Chronic Pain

If you have chronic pain from cancer or another disease and your existing chronic pain management plan isn’t working, medical marijuana may be an option. At Medical Marijuana Doctors of Louisiana, Peter Candelora, MD, provides comprehensive health evaluations in-office to qualify you for the state of Louisiana’s medical marijuana program. Dr. Candelora assesses your pain and overall health and can prescribe marijuana as part of your chronic pain management plan. Call the office in Metairie, Louisiana, to schedule a chronic pain management consultation or book an appointment online today.

What is chronic pain management?

Chronic pain management involves medical services to treat chronic pain conditions. Chronic pain describes pain that persists for six months or longer and affects your mobility, overall health and function, and the quality of your life.

Common chronic pain conditions include:

• Cancer
• Migraines
• Arthritis
• Multiple sclerosis
• Neuropathy (nerve damage)

If you’re not finding relief from chronic pain with traditional pain relievers, you may benefit from using medical marijuana.

Dr. Candelora can also determine if you’re a candidate for medical marijuana prescriptions if you want to reduce your reliance on opioids and other potentially addictive pain medications.

How is medical marijuana used in chronic pain management?

Medical marijuana comes from the dried leaves and buds of the Cannabis sativa plant. The plant contains cannabinoids, an active ingredient that breaks down into two chemicals: delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD).

THC

THC produces the high sensation marijuana is known for when you smoke it, vape it, or consume it in edible form. The use of THC activates your brain’s reward system by binding to cannabinoid receptors in your brain, which can significantly reduce your chronic pain level.

CBD

CBD offers anti-inflammatory benefits to relieve pain further without causing a high sensation like CBD.

How do I qualify for medical marijuana to treat chronic pain?

Dr. Candelora provides comprehensive physical exams and medical evaluations to determine if medical marijuana is a treatment option for your chronic pain. Depending on the severity of your pain and the condition causing it, he may recommend medical marijuana as part of your current chronic pain management plan.

If Dr. Candelora determines you’re a candidate for medical marijuana to treat chronic pain, he sends a prescription to one of the dispensaries in Louisiana for you to pick up.

Louisiana state laws require that medical marijuana must be in non-raw, non-smokable form. Dr. Candelora can prescribe:

• Oils
• Pills
• Sprays
• Capsules
• Extracts
• Tinctures
• Solutions
• Suspension
• Chewables
• Suppositories
• Metered-dose inhalers

Skin patches and lotions are also an option to meet your needs and your dosing requirements.

To find out if you’re a candidate for medical marijuana as part of your chronic pain management plan, call Medical Marijuana Doctors of Louisiana or book an appointment online today.