As humans evolved, we discovered many substances in nature which can alleviate acute pain and chronic pain. Many of these substances allowed scientists to create semi-synthetic and synthetic pain medications. Opiate based chemicals lead to 100’s of formulations and dosages. Non-narcotic medications also have been proven to help with acute and chronic pain. But what scientists and physicians did not realize is that there is a great price that is paid by the patient in the form of side effects. Non-narcotic medications such as NSAIDS can lead to gastric bleeding, acute kidney injury, and even increased risk of strokes and heart attacks. Opiate based medications are equally as dangerous if not more since they can lead to addiction, loss of quality of life and most importantly increase loss of life. Opiates, even though they are good at controlling pain, are highly addictive and can lead to respiratory depression. Respiratory depression can lead to respiratory arrest and ultimately death.

According to the NIH, “the total number of U.S. overdose deaths involving prescribed opioid pain relievers increased 1.9 fold from 2002 to 2011”. This increase in overdoses does not include the tremendous use of underground fentanyl abuse where the numbers are even more extreme. In this time period, physicians were mandated to treat pain according to pain scales and ultimately graded with patient satisfaction scores. Yes, doctors were graded on treating pain. This led to increased use of opioid based medications, increase in addiction rates and ultimately increase in mortality due to overdoses. This unfortunate cycle of events needed to be stopped and the government is finally realizing that. Pain scales are being re-evaluated, patient satisfaction scores do not include pain treatment evaluations, and now other modalities for treating pain are being explored.

One modality that is aggressively being researched for medicinal properties to control pain (acute and chronic) is cannabis. Cannabis includes marijuana and hemp. The use of cannabis is not a new modality, but rather an ancient remedy which was ostracized into the “harmful” and “no medical use” area of medications and illicit drugs. Let’s look at the medical history of cannabis and see why it has become an illicit drug. Ancient Chinese physicians recommended using cannabis to prevent malaria, treat rheumatic pains, constipation and female disorders. As early the second century AD, cannabis resin was used as an anesthetic and given to patients to reduce pain during surgery. In early America, marijuana extract was used to treat migraines and a host of other diseases. Hemp was used in textile industries. In 1937, the marijuana tax act was passed and stone walled any chance of cannabis being used in the textile industry or as a potential medicine.

In the last 2 decades, cannabis and its different phytochemicals have finally found their way into laboratories and into people’s hands legally. We have discovered that the different chemicals, mainly THC and CBD, have properties that may promote wellness and mitigate diseased state. Marijuana is now grown for its THC and CBD constituents while hemp is grown for its industrial value and high CBD content. In fact, CBD oil from hemp is legal in 50 states and does not require a script from a physician as long as its THC content is less than .3%.

CBD oil has been found to have quite a few properties according to current research. Research has now shown that CBD can regulate pain perception, act as an anxiolytic, promotes restful sleep, and has neuro-protective properties against oxidation. All these properties of CBD make it a viable option for people who suffer from these symptoms and who do not want to use opioids. Case in point, I saw a patient in my ER several days ago who suffered from arthritic pain but refused to take opioid medications. Instead he was using CBD oil to mitigate his symptoms. He is doing this without risk of respiratory depression or risk of developing an addiction.

People now have a choice to either use NSAID’s and opioid medications riddled with side effects, which can increase morbidity and mortality, or use a phytochemical called CBD to mitigate symptoms of pain and the anxiety that usually go along with it. No risk of respiratory depression, no risk of addiction, no risk of GI bleeds and most importantly, no risk of increased mortality.

And here is another promising area for CBD. People who take opioid medications who may have now become addicted to them, may be able to use CBD to counter the effects of addiction while mitigating pain. As a person detoxifies from opioids, CBD has been shown to reduce the cravings for opioids. This is an amazing finding for addiction medicine and may reduce the opioid epidemic even further.

Sources:

Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Dr. Matt’s Plan, Living Longer and Healthier 2014

Overdose Death Rates: https://www.drugabuse.gov/related-topics/trends-statistics/overdose-death-rates

Cannabinoids in the management of difficult to treat pain. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2503660/

Early Phase in the Development of Cannabidiol as a Treatment for Addiction: Opioid Relapse Takes Initial Center Stage. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4604178/

Black Friday 2017 Is Almost Here

Black Friday 2017 is fast approaching on November 24th. Get the date on your calendar and let the preparations for sale shopping begin. The day after Thanksgiving sale, better known as Black Friday, is the shopping event that has become a holiday tradition for many. An exciting time when families join forces and friends team up to conquer the sale and take advantage of the best Black Friday deals, sensational doorbusters and deep-discount tech deals. Some of these deal-shopping marathons are so memorable, they achieve legendary status when rehashed around the family table during holiday get-togethers. It's the day that kick-starts holiday and Christmas shopping across the U.S.

