I do construction and work hard. My body has taken quite a bit of abuse over the years from a very active lifestyle. I've had lower back issues startig at 18 but ive learned to stretch and ignore it most of the time. Lately ive also been having knee pain which was a little harder ti ignore so i've noticed a correlation with my smoking and pain. Sometimes it seems to cause the pain(back and knee) or cause me to think and concentrate on it more. It may have been there before but i hadnt been concentrating on it. However sometimes when im busy smoking has no effect on my pain. I find it helpful, motivating, de-stressing, anti-depressing, and so I continue to smoke, try to stretch out sore areas, and ignore the rest. This was the first ive heard about other people noticing a correlation to cannibs and pain. Crazy?
MARIJUANA + BACK PAIN + MUSCLE TIGHTNESS + SPASMS
A COLLECTIVE OVERVIEW:
Descriptive overview of symptoms:
- Muscle soreness
- Muscle spasms
- Muscle stiffness
- Chiefly originating in the upper and lower back and abdomen sometimes near or in the spinal the spinal column
- Symptoms occur shortly after smoking and last anywhere from a few hours to a few days
Potential Causes & Brief Descriptions:
- Excess carcinogens/pesticides in cannabis
Smoking cannabis treated with pesticides or other insect killers may cause an allergic reaction including symptoms of muscle tightness.
- Stress on the adrenal glands from "overdose" of THC***
Smoking cannabis increases the level of adrenaline in the blood stream which can adversely cause muscles to become more active.
It is important to recognize that most marijuana is no longer grown in a natural untouched/uncultivated method. Many plants are grown indoors, fed synthetic nutrients, watered using hydroponics, and exposed to unnatural light cycles etc. These modern growing techniques put stress on the plant usually causing it to produce higher than normal/natural THC levels. While plants with unnaturally high THC levels may help bring profit to the grower in addition to giving the recreational user the opportunity to smoke less and achieve the same effect, these growing methods may cause problems for more frequent users.
In addition to THC, cannabis plants also produce a number of cannabinoids including CBD and CBN which are noted to help with inflammation, Supposedly plants with a ratio of CBD:THC that is around 2:1 are found to have the most beneficial with effects. My hypothesis is that modern methods of cultivation and genetic engineering has partially altered the natural ratio of CBD:THC in most modern strains, causing some users to react strongly from the imbalance of THC:CBD causing muscle to become tense, spastic or inflamed due to the effect THC has on the adrenal glands and other organs responsible for normal somatic functioning. Smoking cannabis with a more balanced CBD:THC ratio may diminish these symptoms.
Cannabis also comes in two distinct species: induce + saliva. While sativas generally have an energetic/cerebral effect and are associated with excitement, indicas generally have a lethargic/physical effect and are associated more with relaxation and sleep. Sativa's may stimulate the adrenal glands + other organs to maintain a heightened state of fight/flight functionality. Indicas may help avoid adrenal gland stress due to their more sedative properties.
- Poor posture or irregularity in the skeletal/muscle system
Irregularity in spinal structure + curvature may cause stress on certain joints in addition to facilitating the irregular development of muscles in the back, i.e muscles working harder to support the body due to other muscles being stretched or scrunched. Cannabis may cause certain "strengthened and trained" muscles to relax, thereby putting pressure on secondary sets of muscles that normally hold less weight and therefore become inflamed/fatigued.
- Vitamin or mineral deficiency + dehydration
inhaling smoke can sometimes deplete the body of vitamins and minerals causing muscles to become fatigued and spastic. Cannabis also serves as a mild diuretic causing dehydration which may also cause muscle stiffness.
