{"componentChunkName":"component---common-build-question-tags-template-js","path":"/question-tag/back/16","result":{"data":{"allQuestion":{"edges":[{"node":{"id":"Question_10731-markdown","title":"My husband has a complete loss of his libido and erectile dysfunction. Can pot help him get it up?","slug":"my-husband-has-a-complete-loss-of-his-libido-and-erectile-dysfunction-can-pot-help-him-get-it-up","content":"\"We used to smoke back in the day but have not in a long time. I'm wondering if smoking pot again can help my guy get it up again? It's not for lack of trying or for lack of desire, at least I think so!\"\n_____________________\nSmall amounts of cannabis may relieve anxiety and enhance arousal, however, too much will probably make matters worse. \n\ndrfrye\n_____________________\nCannabis may have effects that increase libido and reduce the occurrence of erectile dysfunction, but without knowing how your husband's problem has already been medically evaluated there may be other issues to consider that are not likely to respond to just medicinal cannabis. For example, complications of diabetes can impair circulation and nerve function, or endocrine problems affecting levels of testosterone or other hormones might present as erectile dysfunction and loss of libido. Where erectile dysfunction and reduction of libido are not associated with conditions like these, a holistic approach incorporating cannabis is sometimes helpful. Because anxiety can be an obvious cause of erectile dysfunction it's important to use a preparation with enough CBD to moderate THC effects (1:1 is usually plenty) and to use modest doses, as relaxation and increased sense of well being tend to appear at lower doses and may change to other effects as the dose is increased.  Incorporating topical cannabis preparations may be another useful way to integrate cannabis into sexual activity to overcome erectile dysfunction. The idea is that the cannabis is part of a shared experience of relaxation of mood and pleasurable focus on the senses that can more easily and naturally evolve into arousal.    \n\ndrelkind\n_____________________\nI'd like to add a couple of thoughts to add to this very interesting discussion.  As Dr. Elkind and Dr Frye have mentioned,  cannabis probably works in a dose-related function in terms of erectile dysfunction.  Dr. Elkind also brought up a very important point in that the cause of the ED should be explored with the primary MD.  Does the patient have diabetes? Uncontrolled high blood pressure &/ or cholesterol issues?  Is the patient a smoker as well? (some studies I have seen have actually seen an increase of erectile dysfunction in tobacco smokers as well in individuals who smoked cannabis ;  the mechanism was unclear & needs to be explored further).  If the patient is working through psychological factors that may be contributing to \nthe erectile dysfunction,  counseling for both partners should also probably be instituted.  In the limited anecdotal studies I have seen with cannabis and erectile dysfunction, a lot of the studies seemed to look at THC to help with sexual functioning but this was probably before more information was available concerning CBD as another useful cannabinoid and before the \"entourage\" effect of CBD combined with THC at the endocannabinoid receptor1 / EC1 was known.   At lower doses, these cannabinoids can be very helpful in lowering stress and\n anxiety,  a large component of erectile dysfunction in many men.  However, at too high a dose,  it seemed that erectile dysfunction was actually worsened in these test subjects.  I hope this all helps!\n\ndrpark","image":null}},{"node":{"id":"Question_10708-markdown","title":"Want to cut back on my drinking. Do you think marijuana will help?","slug":"want-to-cut-back-on-my-drinking-do-you-think-marijuana-will-help","content":"\"I drink socially most nights of the week, but I know it's not good for me. I'd like to lose some weight and avoid my occasional hangovers, so I should probably cut back. I like the relaxing effect of drinking and how sociable I feel, so I'm hoping marijuana could be an alternative?\"\n_____________________\nThis is a rather complex question. The first thing to determine is how much you are drinking. The current U.S. recommendation for men is to not exceed 14 drinks in a week nor 4 drinks in a day.  The current recommendation for women is to not exceed 7 drinks in a week nor 2 drinks in a day.  If you drink on a daily basis, it is important that you slowly decrease the amount you are consuming by no more than two drinks a day to prevent withdrawal which can be serious or life-threatening. \n\nThe next step is to understand why you drink.  You might want to keep a drinking journal to better understand your behavior.  