medications simultaneously.   In many cases, supplementation of super food and herbs with pharmaceuticals does not create, or complicate pain, or health conditions.  Instead, pain patients state dramatic pain alleviation results where prescription use declined, or were no longer necessary.

It is scientifically proven your body requires specific nutrients to maintain optimum health.  Imagine if you could find a pain treatment that cures what ails you, to include remove your pain regardless of pathology!   Well folks, it is possible and it happens every day.  Some like to refer to terminal disease remission as a miracle, because in most cases, complete chronic pain abatement in my opinion “is a miracle regardless of disease.”  One must never rule out the soul’s spiritual positive power of healing.  To do so would be a grave mistake in the pain healing and terminal illness remission process.  Without necessary nutrients the body begins a degradation phase prematurely regardless of age!  Think of your body like a car engine.  Without a good air, or oil filters (body equivalent – kidneys, liver, lungs) one might experience tenderness, irritability, pain irregularity in the liver, kidneys, intestines, stomach, muscles, tendons, ligaments, joints, skin discoloration, etc., due to poor eating habits where toxin builds up in the body.  Through time, without consideration to toxic food consumption the body becomes less efficient at removing the toxins.

The car experiences poor performance, iritic operations and poor start, or out of tune characteristic when oil, gas and air filters are not maintained making it more difficult to remove pollutants from the car engine.  The engine parts like the body begins to experience degradation when organs begin to fail due to toxic consumption habits and improper preventative health practices.  Like the body’s internal organs, the car’s engine components eventually break down due to poor fluid filtration characteristics, air and fuel quality circulation, etc., causing erratic operation.  This breakdown uncorrected within the body creates illness and disease, hence pain!  Your car may still run for many years.  But unlike the car you feel pain and discomfort.  The cost of car repairs at some point to keep the vehicle on the road soon outweighs the benefits of corrective maintenance costs and you eventually replace the car.  Since our body is not a car, we simply cannot replace or remove parts in most cases to alleviate the pain and make the body whole!

It is for this reason; you must look to incorporate proper nutrition and possibly herbal remedies into your diet!  At the molecular level regardless of pain disease, or illness one must understand the benefits of a holistic pain management approach while customizing a pain management program.  If your expectation is to reduce pain through a customized pain management program, you also need to consider the body’s molecular nutrient requirement!   Nutrition, herbal remedies and exercise should be incorporated if possible within a pain management program to have optimal chances at cell repair, or win a fight against any illness or disease!  You may also avoid going under the knife and possibly creating a worse pain, illness, or disease scenario while incorporating such practices within your pain management program.  Surgery should be your last recourse!

 

Author:  Marc T. Woodard, MBA, BS Exercise Science, USA Medical Services Officer, CPT, RET.  2009 Copyright, All rights reserved.  Mirror Athlete Enterprises Publishing @: www.mirrorathlete.com, Sign up for your free eNewsletter.

July 23, 2009

Marijuana Addiction, Government & Industrial Greed

Filed under: Chronic Pain, Depression, Fibromyalgia, Product Toxins, addiction, disease, herbal, manage depression, marijuana, pain — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Marc Woodard @ 16:14

When you digest the information I’ve provided within “Marijuana Addiction “Lay Your Bet! Part 1,” See MAE HealthBlog, www.mirrorathlete.com.  One can only assume, the government is more concerned about retaining control and power over the people.  Let me provide you some interesting information with regard to Marinol (HMO Legal cannabis oil prescription).  A month supply costs the patient, or your HMO health provider $300-500 per month.  Also, the 13 states that allow medical marijuana scripts with a state approved medicinal marijuana card allow patients to grow a specified number of plants per year for harvest and personal use.  If you do not want to grow your own script, you can purchase the THC in food products, or purchase cannabis by the ounce for a fraction of HMO legal Marinol through state sanctioned medical marijuana distribution centers.  Currently, our federal government does not recognize “voter approved” states rights to distribute medical marijuana.  I believe this is because the federal government has not figured out how to control the revenues, which not done correctly will have a diminishing impact on their power and control base.  Or is it our government is concerned about our children’s potential addiction through access of our parents legalized medical marijuana scripts, or recreational health risks, or is it more in line to say, “It’s all about the money!”  Let’s continue the money, control and power assessment of what’s really going on here.

