Chronic pain is one of the most worsening health conditions today, which is estimated to affect 1 in 5 adults in the general population of the world. Opiates are currently the preferred treatment method, which doctors rely on to manage chronic pain. Nevertheless there is excessive use worldwide. That is why it is so common today to drug addiction related to opiates, overdose, associated risks, and high prescription rates. CBD and pain: first, understand about its use.
Recreational and medical use of cannabis-based products (Cannabis sativa L) is under discussion around the world. Studies present their therapeutic benefits for alternative treatments in variable chronic conditions, including pain. The plant consists of 2 main elements: delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). THC is the psychoactive compound as it alters the functioning of the central nervous system. CBD, however, tends to be the focus of modern research for its medical benefits when consumed in small doses.
How does CBD act on the body?
The exact mechanism of how CBD works in the body is unclear. Nevertheless it is known to activate the body’s endocannabinoid system. This system is found throughout the human body, which is usually associated with neuronal tissue, but also expands through other organs and systems such as skin, bone, joints and hematopoietic defense cells. This signaling system modulates pain, mood, appetite, sleep promotion, emesis, memory, immunity, cellular development, the cardiovascular system and the “fight or flight” phenomenon.
Clinical Practice on CBD and pain
Thus, pain is a complex process modulated by many subjective factors, which makes it difficult to create simple pharmaceutical targets and therefore cannabis is rarely the first drug used to treat pain.
Data supporting the use of cannabinoids for the treatment of chronic pain are limited due to the quality of the study or suggest only modest analgesic activity in certain types of pain. However, countries such as The United States, the United Kingdom and Canada have already begun using cannabis-based medications to treat chronic pain, especially in cases of neuropathy, multiple sclerosis, cancer and chemotherapy to improve side effects such as vomiting, lack of appetite and headache.
It is important to highlight that chronic cannabis use is associated with poor cognition, poor work performance, and increased problems of anxiety, depression and psychoses. As these conditions are common among patients with chronic pain, the potential for additional adverse effects should be seriously considered.
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Study suggestion:
Cannabis-based drugs will be available at SUS in São Paulo – Science Play
Watch the video on Science Play with Leandro Medeiros:
Therapeutic Use of Cannabis-Based Products
Article: Kumar P, Mpofu C, Wepa D. Analyzing the Perspectives of Health Professionals and Legal Cannabis Users on the Treatment of Chronic Pain With Cannabidiol: Protocol for a Scoping Review. JMIR Protoc Res
. 2023;12:e37697. Published 2023 Jan 20. Doi:10.2196/37697