There may be other ways to deal with your problem, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, or seeking treatment by a psychiatrist or addiction medicine specialist. \n\nMarijuana may help, or it may worsen your problem. If you drink for leisure and relaxation, it is possible that sedating forms of marijuana could provide a substitute to drink. Some patients, though, find that marijuana increases their energy and decreases their inhibitions, promoting drinking. Also, xerostomia (\"dry mouth\" or \"cotton mouth\") is a common side effect of marijuana and may make you more prone to drinking. \n\ndredmunds","image":null}},{"node":{"id":"Question_10688-markdown","title":"Are there different substances between strains (Indica, Sativa)?  Is this something that is seen in others?","slug":"are-there-different-substances-between-strains-indica-sativa-is-this-something-that-is-seen-in-others","content":"\"I have found that the Indica strains help control my orthopedic and migraine pain better than Sativa strains.  With the sativa I feel like my muscles are \"Over\" relaxed and my joints (shoulders, back, knees) are grinding together even more than normal.\n\nIn addition,  the Sativa causes my anxiety to spike.\n\nI have tried edibles, caplets, and vaporizing.\"\n_____________________\nFirst, you should understand that cannabis has been heavily hybridized since it first evolved and humans began cultivating it, so many of the original terpene and cannabinoid profiles have changed. There are some \"old world\" stable strains that persist and some users swear by there characteristics, but cannabis affects each user individually. The plant's chemical components serve to try to restore homeostasis in our internal biology. \n\nHistorically, Sativas were thought to be energizing and Indicas were thought to be more sedating. \n\nFor some of the older more stable strains that have retained their genetic character that may still be true, but the overall effect of the plant or product is a result of the entire chemical profile and our internal biology. Most medicinal cannabis obtained in California is tested and the chemical profiles can be reviewed. \n\nCertain terpenes such at \"Myrcene\" can produce sedation when present in higher concentrations in cannabis. Higher concentrations of myrcene tend to be more common in Indicas, thus the more sedating effect. This is not true of all Indicas, and newer hybrids may have varying chemical profiles.\n\nUse the website address below to see an example of an Indica profile:\n\nhttps://www.leafly.com/indica/granddaddy-purple\n\nNote the concentration of myrcene on the profile.\n\nYou can compare many common strain types in this way. I suggest you keep a \"treatment journal\" to note your responses to various strains and compare the profiles when available to determine which strains are more therapeutic for you.\n\n\n\ndrgerhart","image":null}},{"node":{"id":"Question_10679-markdown","title":"i have extreme back pain, how can i obtain cannabis oil/liquid for the area affected by the  pain?","slug":"i-have-extreme-back-pain-how-can-i-obtain-cannabis-oil-liquid-for-the-area-affected-by-the-pain","content":"\n_____________________\nIf this is a new condition, it is important to be evaluated by orthopedics to determine if you have a reparable injury. Many patients with chronic back pain have found medicines high in CBD to be helpful for comforting pain and, while relatively low in THC, less psychoactive - allowing them to be more functional.  There are a variety of topical medicines, such as lotions and salves containing cannabis, that may decrease inflammation and provide localized pain relief.  These are carried at several dispensaries throughout the state.  You may want to call ahead to confirm that your dispensary carries one or more of these products.  \n\ndredmunds","image":null}},{"node":{"id":"Question_10662-markdown","title":"plantars fasciitis. enable me to get a reccomendation?","slug":"plantars-fasciitis-enable-me-to-get-a-reccomendation","content":"\"foot, heel, leg, and lower back pain. already had the surgeries to almost no avail. have dealt with this problem for years now\"\n_____________________\nUnfortunately, plantar fasciitis and the other bone problems you're describing may actually indicate that you may be rapidly aging. You must examine what you're doing with your diet and exercise plan because it sounds like you were building up a lot of inflammatory cells and this is typically from eating too many Omega 6 and Omega 9 foods in your diet causing inflammation and that is why we typically give large doses of omega-3 is to counter the inflammation along with high CBD low/THC cannabis to stop inflammatory cells. Try alkalinizing your tissue by eating vegetables, fruit and legumes and for two weeks eliminate