Potential Solutions:
- Smoke less or quit
- Smoke outdoor + organic cannabis
- Smoke CBD + CBN rich cannabis
- Smoke joints or blunts instead of through pipes
- Smoke indica or indica dominant cannabis
- Vaporize your cannabis
- Take a multi vitamin shortly before or after smoking
- Drink lots of water, distilled or filtered, avoid tap if possible
- Practice + develop good posture
- Practice + develop brief stretch routine when sitting for long periods of time***
- Regularly engage in moderate to intense cardiovascular exercise (yoga, jogging, swimming, spin/cycling)***
- Schedule regular visits with a chiropractor
- Schedule regular visits with a massage therapist
Conclusion:
Back pain due to marijuana consumption is likely caused due to a number of factors. Exercise + Hydration are especially important to the average american cannabis user who generally is inactive and may consume soft drinks or alcohol on a daily basis. A brief (20-30 min) daily exercise routine may help to foster an overall sense of well-being in addition to strengthening the core muscles of the body and relieving tension in vulnerable muscle groups. The human being is an animal, and like all animals, must ensure to adequately develop the strength and dexterity of his body to ensure adequate health. If we did not live in the modern age of the automobile and fast-food, we would have to be in top physical condition in order to hunt or harvest our food.
Personal Story:
I have been a daily smoker for a little over a year (I'm 22) however I have used marijuana with relative infrequency as a recreational drug since I was 16/17. Over the past few months I have developed extreme muscle tension and pain on the left side of my lower back. This particular muscle set stretches from the lower back around the side of the hip causing excruciating pain/discomfort in the left/lower back, the lower spine above the hips, and left kidney.
I cannot pinpoint exactly when and how it started and whether cannabis is the main cause or whether an already strained muscle (probably due to poor posture + two years since last chiropractic adjustment) was further damaged during my recent move-out/move-in to new apartment. I have, however observed that cannabis use, for the most part, greatly increases the pain, tension, and inflammation. At times I feel as if my inner organs, those above the hips and below the ribcage are bloated/swollen, (the muscle group in the left side of my spine definitely becomes inflamed) this often causes me to unbutton/loosen and adjust the waistband of my trousers. It makes sitting in nearly any position unbearable, standing, walking, and stretching seem to help minimize the pain.
Thus far I have found that smoking bowls from a bong almost immediately causes pain, while smoking a joint causes a minimal amount of pain an hour or so after the fact. For the past 2 months or so, I have been predominately smoking sativas and sativa dominant hybrids. I'm hoping that smoking indica or indica dominant cannabis that is also rich in CBD will help solve the problem. Smoking a joint may allow for greater absorption of the cannabinoids by the lungs as as much as 60-80% of the THC can be lost in the exhale depending on how long you hold it in. Perhaps CBD + CBN get absorbed at a different rate. When smoking from a bong, an abundant amount of THC enters the body at once and can put stress on the adrenal glands.
After visiting a chiropractor and receiving a few adjustments, I have definitely recognized how poor posture may be a large part of the problem. Additionally, I do not have a regular exercise/stretch routine, while I try to live a somewhat active daily life by walking for at least an hour daily I nevertheless have relatively weak core muscle structure and very limited range of motion when it comes to stretching. An inflexible, inactive body is bound to suffer from pulls and sprains. Because I spent a lot of time working at the computer (like right now) I think I will develop my own hourly/semi-hourly stretch routine to help relieve muscles from strain.
I would appreciate it if someone read over this post and gave me some feedback about what they think (especially about THC vs. CBD and Indica vs. Sativa and Bong vs. Joint if you have any resources/references that prove/disprove any aforementioned hypothesis.
A COLLECTIVE OVERVIEW:
Descriptive overview of symptoms:
- Muscle soreness
- Muscle spasms
- Muscle stiffness
- Chiefly originating in the upper and lower back and abdomen sometimes near or in the spinal the spinal column
- Symptoms occur shortly after smoking and last anywhere from a few hours to a few days
Potential Causes & Brief Descriptions:
- Excess carcinogens/pesticides in cannabis
Smoking cannabis treated with pesticides or other insect killers may cause an allergic reaction including symptoms of muscle tightness.
- Stress on the adrenal glands from "overdose" of THC***
Smoking cannabis increases the level of adrenaline in the blood stream which can adversely cause muscles to become more active.
