I have smoked both recreationally and medicinally (self rescribed =D) and find it does help to refocus my mind away from the pain. if you have problems with smoking the whole herb I would suggest making cannabutter and making some flourless brownies with it. it would be worth mentioning that you can make excellent cannabutter just with the cabbage leaves of the plant (the shade and drop leaves, not the buds) and if you know somebody who grows it is fairly easy to procure a lot quite cheaply, as they don't have much use for it.

Don't fear god, don't worry about death, what's good is easy to acquire, and what's terrible is easy to endure - Epicurus