Met Office has predicted snow and amber cold-health alert across the country risking chronic pain symptoms to worsen for Brits
As the Met Office forecasts a significant drop in temperature this week as well as snow, the sudden changes in temperature may intensify symptoms for the quarter of UK adults (26%) struggling with chronic pain. According to the British Pain Society, 5.5 million sufferers report living with high-impact chronic pain and struggle to participate in daily activities – with back pain, arthritis and joint pain being the most prevalent. Now with the critical mass of society living with debilitating symptoms and the cold weather heightening pain sensitivity, society has assumed the experience of pain and a never-ending relationship with strong medications as the norm. This comes as landmark research from Mamedica, the nation’s leading medical cannabis clinic, has unveiled that over half (51%) of the population say they have lived with a chronic condition for over five years and have not found a remedy that works.
However, there are multiple evidence-based reports which discuss the potential ineffectiveness of opioids for treating long-term pain and some researchers highlight that these drugs may have been overprescribed according to national guidelines. This comes as evidence shows that just last year the UK prescribed over 50 million opioid medications – placing the UK as the highest number of prescribers per capita in the world. Perpetuated by a raft of unprecedented and stress-inducing societal and economic events, the meteoric rise in pain patients seems to be unabating as Mamedica found that 73% have accepted physical pain and discomfort as the norm. In a critical conversation about the need for alternative therapeutic methods, Jon Robson, CEO & founder of Mamedica, discusses the viability of medical cannabis as a safe way to manage pain.
Key stats:
51% of Britons say they have lived with a chronic health condition for over 5 years and have not found a remedy that works
14% say that the medication they are prescribed has worsened their condition
73% say that have accepted physical pain and discomfort as the norm for themselves
16% say that they avoid the GP to avoid being prescribed stronger medication
24% say they have tried at least three different medications for their chronic pain but have not found them to be effective
19% say that they believe self-medicating using cannabis helps them save money on healthcare costs
Since its legalisation for medical purposes in the UK in 2018, the benefits of using cannabis-based prescriptions to treat a range of health conditions have been well-documented with cannabis-based medicinal products (CBMPs) having known benefits relative to sleep hygiene, mood stabilisation, and a reduction of neuropathic pain. The two cannabinoids which have garnered the most attention in the field are tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). These are thought to affect pain through various pathways, including the endocannabinoid system.
Mamedica supports patients of all backgrounds that are living with chronic conditions with chronic pain accounting for around 70% of those using their services, spanning across cancer-related pain, musculoskeletal pain, arthritis, neuropathic pain and fibromyalgia.
Jon Robson, CEO and founder of Mamedica, says:
“Medical cannabis has been legal in the UK since November 2018, yet its applications are still only recently being discussed publicly. For me, it wasn’t until I spent time in California – and visited a medical cannabis dispensary for the first time – that I realised the potential it had to improve the lives of people who were on much stronger medications.
“That is why at Mamedica we advocate for improved access and availability to safe and secure treatment. From the initial consultation to the delivery of prescriptions we ensure that the entire process is tailored to an individual’s presenting symptoms – be it from chronic pain to psychological difficulty. Through a combination of education and awareness, the increased use of prescription-based cannabis has the potential to alleviate the collective experience of pain so many have normalised and instead enjoy an improved quality of life.”
“Our service offers unrestricted access to the widest range of cannabis-based prescription medicines available in the UK, and our healthcare model has been designed to deliver the fastest speed of service, from initial consultation to the patient receiving their prescription.”