Marijuana consumption does not appear to be dwindling in use, per “The Street and journal reviews.”   I’ve talked with many parents about this issue, received mixed reviews, but on the whole parents accept the notion that legalization of marijuana for use by chronic pain patients should be a voter approved statewide mandate recognized by the federal government as intended by congress passing of the Compassionate Use Act, 1996 and revisions thereafter (see MAE Marijuana Use, Pain Benefits, Part 1).  Aside from state legal medical marijuana use many believe marijuana should be legalized for recreational use, much like alcohol (a social drug with NO medicinal property and HUGE health risks).   Then those that did become addicts could receive help and support much like an alcoholic and prescription addict receives state and health insurance covered rehabilitation and cessation services.

Alcohol and cigarettes have caused more damage to families and societies overall health than our government will ever admit.  To allow a drug to enter the market legally without full government control would begin “a shrinking” of the federal power base by giving too much control back to the people, such as we see in the struggle to bring medical marijuana to market.  Be patient, I will explain this concept very soon.   Please do take a little time and do your due diligence to see what’s going on in the world around you with regard to the legalization of marijuana.  Don’t take my word or insight as gospel with what you are about to read, instead use this insight to “incite” your curiosity and further educate yourself on these matters.  If marijuana was legalized as a recreational drug much like alcohol, I fear much crime, unnecessary deaths, overcrowded jails, addiction, etc., to include tax payer burden for rehabilitative support programs would still occur, “but I believe significantly less than if the drug was fully legalized!”  Yes, you heard me right.  My educated insight tells me if marijuana was legal and regulated much like alcohol many problems in our country would be significantly reduced.  And if you are wondering, as I stated in my medical marijuana MAE video, “I have not requested a medical marijuana card from my Oregon physician as part of my pain management program, although I could; I see no reason at this time to do so.

You see if an individual is bent on self destruction, or is predisposed to become addicted to a drug… This will occur regardless of whether cannabis is widely accepted and legalized as a recreational drug, or solely legalized and distributed as medical marijuana.  This is because children and adults will find a legal or illegal drug when they need to find relief from their stress realities and justify bad behavior through intoxication.  The biggest problem in self medication with recreational drugs (legal, or not), we don’t know whom among us is genetically wired to become addicted to any specific substance, “including prescription medications, tobacco or alcohol!”

Let’s not mince words here, although I’m speaking from a pain patient perspective where I see benefits based on science, the fact is cannabis medicinal properties have been known for thousands of years.  However,   have the potential for addiction, much like our prescription pain killers, alcohol, or tobacco.  Why our federal government released prohibition of alcohol in the early twentieth century as a social recreational drug as opposed to cannabis, which has medicinal properties, one can only speculate the interest in one legalized social, or prescribed drug versus the other, which I feel I know the answer to my own question.  Quite the opposite health effect is true of alcohol; it causes much illness, disease and destruction within our minds, bodies, employment, family and society at large where much statistical information proves this fact.  Marijuana use statistics on the other hand are literally unknown since this is not a general population “legal” consumption drug.  Recreational Marijuana negative impact on society and personal health can only be statistically known once legalized for the general population.

I believe alcohol like cigarettes and marijuana can be very addicting, very profitable and can be easily controlled by our state and federal agencies, “with the exception of cannabis.”  “With all the scientific evidence regarding alcohol and cigarette use health risks, addiction, societal and family harm, why are they not banned from public consumption?” “Or better yet, why not controlled like our legal pharmaceuticals if there is a health benefit-risk aspect?”  After all, when you pick up drug prescriptions at a pharmacy, why are they so concerned about how much you take, while consulting the risks and symptoms to watch out for if you experience a negative reaction?  Since you are not asked specific health questions before you purchase alcohol and cigarettes, does this mean there is no immediate health risk?

Do you get these kinds of questions when you walk into a liquor store to pick up your products… Or when you’re in a bar, does the bar tender ask you if you have a heart, diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol condition, etc., before he/she pours your drink?  Is it just me, or is this all fickle?  And why is it so easy for our children to become alcoholics, or pot heads?  I believe this is an easy question to answer. Alcohol in general is accepted as the gold standard recreational drug while marijuana is tolerated as a recreational closet drug.  Remember, there’s big potential money here for our government if they can figure out how to control recreational use marijuana, much like what’s happening with medical marijuana.  Why do you think marijuana possession and confiscation of miniscule amounts have very low conviction and mostly civil penalties?  Or do you honestly believe just because one drug is accepted by our government for sale to the general population it’s better for you? 