all prepared foods, white foods, dairy, meats, sugar and simple carbohydrates in order to adequately change the pH in your tissue reducing pain signals. Support your body with vitamin D3 and high CBD cannabis to improve your overall health. Do not take extra calcium unless you have been proven to be deficient because extra calcium calcify's the blood vessels, heart valves and muscles, tissue you don't want calcified because it leads to more medical complications. In order to put the dietary calcium obtain from greens and seaweed into the bones it is necessary to have a healthy vitamin D blood level above 50 ng/ML. You may want to look up the exercises for plantar fasciitis and apply topical cannabis salve to your low back and the bottom of your feet before you start the stretching exercises and remember isometric stretches work well to reduce your pain. If you are over 60 years old you may want to talk with me about how to support a failing hypothalamus/pituitary since plantar fasciitis is often the first sign of this aging process. Do try the things I have suggested and if you aren't significantly improved within six weeks consider contacting me.\n\ndrolson","image":null}},{"node":{"id":"Question_10636-markdown","title":"What role do terpenes play in helping with pain relief?   ","slug":"what-role-do-terpenes-play-in-helping-with-pain-relief","content":"\"I use cannabis for back pain. Should I be only concerned about THC and CBD, or should I be looking for plants with the right terpenes as well? If so, which ones? Thanks for your help!\"\n_____________________\nIf the variety of cannabis you are using isn't addressing your pain, first make sure that both CBD and THC are present. They work against pain together better than either one does alone: 2+2= > 4. Also make sure you are not using too much. THC is most effective against pain at low to moderate doses and is very ineffective against pain at high doses. You might look at the terpenes associated with pain relief, including muscle relaxation, and decreasing  inflammation. All of these modalities play a role in causing and perpetuating pain. Caryophyllene (black pepper, cloves, oregano, rosemary, cinanamon, basil) is a pain reliever, muscle relaxant, and anti-inflammatory;  linalool  (lavender, citrus fruits, coriander, bay leaves) is a pain reliever; pinene is an anti-inflammatory and pain reliever; myrcene     (mango, bay leaves, hops, thyme, lemongrass) is analgesic and anti-inflammatory and humulene (hops) is a potent anti-inflammatory.  Don't limit yourself to the terpenes in cannabis, but also consider incorporating these terpenes into your diet and aromatherapy as well. \n\ndrfrye\n_____________________\nCleaning houses for a large part of my life has led to back pain for me. I recently started adding the Lime OG terpene from https://www.true-blue.co/products/lime-og-terpenes to my vaporizer and I do feel a difference. \n\n\nAng","image":null}},{"node":{"id":"Question_10614-markdown","title":"My husband just returned from serving overseas and is very anxious. The doctor's are treating him for PTSD.","slug":"my-husband-just-returned-from-serving-overseas-and-is-very-anxious-the-doctors-are-treating-him-for-ptsd","content":"\"He doesn't like the drugs they are prescribing. The side-effects are horrible! Some of his friends are using marijuana and having great results. Do you recommend this? Should he smoke it? What strains are best for PTSD? I'll do whatever I need to do to help him feel better and to get my \"old\" husband back.\"\n_____________________\nI have treated several patients suffering from PTSD that have found cannabis to be helpful for their condition. As you state that he is very anxious due to his condition, I would recommend indica strains. Indica tends to be sedating and relaxing and is also helpful for sleep.  If your husband has depression as a component of his PTSD, an indica dominant hybrid containing some sativa may be helpful.\n\nI discourage smoking cannabis, as the products of combustion (carbon monoxide, tar, carcinogens) contain compounds that may be harmful to one's health. Vaporizing is a great shorter acting alternative to smoking as are oral tinctures. Edibles are much longer acting and are therefore helpful for patients also suffering from insomnia.  \n\ndredmunds","image":null}},{"node":{"id":"Question_10610-markdown","title":"What type of cannabis cream do you recommend for back ache?","slug":"what-type-of-cannabis-cream-do-you-recommend-for-back-ache","content":"\n_____________________\nTopical creams are great thing to try for an achy back. We recently posted two different articles on our Health and Wellness blog on this very topic. Andrea Brooks wrote an article on how topicals helped her recover from chronic pain:\n\nIn the article she writes:\n\"Applying a topical is a transdermal method of ingesting cannabis - meaning it goes through your skin. They work by binding to a network of receptors called CB2 that are found throughout the body and are activated either by the body’s naturally-occurring endocannabinoids or by cannabis compounds known as phytocannabinoids.