One thing you'll want to note is that Black Friday is essentially a Thanksgiving sale too, because you can get in on big-time bargains both in store and online beginning on Thanksgiving. And no need to stress if your holiday plans make it a challenge to shop the Black Friday sale. You'll still be able to get great deals during our other big sales like Cyber Monday 2017 and Green Monday.

Special Black Friday Deals

Sportsman’s Creek has Black Friday door busters and deals on the outdoor products you want most, like select Cold Steel Knives, Bear Archery, Schrade Knives, Game Cameras and Sightmark Optics, Coleman Camping Gear, Lews Fishing gear and more. You'll also find great deals on Hunting, Fishing and Camping gear and accessories. Shop for everyone on your gift list without blowing your budget, find stocking stuffers, or get the outdoor gear on your own wish list. Don’t forget, Black Friday kicks off an entire week of deals online that you really won’t want to miss.

The best part of shopping Black Friday deals at sportsmanscreek.com is that you can comfortably fill your virtual cart at home using your laptop or desktop or you can shop while on-the-go from your cell phone or tablet. Sportsmanscreek.com makes it easy to compare products and our extensive library of user reviews helps you shop with confidence.

Throwing a holiday party can be a stressful undertaking. You worry about having the right amount of food and beverages, foods that everyone will enjoy, and things to do to keep your guests entertained to ensure that everyone has a fantastic time. If you’ll be hosting guests who don’t all know one another that well, ice-breaking activities can be just the ticket for putting everyone at ease and pulling off the perfect holiday get-together.

• Ornament Guess
  One way to get everyone engaged and entertained as they arrive is to have them submit a guess estimating the number of ornaments on your Christmas tree. Of course, if you have a 12-foot tree with hundreds of ornaments, you might not be inclined to count them all as you decorate. Another option is to decorate a small, tabletop tree and have guests guess the number of ornaments it contains. Offer a prize for the guest with the closest guess.
• Ugly Sweater Contest
  Ugly Christmas sweaters are all the rage right now, and ugly sweater parties are popular year after year. If you’re hosting a party with an ugly sweater theme, it only makes sense to have a contest awarding a prize to the guest sporting the ugliest of ugly Christmas sweaters. There are several ways to configure such a contest, including appointing a panel of judges or having every guest submit nominations for the guest wearing their favorite ugly sweater.
• Snowman Wrapping Contest
  This fun ice-breaking activity is suitable for guests of all ages. Form teams of guests and have each team turn one person into a snowman by wrapping them in toilet paper and decorating them. The winner can be either the team producing the best-dressed and best-decorated snowman or the first team done. Or, why not award prizes for both?
• True or Not? Funny Christmas Presents
  This hilarious game can get a bit inappropriate for young, innocent ears at times, so it’s best done with a group of adults. Simply make a list with your guests’ names and blank spaces next to each name. Make copies and pass them out to each guest. Then, work your way around the room and have each guest state their name and the funniest gifts they’ve received. Guests then write whether they think the guest is being truthful or not next to the guest’s name.

  After everyone has had a turn, it’s time to reveal whether each guest was being truthful or not. As you may have guessed, the guest with the highest number of correct answers wins a prize.

• Fill the Christmas Stocking Another team-oriented game that’s well-suited for guests of all ages, the Fill the Christmas Stocking game is a fun activity that will get everyone in the holiday spirit. Divide guests into teams and give each team a stocking, a bowl full of candy, and plastic spoons. Have guest on each team take turns adding a spoonful of candy to the stocking and award a prize to the team that fills their stocking first.

These ideas are just a few of many fun and enjoyable ways to break the ice and ensure that your holiday bash goes off without a hitch. Offering activities for guests to participate in helps them to feel more comfortable with people they may not know as well, and by planning some entertainment options, you can be sure that no one will get bored – and that means you can devote your full attention to ensuring that the whole event goes off without a hitch.

Image via Pixabay by liesel24

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