It is important to recognize that most marijuana is no longer grown in a natural untouched/uncultivated method. Many plants are grown indoors, fed synthetic nutrients, watered using hydroponics, and exposed to unnatural light cycles etc. These modern growing techniques put stress on the plant usually causing it to produce higher than normal/natural THC levels. While plants with unnaturally high THC levels may help bring profit to the grower in addition to giving the recreational user the opportunity to smoke less and achieve the same effect, these growing methods may cause problems for more frequent users.
In addition to THC, cannabis plants also produce a number of cannabinoids including CBD and CBN which are noted to help with inflammation, Supposedly plants with a ratio of CBD:THC that is around 2:1 are found to have the most beneficial with effects. My hypothesis is that modern methods of cultivation and genetic engineering has partially altered the natural ratio of CBD:THC in most modern strains, causing some users to react strongly from the imbalance of THC:CBD causing muscle to become tense, spastic or inflamed due to the effect THC has on the adrenal glands and other organs responsible for normal somatic functioning. Smoking cannabis with a more balanced CBD:THC ratio may diminish these symptoms.
Cannabis also comes in two distinct species: induce + saliva. While sativas generally have an energetic/cerebral effect and are associated with excitement, indicas generally have a lethargic/physical effect and are associated more with relaxation and sleep. Sativa's may stimulate the adrenal glands + other organs to maintain a heightened state of fight/flight functionality. Indicas may help avoid adrenal gland stress due to their more sedative properties.
- Poor posture or irregularity in the skeletal/muscle system
Irregularity in spinal structure + curvature may cause stress on certain joints in addition to facilitating the irregular development of muscles in the back, i.e muscles working harder to support the body due to other muscles being stretched or scrunched. Cannabis may cause certain "strengthened and trained" muscles to relax, thereby putting pressure on secondary sets of muscles that normally hold less weight and therefore become inflamed/fatigued.
- Vitamin or mineral deficiency + dehydration
inhaling smoke can sometimes deplete the body of vitamins and minerals causing muscles to become fatigued and spastic. Cannabis also serves as a mild diuretic causing dehydration which may also cause muscle stiffness.
Potential Solutions:
- Smoke less or quit
- Smoke outdoor + organic cannabis
- Smoke CBD + CBN rich cannabis
- Smoke joints or blunts instead of through pipes
- Smoke indica or indica dominant cannabis
- Vaporize your cannabis
- Take a multi vitamin shortly before or after smoking
- Drink lots of water, distilled or filtered, avoid tap if possible
- Practice + develop good posture
- Practice + develop brief stretch routine when sitting for long periods of time***
- Regularly engage in moderate to intense cardiovascular exercise (yoga, jogging, swimming, spin/cycling)***
- Schedule regular visits with a chiropractor
- Schedule regular visits with a massage therapist
Conclusion:
Back pain due to marijuana consumption is likely caused due to a number of factors. Exercise + Hydration are especially important to the average american cannabis user who generally is inactive and may consume soft drinks or alcohol on a daily basis. A brief (20-30 min) daily exercise routine may help to foster an overall sense of well-being in addition to strengthening the core muscles of the body and relieving tension in vulnerable muscle groups. The human being is an animal, and like all animals, must ensure to adequately develop the strength and dexterity of his body to ensure adequate health. If we did not live in the modern age of the automobile and fast-food, we would have to be in top physical condition in order to hunt or harvest our food.
Personal Story:
I have been a daily smoker for a little over a year (I'm 22) however I have used marijuana with relative infrequency as a recreational drug since I was 16/17. Over the past few months I have developed extreme muscle tension and pain on the left side of my lower back. This particular muscle set stretches from the lower back around the side of the hip causing excruciating pain/discomfort in the left/lower back, the lower spine above the hips, and left kidney.
I cannot pinpoint exactly when and how it started and whether cannabis is the main cause or whether an already strained muscle (probably due to poor posture + two years since last chiropractic adjustment) was further damaged during my recent move-out/move-in to new apartment. I have, however observed that cannabis use, for the most part, greatly increases the pain, tension, and inflammation. At times I feel as if my inner organs, those above the hips and below the ribcage are bloated/swollen, (the muscle group in the left side of my spine definitely becomes inflamed) this often causes me to unbutton/loosen and adjust the waistband of my trousers. It makes sitting in nearly any position unbearable, standing, walking, and stretching seem to help minimize the pain.
