Millions of people around the country now use medical cannabis thanks to dozens of states decriminalizing it. And like any other therapeutic option, medical cannabis can work better when combined with other wellness resources. To rely exclusively on medicine alone is to leave so many other valuable options on the table.
Are you a medical cannabis patient? Are you looking for wellness resources above and beyond your daily medications? If so, there are plenty of options available. It is really a matter of digging around until you find some.
Holistic Wellness Providers
One of the first resources you might want to look at is a holistic wellness provider. Major cities and most mid-sized towns offer at least several providers whose practices include holistic and integrative care.
In a nutshell, these providers combine a range of services designed to treat patients in a holistic way. A provider might recommend complementing medical cannabis therapy with a nutrition program, physical therapy, and alternative practices like acupuncture and aromatherapy.
The holistic approach recognizes that medicine of any type – including medical cannabis – is just one component in improving patient wellness. Maximizing wellness is about utilizing resources to address the whole person in body, mind, and spirit.
Talking Therapies
Another particularly good wellness resource is talking therapy. A talking therapy is something like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), a therapy originally developed to help patients struggling with issues like anxiety and depression. CBT has proven so successful that it has been adapted to a larger number of therapeutic applications.
A person using medical cannabis to treat posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) might do even better by combining medical cannabis with CBT. His medicines continue to help with anxiety and flashbacks, while CBT helps him walk through the emotional challenges that could trigger his symptoms.
Advocacy and Community Support
The operators of Brigham City, Utah’s Beehive Farmacy recommend patients seek out advocacy and community support opportunities. For example, it is easy to find medical cannabis patient groups in most major cities.
Advocacy and community support bring together like-minded people who not only believe in the power of medical cannabis but also the power of banding together to further promote it. Hooking up with one or two groups could prove therapeutic.
Patient Education Resources
Beehive Farmacy is also a big proponent of patient education resources. The reality is that there is still more about medical cannabis we do not know. As a result, therapeutic standards are severely lacking. Patients are left to figure out medical cannabis on their own, with input from their doctors and pharmacists.
In light of that, patients can use all the education they can get their hands on. The more they learn about the medicines they take, the better equipped they are to make wise decisions. Even the simplest decision – like changing delivery method – can drastically improve how a patient feels.
Fitness Resources
Rounding out the list of wellness resources are those pertaining to physical fitness. What so many people do not realize is that physical fitness has a direct impact on symptom experience. That is why doctors recommend that arthritis patients get regular exercise, for example. Exercise strengthens the muscles and joints, thereby providing at least some pain relief.
Fitness goes a long way toward determining how medical cannabis patients feel. So by combining medical cannabis with a commitment to becoming more physically fit, some patients can actually enhance the benefits of their medicines.
Medical cannabis is a great resource for patients with certain medical conditions. But there are other wellness resources above and beyond cannabis they should look into.
