DECEMBER 27, 2023
Data from a literature review indicate that cannabidiol shows some effectiveness as an agent for treating chronic pain, yet researchers note that further studies are needed to confirm these findings.
“Healthcare professionals may use CBD as a medical regimen for pain management, along with careful patient profiling to see if they would greatly benefit from this [agent],” study researcher Rogie R. Carandang, PhD, a postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Public Health
Data from a literature review indicate that cannabidiol shows some effectiveness as an agent for treating chronic pain, yet researchers note that further studies are needed to confirm these findings.
“Healthcare professionals may use CBD as a medical regimen for pain management, along with careful patient profiling to see if they would greatly benefit from this [agent],” study researcher Rogie R. Carandang, PhD, a postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Public Health Sciences at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, in Farmington, told Pain Medicine News.
The researchers identified 1,516 articles that analyzed the effectiveness of CBD for managing chronic pain (Pain Manag Nurs 2023 Nov 10. doi:10.1016/j.pmn.2023.10.002). After assessing the risk for bias and certainty of evidence among all studies, 15 papers were included in the researchers’ final data analysis. Participants in these 15 studies had a reduction in pain between 42% and 66% when treated with CBD or CBD in conjunction with tetrahydrocannabinol. Among the studies analyzed, those treated with CBD exhibited nonserious adverse events including sedation, nausea, headaches, dizziness, fatigue and dry mouth/throat.
“Patients who wish to use CBD should first speak to their healthcare provider about whether it will be beneficial or safe, and how much to take,” Carandang said.
The findings were limited to CBD’s effectiveness in treating chronic pain, defined as a condition characterized by discomfort that persists beyond three to six months, or beyond expected normal healing. Therefore, the findings cannot be generalized to the relief of acute pain using CBD. Another limitation is that some of the studies included in this analysis did not indicate a route of administration for CBD, recommended dosage or dose range.
The researchers specifically concluded that due to these limitations and the heterogeneous nature of the research included in this analysis, “more studies with robust study designs are warranted to evaluate CBD’s effectiveness in chronic pain management.”
—Myles Starr
Carandang reported no relevant financial disclosures.
