Inflammation

Inflammation can result from a number of factors, whether that be from joint pain, an infection, an injury, or inflammatory diseases. It’s the body’s way of saying you’re injured and your immune system needs to heal it.

Acute Inflammation: is a short-term response when you cut yourself or have a sprained ankle for example. You’ll probably experience pain, some swelling and redness as a result and as your blood flow increases in the infected area to start healing it, this is when you’ll notice inflammation.

Chronic Inflammation: can be long-term and occur almost anywhere, particularly if you suffer from a chronic disease, only it doesn’t actually succeed in letting your body know you’re ready to heal. Chronic inflammation can occur with diseases or conditions like:

• Allergic reactions
• Alzheimer’s
• Arthritis
• Asthma
• Cancer
• Diabetes
• Hepatitis
• Leprosy
• Obesity
• Stress
• Strokes
• And more

Symptoms can include more than just swelling. You may notice redness, warmth in the infected area, stiffness and pain, loss of function, and sometimes it can be associated with flu-like symptoms like fatigue, chills, fever, or headaches. There are many things that can be done to reduce inflammation, like drinking more water, using an iced or heated pack, and avoiding processed foods or gluten.

When your body is inflamed, it’s because cells in your body are damaged and like mentioned above, the inflammation is ultimately letting your immune system knows it needs healing. The way our body and mind experience pain or inflammation have a lot to do with our cannabinoid receptors – they tell us to feel a certain way, like nervousness, depression, or regulate our bodily functions.

When cannabis/medical marijuana enters our body, the compounds that are found in cannabis that are similar to that of our cannabinoid receptors, get together and let the body know it can relax. This can not only improve the inflammation you’re experiencing, but it can lessen other symptoms too like:

• Pain associated with arthritis
• Reduce stress
• Nausea associated with cancer treatments
• Improve mood/depression/anxiety
• Improve loss of appetite
• Help with insomnia
• Regulate the immune system
  Etc.

Costa Rica has seen a rise in the prevalence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), with many individuals suffering from conditions like Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. As awareness of IBD grows in the country, it’s becoming clear that chronic inflammation, pain, and emotional distress affect a significant portion of the population. With the increasing healthcare costs associated with treating IBD, medical marijuana has emerged as a potential treatment option, offering relief from pain, inflammation, and symptoms such as loss of appetite and anxiety. This could provide a new avenue for managing IBD in Costa Rica, improving the quality of life for many individuals.