Thus far I have found that smoking bowls from a bong almost immediately causes pain, while smoking a joint causes a minimal amount of pain an hour or so after the fact. For the past 2 months or so, I have been predominately smoking sativas and sativa dominant hybrids. I'm hoping that smoking indica or indica dominant cannabis that is also rich in CBD will help solve the problem. Smoking a joint may allow for greater absorption of the cannabinoids by the lungs as as much as 60-80% of the THC can be lost in the exhale depending on how long you hold it in. Perhaps CBD + CBN get absorbed at a different rate. When smoking from a bong, an abundant amount of THC enters the body at once and can put stress on the adrenal glands.
After visiting a chiropractor and receiving a few adjustments, I have definitely recognized how poor posture may be a large part of the problem. Additionally, I do not have a regular exercise/stretch routine, while I try to live a somewhat active daily life by walking for at least an hour daily I nevertheless have relatively weak core muscle structure and very limited range of motion when it comes to stretching. An inflexible, inactive body is bound to suffer from pulls and sprains. Because I spent a lot of time working at the computer (like right now) I think I will develop my own hourly/semi-hourly stretch routine to help relieve muscles from strain.
I would appreciate it if someone read over this post and gave me some feedback about what they think (especially about THC vs. CBD and Indica vs. Sativa and Bong vs. Joint if you have any resources/references that prove/disprove any aforementioned hypothesis.
idk, but I am the same way. I have experimented on and off for a month now. When I don't smoke my pack pain is gone, when I do smoke I hurt. I don't get it. I stumbled upon this by accident. First time, didn't smoke for four days, just cuz, I don't know why, noticed my back felt great, thought chiropractor was helping, then smoked and OMG could barely clean my house. So quit smoking again, all was cool. so forth and so on for a month. The bummer is I love smoking. But realize something is going to have to give.
@nothin2lose
I have the same problem. when i smoke my pains are exaggerated and intensified and i have no idea why. I never used to get this pain until i got my herniated disc then all of a sudden everytime i smoke it increases my back pain and hurts my knees, and aggravates my muscle knots. i thought weed was supposed to help with pain but it makes mine 10X worse. Does any1 know why this is happening?
I have the same problem. when i smoke my pains are exaggerated and intensified and i have no idea why. I never used to get this pain until i got my herniated disc then all of a sudden everytime i smoke it increases my back pain and hurts my knees, and aggravates my muscle knots. i thought weed was supposed to help with pain but it makes mine 10X worse. Does any1 know why this is happening?
Everything that you just said i have been experiencing. i have been smoking pot consistently (1-3 times a day everyday) for 3 years and now ive been experiencing very very very bad pains when i smoke. ever since i got my herniated disc i get so much pain in my body when i smoke. my pain is intensified where my from my back, my knees get very painful, and my muscle knots get very bad. why does this happen? i do not get it and hate that it does this cause i love weed and i thought it was supposed to help with pain not make mine unbearable
Why do people have to be critics when it comes to people reaching out about health issues just because it has to do with pot? You're pathetic! Any other health forum people would just come out of the woodwork trying to help, not criticize. Shame on you just because you are sober mr or mrs perfect! Shamus on u! Well let me tell u the docs dont want to help much either when you tell them the pain subsides when you dont smoke...it will be like "just dont smoke", yea that easy. They dont know of the love we share with weed and it is the life we choose, unfortunately now you have a health condition that comes with it.
<br>
Well I grew these things called "lipomas". They are small fatty mass lumps and I have a bunch of them in my back that hurt after smoking or even snorting. I am older now and do it both very raRELY BUT IT HAPPENS ALMOST IMMEDIATELY. Cancer and emphysema were ruled out via xray and blood test though who the heck knows whats in the lipomas?
<br>
But the surgeon I just saw said that if it is not coming with other symptoms and the pain is going away then it is most likely not cancerous (Lipo-Sarcoma-very rare) and not worth surgically removing them. He thinks that it is from lack of oxygen to those areas.