Many of our high school and college students are allowed by many adults to party hardy to relieve stress.  Don’t parental and societal role model actions speak louder than words?  What do most American adults and teenagers consume in one form or another as a recreational drug of choice (prescription drugs, alcohol, cigarettes and marijuana).  Since this appears to be the case, it is very important to understand marijuana will eventually receive full regulation and control by our state and federal governments as they are drooling over a potential multi-billion dollar industry to fatten their coffers, much like alcohol and tobacco has done to grow government services (jobs).  Does it not sound like a money thing to you yet?  “If it doesn’t, it soon will.”  Does it not sound like a nice budgetary balance sheet and debt reducer catering to thousands of government jobs and/or more tax revenues that are controlled by our legislators leading to bigger government?  Examples, FDA (Food & Drug Administration), DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency), FTC (Federal Trade Commission), ATF (Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives) to name a few and countless other government organizations in existence that want a piece of the action.  Or better yet, new jobs yet to be created by the government.

Come on, let’s be real and smell the money trail.   If cannabis was legalized “wholly” many government jobs would disappear and new ones would appear, hence government control and power shift.  Does it appear our government cares about our children’s marijuana addiction and health probabilities?  No, unfortunately it appears our government is concerned about programs to fatten coffers, grow government jobs, control, regulate and provide penal and other tax-based industrial services while lining pockets of our politicians and special interest groups!  How else am I supposed to see our government’s activities and behaviors regarding any government sponsored, or controlled program, or service?  Think about it, if we become addicted to any drug, legal or not, we pay a price through our societal government controlled systems.  Who pays for the addiction, criminal and penal services?  We the tax payer!

Reviewing addiction studies, predictable behavioral patterns are statistically derived in part from alcohol, tobacco, prescription drug sales, DUI arrests and fatalities, AA support group attendance, incarceration, cessation programs, depression medications, battery drug related arrests, etc., we “the consumer” unknowingly provide the government annual data to forecast a budget.  Many state and federal appropriated dollars are used and paid by the tax payer for these governments owned and controlled services.  This is not so easy to accomplish with cannabis as statistics cannot forecast and justify government tax paid marijuana services to regulate and control recreational marijuana.   In part, this is true because medical marijuana users can grow their own prescription taking away the government’s ability to control and regulate the proceeds of a multi-billion dollar industry.  And if they cannot figure out how to capture and control the revenues, they will not fully legalize marijuana because some government tax payer services may become unnecessary, may be reduced in scope, political power shift wars within government, or shift a balance of power back to the people!

If voters and legislation fail to pass other tax increases to keep government growing and states out of debt, the marijuana lobbyists will continue to capture the attention of politicians, the tax payer and voter.  California is now considering the legalization of marijuana as it nears bankruptcy.  So you can’t honestly tell me you still believe our government restricts recreational marijuana because it is concerned about our children’s health and addiction possibilities!  Or medical marijuana has no medicinal benefit and pain patients should be thrown into jail.  This is ridiculous!  If you believe this, then you should believe anyone in the possession of alcohol should be incarcerated as well!  Remember, in the early 20th century both were used as recreational drugs.  The biggest reason alcohol made the recreational drug use cut is because our government figured out how to control and regulate the money while growing government (Legal history of cannabis in the United States, “Prohibition of cannabis arose in many states from 1906 and onward,” www.wikipedia.org ).

A multi-billion dollar cannabis industry will create less need for “status quo” government services (e.g., fewer incarcerated jail services, policing,  border drug trafficking-smuggling activity, reduced deaths & investigation related to drug trafficking; including less government cash cow industry sales: Alcohol, tobacco and pharmaceuticals, less DEA & ATF services etc.).  These shifts are certain to happen as our government is slowly losing power and control over states rights.  I believe the cannabis industry and Universal health care must be controlled by the federal government in order to maintain its power base due to an inevitable global power base shift.  The legalization of recreational marijuana without federal control would definitely create a downsizing of federal services; while increasing the size of state power and control back to the people!

 

I believe the governments interest to control and gain power over the cannabis industry has nothing to do with concern for any child that may become addicted, or suffer from any illness, or disease caused by marijuana, “this I’d lay a bet I’m right.”  Instead the governments concern is “how can we control and regulate a product that can be grown on the resident’s property?”  If this is the case how will the government fully legalize recreational marijuana when it understands this means reduced government taxed based dollars, fewer required federal government services, hence power control shift back to the people and state?

 

Author:  Marc T. Woodard, MBA, BS Exercise Science, USA Medical Services Officer, CPT, RET.  2009 Copyright, All rights reserved.  Mirror Athlete Enterprises Publishing @: www.mirrorathlete.com, Sign up for your free eNewsletter.