\n\nWhen you apply most topicals, the cannabinoids don’t enter the bloodstream so you will not have a psychoactive experience. The two exceptions are with transdermal patches, which will deliver THC to the bloodstream and can cause psychoactive effects and cannabis-infused soaks, which allow THC to be absorbed through the colon. However, with lotions, salves, and the like, you can use them to relieve pain in a specific area while going about your day.\"\n\nI wrote an article on how I use topicals and in this I talk about specific products that I really enjoy which are available in California:\n\nEveryone is different, but for me topical creams really help with lower back pain. Some people prefer menthol based salves while I tend to prefer the really creamy, rich body butters. The other option is to try a bath soak, which can have higher CBD or higher THC depending on the brand. I hope this helps!\n\npamelahadfield","image":null}},{"node":{"id":"Question_10558-markdown","title":"Can I use cannabis as a replacement for Vicodin?","slug":"can-i-use-cannabis-as-a-replacement-for-vicodin","content":"\"I suffer from chronic back pain and have been using vicodin. However, my doctor has stated that I need to end my reliance on this drug, and I am looking for a replacement. Advill and others don't provide the relief I am looking for. What cannabis products might be a good choice for me?\"\n_____________________\nCannabis has had more and more positive feedback in people trying to cut down or eliminate their opioid use. Every day in the United States about 44 people die as result of opioid overdoses. There has never been a reported death from cannabis use. Donald Abrams, MD, a professor of medicine at University of California, San Francisco, has studied the effects of medical marijuana on pain since the mid-1990s. In 2011, he published a small study of 21 patients that found that the addition of marijuana to a twice-daily opioid regimen led to a 25 percent reduction in pain. It suggests cannabis could allow pain patients to lower their opioid dosage and still get pain relief.\n\nIt seems that patients can get short term pain relief from cannabis that contains only 1.3 percent tetrahydrocannabinol (or THC), the ingredient that gives marijuana its psychotropic effects. Pot used for recreational purposes has 6 to 12 percent THC, but can go as high as 20 percent. A  higher concentration of cannabidiol (CBD) mixed with a little THC seems to be the best bet for decreasing opioid use. There is one called “20:1,” named for its ratio of CBD to THC. \n\nThe fastest way to obtain relief is by smoking or vaping the cannabis product. Tinctures or capsules are effective as well as using an edible that can last the longest.\n\n\n\nPerry Solomon, MD\n_____________________\nThe short answer is, yes!\n\nI have had many patients decrease their reliance on opioids such as Vicodin, Percocet and oxycodone for pain relief by substituting often large quantities of opioids with medicinal cannabis. I strongly urge this be done under close medical supervision, guided by a physician familiar with both opioid pain medication and cannabis use. \n\nFor a longtime I struggled with my chronic pain patients for whom Tylenol and Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories such as ibuprofen and Naprosyn didn’t offer enough pain relief. It seemed like the next step was opioids and there was very little in between to offer patients. These days I spend less time transitioning patients off their opioids and more time convincing them to try cannabis first. Using cannabis, many of my patients have avoided the whole opioid epidemic. \n\nThe choice of cannabis product for your back pain should be tailored to your individual pain relief needs. It will depend on whether your pain is constant or intermittent. Whether your pain is predominant throughout the day or whether it affects your sleep as well. It will depend on your personal situation such as your need to drive or work. \n\nVicodin is a short-term opioid that relieves pain for hours at a time. As such, it often needs to be dosed several times a day. The equivalent short term method for pain relief with cannabis could be inhalation such as vaporizing or using a vape pen. Pain relief starts within 5-10 minutes usually but only lasts 2-4 hours. \n\nOther methods of cannabis provide longer coverage of pain relief and you may find topicals, tinctures and edibles more useful. I rarely find one cannabis product fits all and often different products at different times works best. Also, it is important to understand that everyone reacts differently to cannabis products.