Menstrual pains affect 90% of women in the world, depending on the severity it can sometimes be unbearable. These types of pains can be helped by the analgesic effects of medical cannabis.
Although the use of medical cannabis is generally associated with the relief of chronic pain, it is necessary to analyse the effects of this plant on women’s menstrual pains. In this regard, recent studies of the effects of different cannabinoids contained in the cannabis plant have highlighted that THC blocks pain while CBD acts within the immune system, thereby eliminating inflammation and the responsiveness of the body to pain and stress.
A number of studies have confirmed that, for certain women, cannabis can relieve pain caused by menstruation. A en Canadá se elaboró un cuestionario for 192 women who consume cannabis to combat their menstrual pains. Among the most common symptoms, the women also mentioned having headaches, nausea, diarrhoea and general weakness.
Amongst the group of women that took part in the questionnaire, 170 had tried cannabis to relieve their menstrual pains, and out of them 152 said that it helped to combat the pain.
Another study conducted in Spain in 2017[2] analysed the effects that cannabinoids can have against different visceral pains such as those of endometriosis. They observed that in addition to the known relaxing effect of cannabis it was also possible to recognise the anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties which interact with the endocannabinoid system.
There are currently many different ways of consuming medical cannabis to combat menstrual pains, such as THC and CBD concentrated vaginal suppositories, or sublingual oils that can be used to relieve all kinds of chronic pain. In addition to having analgesic properties, these products relax the muscles and relieve pain.