June 19, 2009

Medical Marijuana Use Pro’s and Con’s

Filed under: Chronic Pain, Depression, Fibromyalgia, addiction, herbal, manage depression, marijuana, pain — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Marc Woodard @ 21:27

It is very concerning after speaking with local youth in two states (California and Oregon) regarding marijuana use; there is a nonchalant attitude regarding this drug.  The common answers to my questions, “don’t you think marijuana will harm you in any way if you continue to use this drug?”  Or, if you keep smoking the stuff, aren’t you afraid of addiction and associated health risks?  Much like laying a bet, are you assured you are not gambling with your health or future life endeavors?   The common answers in reply, “Marijuana is no more dangerous than alcohol.”  “As a matter of fact, alcohol is responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths, broken families, job loss etc., where with cannabis this is not the case.”  The other common answer, “I can quit anytime I want to, it’s not addicting, it’s not a gateway drug and I don’t drink; I choose this drug as my recreational drug of choice as I prefer this vice opposed to drinking.”  Others simply state, “For me there are no problems regarding my use of this drug, therefore, no harm.”  Our youth and many adults don’t appear to regard cannabis as a harmful substance as it like many of our controlled drugs are derived from mother earth, mostly to be tainted by man-made processing chemical manipulation and sold as approved prescription drugs, or recreational drugs (tobacco, spirits, wine and beer).

In other words, “on the street,” cannabis untouched by man appears to be a safer alternative for medicinal purposes (chronic pain alleviation) and recreational use (opposed to alcohol), even though most seem to understand there’s an inherent risk toward addiction (but don’t want to admit it outright) and health risks (e.g., cannabis smoke carcinogens).   My sampling of these queries is rather small, around 50 discussions on this topic where 80-90% concedes (teenagers and adults), cannabis is probably the least harmful of the illegal drugs that should be fully legalized.  And almost all adults within this sampling seem to acknowledge the medicinal properties and benefits for chronic pain sufferers.  I can see the medicinal benefits through the scientific studies, however “all” drugs must have some form of state and federal regulation or greater health and/or addiction problems “will” significantly impact our youth as is with our legal drugs.  Our youth should be of great concern with regard to cannabis legalization.  Any drug including cannabis can have a negative impact on growing minds and bodies especially if one should become addicted during the developmental stage of their lives.  This fact alone can destroy a life before it begins.

I felt it was very important to add two addiction articles to the MAE Health repository since I wrote two previous articles on “Medical Marijuana Use, Part 1 (pain benefits) and 2 (scientific support data) for chronic pain sufferers.”  As you read the two articles, there is a very good case to continue research and development while easing up on state and federal laws for chronic pain sufferer’s use of cannabis.  There is some very good science based around severed or damaged nerve endings where only the THC receivers at the nerve endings provide pain relief through cannabis use.  Science also shows these damaged nerve endings do not respond to the typical opiate prescription; hence pain alleviation through the pharmaceutical prescription gold standard has little to no effect in many chronic pain controlled studies.

Now you are figuring out possibly where I’m going with this.  We must be very vigilant with our children while our states continue to relax marijuana use laws.  I’m in favor of legal marijuana use by chronic pain sufferers.  I’m also very aware and concerned about our children’s access to marijuana should it be fully legalized.  There is a greater probability that distribution abuse and use will occur because of easy access to chronic pain patient’s medicinal prescriptions, or full legalization as an adult recreation drug.  We must not and cannot depend on our government agencies to protect our children from abusing any drug.  It is our responsibility as parents to educate our children, knowing the differences between right and wrong with an understanding of the possibility of addiction and consequences of drug use regardless of whether our society and government deem the substance legal, or illegal.

Control and regulation is very important when dealing with any drug as all forms of mind altering substances have the potential for abuse, health risk, societal harm and addiction.   If there is no, or limited state-federal regulation, control, such as, quasi-legal medical marijuana (read previous MAE achieved Medical Marijuana articles “Pain Benefits,” www.mirrorathlete.com/blog) then our government supports a quasi-illegal black market operations by turning a blind eye to states rights and the science backing cannabis pain alleviation.