\n\nIf you are new to cannabis use, I would recommend trying a topical CBD cream or lotion directly on the skin over you back initially, as there is no high associated with CBD topicals with perhaps time release patches being the theoretical exception. I would then likely recommend a 20:1 CBD:THC tincture in addition. If your pain was preventing sleep, I might introduce a different product such as a 1:1 THC:CBD tincture for night time pain relief and sleep enhancement.\n\n\ndrbluto\n_____________________\nIt's so frustrating when you can't get a good nights sleep! Many factors come into play but if it is your back that's keeping you awake at night that's fairly easy to resolve.\nIf you have been doing Sativa in the evening, to go to sleep you need to add CBD (Oral spray tincture works well to stop the brain chatter) but if you are doing Indica and you suffer with brain chatters the same technique works because you tend to sleep much better when your CBD and THC are in a one-to-one or equal balance. I also suggest that you may want to do a CBD dominant topical salve rubbed into your back just before bedtime to keep you out of pain and muscle spasm through the night. If you wake up in the night you can vaporize off a 1:1 vapor pen to go back to sleep. If your sleep problems are actually from an accumulation of stress and anxiety throughout the day please, consider using the low-dose CBD (an 8:1, CVD: THC should work well and does not make you high) a couple of times during the day to keep yourself calm and even with your emotions and you will actually sleep better.  Some people just don't sleep well with high THC so please be aware of that and you may need to balance with CBD. Good luck, a good night sleep is worth making some changes.\n\ndrolson\n_____________________\nLimiting your exposure to opiate medications is a great way to improve your overall health and limit the risks that come with this class of medications. Many patients experience side effects such as nausea, constipation, drowsiness, and poor appetite not to mention the long-term risks of abuse and addiction.\n\nThere are several options for pain control depending on the specific underlying cause of your pain. You may consider non-steroidal pain medications like ibuprofen, naproxen, and meloxicam. Local pain treatment with a lidocaine patch or voltaren gel is also an option with lower risk of side effects. Of course, there are non-pharmaceutical options, which is likely the reason for your question on this site.\n\nThe same principles that apply to traditional medications apply to cannabis. A topical cannabis-infused product is recommended as the first approach to pain control. This could include a cannabis-infused patch, lotion, balm, or ointment applied directly to the skin or massaged into the skin. Higher CBD content products tend to work well for this since there is an anti-inflammatory property associated with CBD.\n\nPain can also be treated with as needed vaporized cannabis products. Vaporizers work well for immediate relief since they take 5 minutes or less to feel the effect. Again, a higher CBD product is preferred due to its anti-inflammatory properties. THC can be effective but tends to be more of a way to distract from pain as opposed to treating the inflammation associated with pain. You own trial and error is important when treating pain. Just remember to use as little as needed for relief without overdoing it.\n\nFinally, don't forget about conservative pain management using physical therapy, massage therapy, heat and cold packs, and acupuncture which can be very effective for certain individuals depending on the underlying cause of the pain.\n\nsankmd\n_____________________\nFibromyalgia affects a large number of Americans, and medical marijuana can be an effective alternative to traditional pharmaceutical products.  Generally, a balanced product with both THC and CBD is a good choice for chronic pain, while avoiding excess side effects.  Products that are ingested/swallowed have a longer duration of action, so you can experience a gradual, steady pain relief effect.  There are a few articles on fibro in our Health & Wellness section that you can check out for more details, including some recommended strains.  Best of luck to you in finding improved pain relief!