Now that I have Medicare I'll probably eventually get an MRI but could only afford an x ray when I had no insurance. The shoulder pain is still infrequent, not like my back. Although surgery and even an MRI scares me. I'm not claustrophobic but it's just hard to stay completely still because that's when my nose will start to itch or something.
Although I've only smoked pot once in my life and didn't care for it, I'll do anything for pain relief and I have heard it's used for pain a lot but never really hear the details like how does in compare in relieving pain to say hydrocodene. And are there side effects? I know the medical use won't you get high but what about the munchies? Do you feel any different when using medical marijuana..are you sleepy, etc. Sorry to hear about your wife's" son @Cody Fousnaugh...that's the hardest loss in my opinion. If I ever have cancer and pain, I'll take anything and everything ...that's my plan.
I tried smoking pot a few times, many, many years ago, and I did not like it at all ! I couldn't think straight, and I couldn't even see right. People would jump from far away to right in my face. It was dreadful ! Anyway, from what I have read, using pot strictly for healing is a lot different process than smoking it and getting high, although many of the people using it for pain do smoke it. However, the best way to use it for pain is to use the fresh leaves, and put them in something like a smoothie and drink it. The part that helps with pain and healing is in the leaves, and most of the benefits are actually lost by smoking it. Also, there are many different varieties of the cannabis plant, and the ones that are the strongest in the parts that help with pain are not the same as the plants variety that has the stuff that makes you high. Plus, when you smoke pot, you use the "bud" and not the leaves, according to what I have read, so it is a totally different process altogether. If it were legal here, I would try growing some and put it in a green smoothie to see how well it works. Hemp , which is also cannabis, is used for making rope, and was grown here in the US for many years as a farming crop. No one smoked it; because that variety doesn't make you high. Now, you can buy hemp seeds, and they are also supposed to be healthy.
Thanks, I would never want to smoke it for the fear alone that once I put any type of cigarette in my mouth I'd go back to smoking...so, I'd only take it by ingesting it some way. I also don't want to get high...I like to be in control and that's why I don't drink or take anything to get high...my experience with pot sounds a lot like yours, @Yvonne Smith and someone said that it must have been something stronger. Know about hemp products, see them a lot in stores now.
An MRI is the only way to tell if a tendon is torn partially or completely. Actually, because of the infrequency of it, your shoulder pain could be some form of arthritis. Basically, the only things that can be done about arthritis is taking a prescription pain med (if a PCP will prescribe it), taking an OTC pain med, using an arthritis cream. I done fine for my MRI's, but sure doesn't mean I like getting them. I've had four. Same goes for surgery. But, sometimes, in order to get rid of pain, both are necessary. Although, when it comes to any type of arthritis pain, which many get in our age bracket and older, some type of pain med and cream are the only things available. Can't verify what marijuana would do, but would rather use it some other way than smoking it.
I think surgery if needed would be my last choice, the recovery sounds scary and long. I would definitely wait til living nearer my daughter before I did anything...of course unless it's an emergency. I know how well the stronger pain meds work but have no clue as to the pain relieving properties of marijuana.