In other words, if science supports the pain alleviation benefits of any drug including medical marijuana then our federal agencies should recognized the benefits and legalize the drug.  Our federal government should fully recognize states rights for pain patients as opposed to potential imprisonment for those that fall outside of federal guidelines.  Until this is done, like alcohol which we know has the same access and abuse potential by our children… Without federal recognition of cannabis as a controlled substance for medicinal use, substance abuse of the drug will not be monitored and addiction, carcinogenic health risks, with associated mental health probabilities will not be addressed correctly, or adequately.  Instead many cannabis users will possibly be subjected and directed through the penal system for rehabilitation if convicted; which we all know is not the best treatment and rehabilitation course for any drug addict.

Why, because our penal system incarcerates and holds prisoners for breaking the law which is big business unto itself… Incarceration appears to incorporate treatment and rehabilitation for addicts inside, but how successful are these programs really?  And is treatment and rehabilitation this industries main focus?  It sounds like a business that is dependent on law breaking convicts more so than a rehabilitation center for drug addicts.  So, I ask again is this the best course of action to rehabilitate an addict?

I really don’t know since I’ve never been incarcerated, or exposed to these rehabilitation programs.  However, I believe any government run programs are inferior to a third party source.  Really, what am I to think?  Our government has proved time and time again it only knows how to spend money with inefficient government service programs.  It would appear our government is more interested in taxing the American people for unnecessary or inefficient services to grow government.  If the financial rewards and power out weight any human benefits then “We the People,” will come second to power and corruption.  It’s all about power, control and a human trait that cannot be tamed, ‘greed!”

With any drug, “ANY Drug,” there is always the potential for substance abuse.  Cannabis will eventually be fully legalized on a national level, first as is occurring through medical marijuana permits.  The major marijuana composition THC is already legally sold (Marinol) & prescribed by our medical providers.  However, most consumers don’t know this information.

Marinol is listed and classified by the DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency), as a class III legal prescription.  So instead of smoking the cannabis which is the illegal part, you are legally able to ingest the THC oil prescribed by most HMO’s for pain management.  Maybe our government within its infinite wisdom determined it would be easier to control marijuana distribution to our children in this format.  In fact, since Marinol must be refrigerated, it seems to me, it would be easier for our children to get their hands on the tiny capsules, conceal and consume.  If the government was truly concerned about a chronic pain patient wellbeing they would fully legalize cannabis and provide the choice to ingest, or inhale their script.

Part 2, “Marijuana Addiction, Lay Your Bet!” is continued and will be published within July09 issue.  I will post information regarding legal marinol and government greed that will knock your socks off!  You’ll not want to miss the continuation of this article!  Really, is this multi-billion dollar industry concerned about our children’s potential addiction, or is it really about government greed, power and control?

Author:  Marc T. Woodard, MBA, BS Exercise Science, USA Medical Services Officer, CPT, RET.  2009 Copyright, All rights reserved.  Mirror Athlete Enterprises Publishing @: www.mirrorathlete.com, Sign up for your free eNewsletter.

May 19, 2009

Medical Marijuana & Pain Relief, Scientific Support Data

Filed under: Chronic Pain, addiction, back, herbal, marijuana, pain — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Marc Woodard @ 17:51

    Below are citations with appropriate references to give credit to those that have provided medical marijuana research data information with unique supporting and correlated data.  It appears obvious, or apparent within these controlled studies and citations, cannabis shows a unique medicinal composition with unique pain blocking properties that could replace in part, or whole other pain management prescriptions without the additional pharmaceutical health risks.  Standard prescription medications or outpatient services that ease pain, spasms and inflammation may be accomplished through medical marijuana use at a fraction of the cost.  The Compassionate Use Act, 1996 was established to provide physicians the ability to recommend chronic pain patients medical marijuana at first for cancer patients.  Through years of research science is seeing a whole range of potential use for cannabis as an alternative treatment for many types of chronic pain disease.

“Persistent and disabling pain can have numerous and sometimes multiple causes, including cancer; AIDS; sickle cell anemia; glaucoma, cancer, shingles, multiple sclerosis; defects or injuries to the back, neck and spinal cord; arthritis and other rheumatic and degenerative hip, joint and connective tissue disorders; and severe burns.  Pain is not a primary condition or injury, but rather a severe, frequently intolerable symptom that varies in frequency, duration, and severity according to the individual (Chronic Pain and Medical Marijuana, ASA PDF Brochure# 888-929-436.  See end of article for brochure details).”