<br>
Its true though when I get on the treadmill (the other me:) ) it goes away quicker (the pain not the lipomas) because it increases circulation, thus oxygen distribution for those harder to get to areas where there are blood vessels. Or you can also get into as hot of a bath you can take for at least 16 min. You will see that will take the pain away real quick as well.
<br>
I guess snorting which I do very very rarely when I get out to drink and get very tired (pot was and is my only true love) , I get the same pains so I know its something where my respiratory system is not working as well. Although your cases could be different, try some of these things and see if they help.
<br>
Also although it comes nowhere near puffing the sweet gangie you can take about an 1/8 of weed (doesnt even have to be quality and cook it for 45 min - 1 hour in a stick of melted butter on the stove, strain the weed out (trust me its now worthless garbage) and let the weed butter drip through a strainer. Cook a batch of brownie mix or just put it in a tupperware for a few hours and you will have an awesome treat, which will take 45 min to feel so dont over do it but will get you crazy higher then anything you've ever smoked. Just spread some weed butter on a average size cracker or eat a half a brownie and hang tight for about an hour and you will be flying....
<br>
with no pains because its processing through your stomach, not your respiratory system...so enjoy...and stay blessed fellow indulgers...I have been blessed for 30 years now and I miss it so bad...but at least I can eat it and just save smoking for special occasions...maybe should've paced it a little better :)
peace,
ganja love
<br>
Well I grew these things called "lipomas". They are small fatty mass lumps and I have a bunch of them in my back that hurt after smoking or even snorting. I am older now and do it both very raRELY BUT IT HAPPENS ALMOST IMMEDIATELY. Cancer and emphysema were ruled out via xray and blood test though who the heck knows whats in the lipomas?
<br>
But the surgeon I just saw said that if it is not coming with other symptoms and the pain is going away then it is most likely not cancerous (Lipo-Sarcoma-very rare) and not worth surgically removing them. He thinks that it is from lack of oxygen to those areas.
<br>
Its true though when I get on the treadmill (the other me:) ) it goes away quicker (the pain not the lipomas) because it increases circulation, thus oxygen distribution for those harder to get to areas where there are blood vessels. Or you can also get into as hot of a bath you can take for at least 16 min. You will see that will take the pain away real quick as well.
<br>
I guess snorting which I do very very rarely when I get out to drink and get very tired (pot was and is my only true love) , I get the same pains so I know its something where my respiratory system is not working as well. Although your cases could be different, try some of these things and see if they help.
<br>
Also although it comes nowhere near puffing the sweet gangie you can take about an 1/8 of weed (doesnt even have to be quality and cook it for 45 min - 1 hour in a stick of melted butter on the stove, strain the weed out (trust me its now worthless garbage) and let the weed butter drip through a strainer. Cook a batch of brownie mix or just put it in a tupperware for a few hours and you will have an awesome treat, which will take 45 min to feel so dont over do it but will get you crazy higher then anything you've ever smoked. Just spread some weed butter on a average size cracker or eat a half a brownie and hang tight for about an hour and you will be flying....
<br>
with no pains because its processing through your stomach, not your respiratory system...so enjoy...and stay blessed fellow indulgers...I have been blessed for 30 years now and I miss it so bad...but at least I can eat it and just save smoking for special occasions...maybe should've paced it a little better :)
peace,
ganja love
That's weird I have the same problem as you, when I get high I seem to like twist and cramp and my ribs seem like they move around too... I have crazy back pains while I'm high too and I'm always fidgeting to relieve the pain.. Only usually after I haven't smoked in an hour prior to having a smoke sesh
This might help some of you. Ok Im 26 and been smoking since 17 and I've had probably 3-4 occasions where my back actually like went out. After it goes out I could barely get up the stairs cause the pain so bad. Its always LOWER BACK pain. I noticed something how this can happen. SITTING DOWN and smoking is the primary reason I think you guys are having back pain because I know it def was mine. When your sitting in a chair smoking there's something about being in that position taking in smoke that can mess with your back and if you cough even worse. Ever since my last time my back went out I ONLY STAND UP and smoke now. So give it a try, when you smoke from now on make sure you are standing when smoking and see if your back still acts up. I personally have had no more back problems since I started standing only when smoking. I think it has to do with the funneling of the smoke through your lungs. When your standing your spine is straight and the smoke can travel much easier I think.
