Wrocław, Poland: Cannabis and cannabinoid-based products effectively manage neuropathy and other pain-related conditions in patients with chronic pain syndromes, according to a scientific review paper published in the journal Dental and Medical Problems.
Polish researchers identified 36 studies concluding that the use of cannabis and cannabis-based formulations leads to significant reductions in patients’ pain. They reported, “In the present review, cannabis and CBD were found to be most effective in managing chronic secondary musculoskeletal pain, chronic secondary visceral pain and chronic neuropathic pain, which is consistent with recommendations from clinical research.”
The study’s authors concluded: “Medical cannabis can be considered an option in carefully selected patients with chronic pain syndrome for the management of chronic pain when other treatment options fail to achieve an adequate response, and when potential benefits outweigh the risks. Patients with chronic secondary headache and orofacial pain, chronic secondary visceral pain, chronic secondary musculoskeletal pain, and chronic neuropathic pain can benefit more than other groups of patients experiencing chronic pain. However, there is still a need for well-designed clinical research to establish the long-term efficacy and safety of cannabinoids.”
Data published last year in the Journal of the American Medical Association reported that nearly one in four pain patients residing in states where medical cannabis access is legal self-identify as marijuana consumers.
Full text of the study, “Efficiency of cannabis and cannabidiol in managing chronic pain syndromes: A comprehensive narrative review,” appears in Dental and Medical Problems. Additional information on cannabis and pain management is available from NORML’s publication, Clinical Applications for Cannabis & Cannabinoids.