“A recent study conducted at University of California at Davis, 17 April 2008, 38 patients experiencing neuropathic pain from varying diseases; diabetes, spinal cord injuries, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, chronic pain, HIV/AIDS-related neuropathy, etc., were given marijuana cigarettes, some patients with zero% THC, 3.5% and 7%.  Students through each session took the same number of puffs to ensure uniformity.  Thereafter, it was determined marijuana reduced pain intensity significantly over a 5 hour period/per trial.  It should also be noted, memory tests and cognitive skills appeared to decline, but not more, or less significantly than narcotic pain killers (Complete Study, Contact MPP “Marijuana Policy Project Director of communications Bruce Mirken, 202-215-4205, or visit http://MarijuanaPolicy.org).”

“The smoking of cannabis, even long term, is not harmful to health….”  So began a 1995 editorial statement of Great Britain’s leading medical journal, The Lancet.  The long history of human use of cannabis also attests to its safety—nearly 5,000 years of documented use without a single death.”

“Substances similar to or derived from marijuana could benefit more than 97 million Americans who experience some form of pain each year (U.S. Society for Neuroscience, 1997).”

“The role that cannabis can play in treating chronic pain.  After nausea and vomiting, chronic pain was the condition cited most often to the IOM (Institute of Medicine) study team as a medicinal use for marijuana.”The study found that “basic biology indicates a role for cannabinoids [a group of compounds found in cannabis] in pain and control of movement, which is consistent with a possible therapeutic role in these areas. The evidence is relatively strong for the treatment of pain and intriguingly, although less well established, for movement disorder (Commissioned Study by the White House, by the Institute of Medicine, 1999).”

“Inhaled cannabis provides almost immediate relief with significantly fewer adverse effects than orally ingested Marinol (the only legal THC hemp extract pharmaceutical, DEA Class III authorized drug schedule prescription).  Inhalation allows the active compounds in cannabis to be absorbed into the blood stream with greater speed and efficiency. It is for this reason that inhalation is an increasingly common, and often preferable, route of administration for many medications.

“One problem with cannabinoids is that they are very fat-soluble, so that makes them very difficult to formulate the drugs into pills or injections.  One way that’s being looked at by some pharmaceutical companies is using the kind of inhaler that asthma sufferers use.” Smoking is obviously a big health hazard and scientists are looking at ways of delivering the drug to the body (ASA Americans for Safe Access, www.AmericansForSafeAccess.org).”

“Cannabis may also be more effective than Marinol because it contains many more cannabinoids than just the THC that is Marinol’s active ingredient. The additional cannabinoids may well have additional and complementary antiemetic (effective against vomiting and nausea) qualities. They have been conclusively shown to have better pain-control properties when taken in combination than THC alone (U.S. Society for Neuroscience Conclusion).”

    “The Compassionate Use Act passed in 1996 expressly provides that “chronic pain” is a condition for which physicians are authorized to recommend marijuana without threat or fear of punishment for providing a full range of treatment modalities to care for patients in pain.  However, Federal policy on medical cannabis is filled with contradictions.  Cannabis is a Schedule I drug, classified as having no medicinal value and a high potential for abuse, yet its most psychoactive component, THC, is legally available as Marinol and is listed in DEA Drug Schedule III Classification for physician prescriptions.  For those that don’t know, Class III prescriptions fall under the same legal prescribed DEA classification, such as Tylenol.  To add insult to injury an average month supply of Marinol will cost you ~$500.00.  A medical marijuana script-license provides you the right to produce and self medicate without the outrageous cost to alleviate chronic pain but has a double jeopardy possibility of imprisonment at the federal government’s discretion!  Is the government trying to figure out a way to make money by controlling a multi-billion dollar industry at the expense of suffering people in pain?  How much lower could we stoop as a nation?

    Currently, laws that effectively remove state-level criminal penalties for growing and/or possessing medical cannabis are in place in Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington.  Thirty-six states have symbolic medical cannabis laws (laws that support medical cannabis but do not provide patients with legal protection under state law).  Reference,  Compassionate Use Act, 1996 – Key organizations; Drug Enforcement Administration, (DEA) Federal Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Americans For Safe Access (ASA).

“By comparison, the side effects associated with cannabis are typically mild and are classified as “low risk.” Euphoric mood changes are among the most frequent side effects. Cannabinoids can exacerbate schizophrenic psychosis in predisposed persons. Cannabinoids impede cognitive and psychomotor performance, resulting in temporary impairment. Chronic use can lead to the development of tolerance. Tachycardia and hypotension are frequently documented as adverse events in the cardiovascular system. A few cases of myocardial ischemia have been reported in young and previously healthy patients. Inhaling the smoke of cannabis cigarettes induces side effects on the respiratory system. Cannabinoids are contraindicated for patients with a history of Cardiac ischemia.  In summary, a low risk profile is evident from the literature available. Serious complications are very rare and are not usually reported during the use of cannabinoids for medical indications (Chronic Pain and Medical Marijuana, ASA PDF Brochure# 888-929-4367).”

