Eight in 10 migraine sufferers report cannabis helped beat back pain levels: study

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“Nearly 40 million Americans, including 28 million women, suffer from disabling migraine attacks,” notes a press release from Healint, which makes healthcare technology for chronic pain management. “As medical cannabis continues to be legalized in most [U.S.] states, migraineurs are finding that cannabis can decrease the intensity of migraine attacks,” it states.

“Research about the benefits of cannabis use among migraine patients is slowly emerging, but more must be done to properly inform individuals about the use and dosage of medical marijuana to treat migraines,” says Healint CEO and co-founder Francois Cadiou.

A study published last year found that inhaling cannabis helped to slash the severity of headaches and migraines by about 50 per cent. That said, men reported larger reductions in headache after cannabis use than did women.

Another study showed that surveyed patients reported the average number of monthly migraines dropped by about 42 per cent. Additionally, the study found the 88.3 per cent of the 279 patients taking part reported an improvement in their headache profile while 38.3 per cent cited better sleep, 30.7 per cent noted less anxiety and 24.7 per cent reported improved mood.

“While the increase in research looking at the correlation between cannabis use and migraine frequency is a positive sign, we urgently need more studies to be conducted on the proper administration method and dosage to better inform our patients,” Dr. Andrew Rizzo, an emergency medicine physician in New York, says in the Healint statement.