New research indicates that cannabinoids could be efficacious pain management options
Cannabis and similar substances that interact with the body’s natural cannabinoid receptors could be viable candidates for pain management and treatment, according to new research published in the journal Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology.
“Currently, more than 30 states have policies in place that permit medicinal cannabis use; many of these cite pain conditions as inclusionary criteria. However, despite expanding use, what we know about ‘how’ and ‘why’ cannabinoids alleviate pain remains poorly understood,” said study author Julio A. Yanes, a graduate research assistant and National Research Service Award Fellow at Auburn University.
The researchers conducted a meta-analysis of previous research that had examined cannabinoid-induced alterations in pain ratings. They identified 25 peer-reviewed studies that met their criteria, which included 2,248 participants in total.
All of the studies compared either whole-plant cannabis, cannabis extracts, or synthetic cannabinoids to a placebo.
The meta-analysis found that cannabinoid administration was associated with greater pain reduction than placebo administration.
“Although our meta-analysis results suggest that cannabinoids are efficacious pain management options, more research is needed,” Yanes told PsyPost.
“For example, our follow-up meta-regression results revealed that study sample size was associated with observed pain reduction, such that smaller samples were associated with bigger effects. Thus, large (i.e., sufficiently powered) studies are warranted.”
Scientists are learning more about how cannabis interacts with the brain and the body’s endogenous cannabinoid system. But the mechanisms behind cannabis-induced pain reduction are still unclear.
“Our meta-analysis doesn’t address ‘how’ or ‘why’ cannabinoids were more effective than placebos. One important challenge facing the field is to determine the neurobiological mechanisms that may support cannabis-related pain reduction,” Yanes said.
The study, “Effects of Cannabinoid Administration for Pain: A Meta-Analysis and Meta-Regression“, was authored by Julio A. Yanes, Zach E. McKinnell, Meredith A. Reid, Jessica N. Busler, Jesse S. Michel, Melissa M. Pangelinan, Matthew T. Sutherland, Jared W. Younger, Raul Gonzalez, and Jennifer L. Robinson.
ODB247 on July 7th, 2019 at 01:41 UTC »
I have chronic pain (Chiari malformation with a syrinx fwiw) that I don’t take any medication for. Sometimes aspirin if it gets really bad but I don’t like medications. I moved to California and decided to try real CBD gummies with very low thc. I don’t want to get high I just want to be able to take the edge off when it gets bad. I was really skeptical because the few times I tried smoking weed it did nothing for the pain and I really don’t like the feeling of being high. Imma tell you that these gummies worked. The pain isn’t completely gone and I feel a little funny when I take them (it like 0.7mg of thc) but it really turns the pain down a few notches and relaxes my fucked up nerves.
kfgmills on July 7th, 2019 at 01:31 UTC »
I have been on opioid pain killers for about 18 years, I have a non cancerous tumor in the base of my spine that has damaged all the nerves in my legs. The pain control from the opioids was really ineffective and the amount of medicine I was taking was pretty substantial. My doctor gave me a license for medical marijuana last December and it has really worked for the pain and I’ve cut the opiates down by like 60% already. The level of relief I get from the marijuana is incredible and I feel much better overall. The goal is to lose the opioids completely, weed is just safer and works better.
mvea on July 6th, 2019 at 21:20 UTC »
The title of the post is a copy and paste from the title and first paragraph of the linked academic press release here:
Journal Reference:
Yanes, J. A., McKinnell, Z. E., Reid, M. A., Busler, J. N., Michel, J. S., Pangelinan, M. M., . . . Robinson, J. L. (2019).
Effects of cannabinoid administration for pain: A meta-analysis and meta-regression.
Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology. 2019
Link: https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2019-28227-001?doi=1
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/pha0000281
Abstract
Chronic pain states have resulted in an overreliance on opioid pain relievers, which can carry significant risks when used long term. As such, alternative pain treatments are increasingly desired. Although emerging research suggests that cannabinoids have therapeutic potential regarding pain, results from studies across pain populations have been inconsistent. To provide meta-analytic clarification regarding cannabis’s impact on subjective pain, we identified studies that assessed drug-induced pain modulations under cannabinoid and corresponding placebo conditions. A literature search yielded 25 peer-reviewed records that underwent data extraction. Baseline and end-point data were used to compute standardized effect size estimates (Cohen’s d) across cannabinoid administrations (k = 39) and placebo administrations (k = 26). Standardized effects were inverse-variance weighted and pooled across studies for meta-analytic comparison. Results revealed that cannabinoid administration produced a medium-to-large effect across included studies, Cohen’s d = −0.58, 95% confidence interval (CI) [−0.74, −0.43], while placebo administration produced a small-to-medium effect, Cohen’s d = −0.39, 95% CI [−0.52, −0.26]. Meta-regression revealed that cannabinoids, β = −0.43, 95% CI [−0.62, −0.24], p < .05, synthetic cannabinoids, β = −0.39, 95% CI [−0.65, −0.14], p < .05, and sample size, β = 0.01, 95% CI [0.00, 0.01], p < .05, were associated with marked pain reduction. These outcomes suggest that cannabinoid-based pharmacotherapies may serve as effective replacement/adjunctive options regarding pain, however, additional research is warranted. Additionally, given demonstrated neurocognitive side effects associated with some constituent cannabinoids (i.e., THC), subsequent work may consider developing novel therapeutic agents that capitalize on cannabis’s analgesic properties without producing adverse effects.