“Institute of Medicine, “Nausea, appetite loss, pain and anxiety… All can be mitigated by marijuana… For patients, such as those with AIDS or undergoing chemotherapy, who suffer simultaneously from severe pain, nausea, and appetite loss, cannabinoid drugs might offer broad spectrum relief not found in any other single medication (Marijuana and Medicine; Assessing the Science Base, 1999).”

“Where morphine fails, marijuana may work. That’s the major finding of British research into the pain caused by nerve injuries, a pain known to be somewhat resistant to morphine and similar drugs that are the gold standard for treating just about any other kind of serious pain.  It’s known that if you injure a nerve, the morphine receptors in the spinal cord disappear and that’s probably why morphine isn’t a very effective pain killer for such conditions as shingles, people who have had an amputation or perhaps if cancer has invaded the spinal cord (Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience Report & London’s Imperial College, Andrew Rice).”

“One of marijuana’s greatest advantages as a medicine is its remarkable safety. It has little effect on major physiological functions.  There is no known case of a lethal overdose; on the basis of Animal models, the ratio of lethal to effective dose is estimated as 40,000 to 1. By comparison, the ratio is between 3 and 50 to 1 for Secobarbital and between 4 and 10 to 1 for ethanol. Marijuana is also far less addictive and far less subject to abuse than many drugs now used as muscle relaxants, hypnotics, and analgesics.

The Chief legitimate concern is the effect of smoking on the lungs. Cannabis smoke carries even more tars and other particulate matter than tobacco smoke. But the amount smoked is much less, especially in medical use.  The technology Dr. Grinspoon imagined in 1995 now exists in the form of “vaporizers,” which are widely available through stores and by mail order.   (Journal of the American Medical Association, Lancet editorial, Dr. Lester Grinspoon, 1995).”

“There is indeed great concern in the medical community about the need to find better pain relief for damaged nerves, but that progress is being made (Dr. Kenneth Mackie, an associate professor in anesthesiology and physiology at the University of Washington in Seattle).”

“The use of medical cannabis has been endorsed by numerous professional organizations, including the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Public Health Association, and the American Nurses Association. Its use is supported by such leading medical publications as The New England Journal of Medicine and the Lancet.”

    Although I’ve cited main points on pain relief through cannabis use, there is much more information with regard to the legality, use, risk and benefits of such use.  I found this brochure (referenced below) very informative where I decided it and other scientific references would be best to highlight cannabis information in a citation format.  I highly recommend you read this report in its entirety if you believe cannabis use would benefit your chronic pain problem.  Below I’ve left references for you to further your research on the topic.

Most of the citations I listed above can be found in (Chronic Pain and Medical Marijuana Brochure#888-929-4367) put out by ASA (Americans for Safe Access), Free PDF report file: http://www.safeaccessnow.org/downloads/pain_brochure.pdf.  Brochure# 888-929-4367, ASA).

You can also make inquiries by mail to: Americans for Safe Access (ASA), 1322 Webster Street, Suite 402, Oakland, California 94612.  Visit their home page for much more information on current medical marijuana use, advocacy, dispensaries, legislation, etc., at www.AmericansForSafeAccess.org, or call ASA @ 1-888-929-4367.

    Be sure to check with your state public health division laws to find out more about medical marijuana use, grow site & use rights… e.g., possible zoning grow site, use, geography restrictions, limitations, etc.   State reciprocity, card issue and federal- state law use conflicts, etc.

 Author:  Marc T. Woodard, MBA, BS Exercise Science, USA Medical Services Officer, CPT, RET.  2009 Copyright, All rights reserved.  Mirror Athlete Enterprises Publishing @: www.mirrorathlete.com, Sign up for your free eNewsletter.

April 23, 2009

Medical Marijuana & Pain Relief, Pain Benefit

Filed under: Chronic Pain, Fibromyalgia, addiction, herbal, marijuana, pain — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , — Marc Woodard @ 16:39

I’ve been asked this question many times “what do I think about the use of medical marijuana to relieve pain?”   I believe that chronic pain patients have a unique physical and mental pain challenge regardless of pain disorder that most don’t understand, or could relate to unless they experience something similar.  Relating to a chronic pain patients problem daily is difficult for those that have never walked in their shoes.  It is also common for loved ones to pass judgment and become frustrated with decisions that are made, “or not” by those that are trying to find pain relief.  The best example to make a comparison… Most would begin to understand, or relate to a pain patients dilemma if you’d ever experienced an acute and severe low back pain episode.  For those that have been fortunate enough not to have experienced a low back strain let me provide a different analogy.

