Headache and Pain – Update on Evidence and Cannabis Science

“Comprehensive literature reviews of historical perspectives and evidence supporting cannabis/cannabinoids in the treatment of pain, including migraine and headache, with associated neurobiological mechanisms of pain modulation have been well described.”
“There is accumulating evidence for various therapeutic benefits of cannabis/cannabinoids, especially in the treatment of pain, which may also apply to the treatment of migraine and headache.”

Most patients reported replacing prescription medications with medical cannabis

“Supporting evidence also exists for cannabis/cannabinoids in the treatment of migraine and/or chronic migraine, cluster headaches, chronic headaches, medication overuse headache, idiopathic intracranial hypertension and multiple sclerosis.
There were 21 primary illnesses that were reported as being treated with medicinal cannabis… The subsets analyzed further were headache, chronic pain, and arthritis.
Most patients in the pain groups reported replacing prescription medications with medicinal cannabis, the most common of which were opiates/opioids across all pain groups.
Growing abundance of literature suggesting that cannabis may help in weaning from these medications and perhaps providing a means of combating the opioid epidemic.”

CBD oil aids in reducing inflammation and pain associated with headaches

“Migraines are commonly believed to involve the nerves and blood vessels of the brain but may also be caused by problems in the cervical spine. Depression, anxiety, and sleep disturbances are common for those with chronic migraine. 349 Interestingly, medication overuse is the most common reason episodic migraine turns chronic. Furthermore, the health care and lost-productivity costs associated with migraine are estimated to be as high as $ 36 billion annually in the United States. And, although 25 percent of sufferers would benefit from preventive treatment, only 12 percent of all sufferers receive it. Recent studies show that migraine headaches may be due to endocannabinoid deficiency and abnormal inflammatory response. In fact, patients suffering from migraines have reported feeling as if the brain tissue itself is inflamed and physically bumping against the skull. The use of CBD and THC can augment endocannabinoid deficiencies and mitigate or reduce inflammation.”

Migraine headaches may be due to endocannabinoid deficiency

“Recent studies show that migraine headaches may be due to endocannabinoiddeficiency and abnormal inflammatory response. Remember that the endocannabinoid system exists to maintain cellular homeostasis. Often migraine sufferers report that headaches begin in response to a trigger, such as bright light, hunger, hormones, or certain smells or foods. The trigger event causes an imbalance in the brain, which should then trigger the production of endocannabinoids to maintain homeostasis. If one is deficient in endocannabinoids, the imbalance continues, leading to development of the migraine headache.”

Cannabis used for thousands of years to treat headaches

“Cannabis has been used for thousands of years to treat headaches. Medical cannabis patients are finding relief of pain, less nausea and better sleep. Patients also report less frequency and less severity of their migraine headaches with medical cannabis use. A number of well-known trigger factors for migraine headaches, specifically sleep deprivation and anxiety or stress, are alleviated with cannabis, thereby reducing the number of migraine attacks.”