\n\ndrbultman\n_____________________\nThis question is a real challenge because I have different answers for different parts of the body and do you want to be awake or asleep? \nI love the topical CBD dominant salve for most all pain in my body and so far I have enjoyed many brands but my favorite is Canna Care because it is very effective at relieving pain especially the ~2:1 ratio. \nFor vaporizing, I think it is hard to beat AC/DC because it is fast and effective and it does not leave me with any psychoactive effect and no anxiety as it quickly relieves the pain. \nI personally tend to avoid edibles due to the carbs and the edibles are so regional, any recommendation would be of little benefit but I am certain another doctor might be able to give advise on edibles. \nI like a variety of tinctures but I tend to like to spray the tincture in my mouth or hold it under my tongue so that makes the strong alcoholic tinctures too hot for me but the alcohol extracted tinctures are still excellent products. \nWe have many fine products on our website so please, explore the products.\n\ndrolson\n_____________________\nConsider CBD for pain since it works well and usually very little if any side effects as long as the THC is low. Once the ratio of CBD to THC is more than 8 parts CBD to 1 part THC, it is unlikely you would notice any psychoactive effect.  If you are in pain and you want to go to sleep try a 4:1 CBD dominant or even a 2:1 or 1:1 but you will notice the psychoactive effect before you go to sleep. It will take some experimenting, go low and slow and you will find your perfect dose but do not be afraid, cannabis tends to be much more gentle than pharmaceutical narcotics or benzodiazepines.\n\ndrolson\n_____________________\nPain is one of the most common uses for medical marijuana.  Whether it's inflammation, headaches, neuropathic pain, muscle soreness, spinal injury, fibromyalgia or cramps, people have seen varying degrees of success with cannabis.\n\nwendynp\n_____________________\nI believe the best relief for severe back pain are the CBD topical salves in a 2:1 ratio, applied every hours during your waking hours to keep the pain in remission, take a high CBD oral spray or tincture in addition so you are treating yourself inside and outside And within one week you should have a profound reduction in your pain level. If you are still experiencing pain within one week please, be sure to have your vitamin D blood level checked and take vitamin D3 in order to get your blood level above 55 MG/ML for optimum pain relief.\nStay well hydrated and pay attention to your posture. If your posture is poor, the nerves can't call you on the phone to scream, \"Get off me!\" and you will experience pain. \nYou must do everything to get better or except the fact that you're not going to get better until you do everything. The body likes to be healthy and well and wants to be healthy and well and now you have the tools to get healthy and well. You cannot get enough sunshine to make enough vitamin D to correct your problem.\n\ndrolson\n_____________________\nMany good answers here, and I'd just like to mention that there is clear published medical science demonstrating that cannabis improves the pain relieving effects of opioids.  This has allowed many people to use cannabis to reduce their Vicodin dosage while maintaining adequate pain relief. \n\ndrelkind\n_____________________\nWhether it's Vicodin, Percocet or another opioid, cannabis typically works well as an alternative to these pain killers. Marijuana can either reduce opioid use or eliminate it altogether.\n\nHere's an excerpt from the above video: \n\nPamela: Dr. Solomon I love this next question because it's so timely with what's going on in the news today. Can cannabis be replaced by Vicodin?\n\nDr. Solomon:  We certainly hope so and more and more studies are showing that it absolutely can. Dr. Donald Abrams, a professor of medicine at UCSF has shown in a study that people who had been using Vicodin showed a 25% decrease in their Vicodin use when they started using cannabis to replace it. It's just remarkable how many people are seeing that the side effects of cannabis are so little compared to the side effects of Vicodin and as you know the new demands by the government are saying that people can't even get Vicodin for their chronic pain.\n\nPamela: Yeah so it's so hard to get and people are also recognizing [they] don't want to be on opioids anymore [they] want an alternative.\n\nDr. Solomon: And the dangers of opioids are huge, with suicides, overdoses, etc. As a matter of fact the 24 in the country now that have legalized medical cannabis have shown a 25-30% decrease in the opioid overdoses that occur, causing death. \n\nPamela: And my own personal story, I know that I was able to replace Vicodin with cannabis in my own pain management, so personally I do believe that it works.\n\nDanielle Lim ","image":null}}]}},"pageContext":{"limit":12,"skip":180,"numPages":16,"currentPage":16,"id":4982,"name":"Back","slug":"back","country":"US"}},"staticQueryHashes":["3949754563","4179947113","4202924991"]}