in my opinion and yes i have back pain and mild scoliosis that i beleive it was led on in part by too much pot,not neccesarily pot in small does tho. and i think it is cause by a type of fear...fear of acting stupid when you feeling high as a kite and the fact that in some places(i live in toronto area very good pot scene) you get serious time for possesion,dirtly looks from people, but i have always been sensitive to these things,do to my devote j.w. upbringing i think,at the same time weed woke my up to the global conspiracy and the BS of the status quo,honestly i can fix my back with stretching but the experience of the drug world teaches how people really are and what they are capapble of when they are when living in competition in the game of life or death.at the bottom line were all crack heads for cash so we are all ways looking out for one an not for all...just like the drug world.
I was diagnosed with lupus almost 4 years ago. I had no signs except for this mysterious bald spot. It wasnt noticeable but it was big. I was smoking pot before I was diagnosed. Now I take medicine for it ones a day but I also smoke pot. After smoking it I have unbearable shoulder and back pain! I can't say you have lupus which I doubt is the case but you can never be too sure. I had none of the pain I have now before I started taking the meds.
Hi guys. I don't know if this will help you, but my entire family is in the business if you know what I mean. I love pot, have loved it since I can remember. And every single person around me uses it. I have had this instantaneous pain in my mid shoulder reagion next to me spine most.y on the right side since last year. And I am also deep into the investigational process of why this happens. Long story short, I have done an enourmous amount of research and I believe it is due to anxiety. This explains why your pains are exaggerated in the back because your brains amygdala is sending messages to the rest of the body that you are in trouble, stimulating fight or flight. While you sit there, your back starts to hurt because of the brains messages to your nerves. Anxiety is what is potentiating your natural pain. Try red clover, icy hot roll on rub, kava kava and a decent massage after you smoke along with a hot bath, any number of these things have significantly reduced and knocked out my pain. Red clover contains biochanin a, a natural fatty acid amid hydrolase inhibitor which blocks the negative feedback mechanism of anxiety in the brain due to marijuana. If you do enough research you will find they are investigating new drugs made from faah inhibitors to end anxiety.
In the last few months I've been starting to get reaallyy sore achey pains in my lower back,slightly similar to menstral pains. Its a very deep, throbbing pain that seems to be more concentrated in my spine but branches out thrroughout my lower back. A week or so ago i was smoking with friends and found the pain so much my vision started going and i could see white blotches, i went outside where it was raining and crouched on the floor until it subsided. I hate this! I've taken ibroufen and neurofen and that seems to work, but its terrible especially in social situations where all you want to do is lie flat on your back, aswell as having people think you just can't handle your weed. But like you said it seems to come on more when i think about it, so is it in the head? If so its more scary than a physical problem. I also have a theory that maybe its an underlying problem and that weed just opens your mind to things you dont notice sober.. or that maybe the muscles relax and do something bad to a nerve? I really dont know but its times like this i wish it was legal so doctors could research it!
Hurts my back every time I smoke too but I started goin to a chipractor regularly and it didn't hurt as bad but I quit smoking and he said my back was a lot easier to adjust and a lot looser (a good thing) so weed does in fact cause pain
Sucks for your friend but she didnt almost die from pot, she almost died because of the person who laced it. There has never been a case where weed was the primary cause of death, and buddy statistically speaking peanuts have been tied to more deaths then marijuana
i dont know wtf is wrong with my back i use to smoke a every day and one day my back just started hurting really bad, and it started every day for the pass 2 years. and now i stop cus i cant take the pain no more.. my theory is, i think is the type of weed you smoke ? i use to smoke some nasty brown looking weed that i got from my dealer.. you never know where that weed comes from or how they make it idk i just regret buying that sh*t i should of just smoke dro :c can some one explain whats wrong with me ? plz