According to a recent study published in the American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, medical cannabis could be effective in treating chronic pain and reducing prescription drug use in patients with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT).
CMT is a group of hereditary conditions that causes damage to the body’s peripheral nerves, leading to symptoms such as muscle weakness, foot deformities, difficulty in walking and chronic pain in the hands and feet among others. It’s estimated that around 2.6 million people worldwide have CMT.
The study, which was conducted by researchers from the Hereditary Neuropathy Foundation, examined the efficacy of medical cannabis in managing pain in patients with CMT. A total of 56 participants were recruited for the study, and all reported experiencing pain related to their condition.
The online survey used by researchers contained 52 multiple choice questions about demographics, medical cannabis use, symptomology, efficacy, and adverse effects. The majority of participants were female (71.4%), and the average age was 48.9 years old. Almost all (90.9%) of respondents reported experiencing pain, with 91.7% of respondents indicating that cannabis provided at least 50% pain relief. The most frequent response was an 80% reduction in pain.
The study also found that medical cannabis use led to a reduction in the use of other medications. Specifically, 80% of respondents reported using less opiates, 69% noted using less sleep medication, and 50% reported using less anxiety/antidepressant medications. Negative side effects were noted by 23.5% of respondents, but almost all (91.7%) of that subgroup did not have plans to stop consuming cannabis.
“The vast majority of patients with CMT reported that cannabis was effective to manage pain symptoms”, concludes the study’s authors. “These data support the need for prospective, randomized, controlled trials using standardized dosing protocols to further delineate and optimize the potential use of cannabis to treat pain related to CMT.”
The study’s full abstract can be found below:
Abstract
Objective: Chronic pain is a major problem for patients with Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease. This exploratory study examined patient reported efficacy of medical cannabis for pain management in this population. Methods: Participants (N = 56; 71.4% female; Age = 48.9, SD = 14.6; 48.5% CMT1) were recruited though the Hereditary Neuropathy Foundation. The online survey contained 52 multiple choice questions about demographics, medical cannabis use, symptomology, efficacy, and adverse effects. Results: Nearly all (90.9%) of respondents reported experiencing pain, including all (100%) females and 72.7% of males (chi-square P < .05) with 91.7% of respondents indicating cannabis provided at least 50% pain relief. The most frequent response was an 80% reduction in pain. Moreover, 80.0% of respondents reported using less opiates, 69% noted using less sleep medication, and 50.0% reported using less anxiety/antidepressant medications. Negative side effects were noted by 23.5% of respondents. However, almost all (91.7%) of that subgroup did not have plans to stop consuming cannabis. One-third (33.9%) possessed a medical cannabis certificate. Patient perceptions of their physicians’ attitudes regarding patient medical cannabis use greatly impacted whether respondents informed their providers of their usage. Conclusion: The vast majority of patients with CMT reported that cannabis was effective to manage pain symptoms. These data support the need for prospective, randomized, controlled trials using standardized dosing protocols to further delineate and optimize the potential use of cannabis to treat pain related to CMT.