Imagine if you could never get pain relief from a cough or head ache.  Instead the cough or headache became more chronic and would not go away for days, weeks, or even months!  How would you feel if you couldn’t get relief?  Can you imagine going to work each day, taking care of your family, let alone yourself?  I know you’ve had this experience and can imagine if you could not get rid of this bug, what would you do, how would this change your life?  Most of you have experienced a terrible bout of the common cold or flu.  So there is some common ground in relating to what would you do if you had to learn to live with these symptoms on a daily basis.  You’d look for all options that are legally available to you to remove, or alleviate this pain.  If you can’t find relief your quality of life suffers and so does all around you.

Let’s continue on with this example, when the symptoms are really bad, what do you do?  You go to the doctor, they give you antibiotics, you then might also go to the local drug store, load up on cough syrup-drops, AM/PM relief medications, Tylenol, aspirin.  Some do all of this while hitting the local sauna in hopes of sweating out the bug, then take a couple of days off of work.  Others may do all of this while suppressing the cough by sipping on brandy until they fall asleep.  Okay, now you get the ideal.  You search out pain alleviation modalities that are legal and available to you that suppress any number of pain type flue, or cold symptoms.  When pain exceeds physical and mental tolerances, humans will always look for the best way to customize a pain alleviation program that works best for them.  All legal choices should be available for consideration and use within a pain management program.  In many cases, chronic pain patients suffer far worse than those that have infrequent bouts with the flu, or common cold. Chronic pain for a pain patient does not go away and varies with frequency- severity dependant on pain disorder and daily work load (activity, exercise, daily tasks, etc.).   Those that don’t experience chronic pain daily are typically not able to understand why a person would choose to smoke medical marijuana.

It must be noted I don’t, or would never advocate a 100% use of any pain modality application, but instead advocate combinations, or a balance of holistic approaches for chronic pain relief and customized differently within each pain management program.  As such, a chronic pain patient requires all the information possible, understanding benefits and risks in order to make an informed decision to live the “best” quality of life style possible.  Pain management programs may consist of any treatment modality combination(s) that may, or may not include pharmaceuticals, herbal, alternative modality treatments, supplemental, exercise; activity program(s) that will provide pain relief.  Medical marijuana choices to treat chronic pain are now “legal” (dependant on state).

Medical marijuana has been better than a “quasi” legal pain alleviation alternative since the birth of the “Compassionate Use Act,” passed in 1996.  I’d say better then quasi-legal because, although 13 states authorized medical marijuana cards, this does not mean there aren’t conflicting federal laws with regard to each state “use” authorization.  Currently, laws that effectively remove state-level criminal penalties for growing and/or possessing medical cannabis:   Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington.  Let’s dig up some facts first by providing some scientific data, testimonials, risk to benefit and finally legal aspects of medical marijuana use.  Without going into the physiological depth of how pain receptors work, or doesn’t work, depending on your pain injuries, or diagnosis, let me break this down for you the best way I know how.

People that suffer with chronic pain either have severed, or damaged pain receptor nerve endings.  Scientifically proven, if an opiate nerve receiver is not available to block pain because of nerve damage, or severed nerves, opiates such as morphine, or codeine would have little to no effect on the pain area. Scientific studies further point out, although an opiate nerve ending receiver may be  severed, or damaged, the THC (marijuana nerve receivers) are intact  and do benefit the pain patient by alleviating pain.  This is because the nerve cannabinoid receptors appear to maintain functional pain blocking receivers regardless of damage at a pain trigger point which also benefits neuropathic radial pain (radiating pain to distal portions of the body through neural conduit highways).  Continued…

Be sure to look for Medical Marijuana and Pain Relief, Part II which focuses more on the science through medical journal citations as medical Marijuana studies strongly support the pain patients benefits through daily cannabis use.

Author:  Marc T. Woodard, MBA, BS Exercise Science, USA Medical Services Officer, CPT, RET.  2009 Copyright, All rights reserved.  Mirror Athlete Enterprises Publishing @: www.mirrorathlete.com, Sign up for your free eNewsletter.

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