A study published in the Journal of Pain and Palliative Care Pharmacotherapy found that full-spectrum cannabis extracts containing both THC and CBD significantly improved symptoms of chronic pain in most patients, while also reducing anxiety and insomnia.
(Photo credit: Marie Jeanne).
The prospective, open-label study followed 88 patients between the ages of 35 and 88 who were diagnosed with chronic pain. Researchers evaluated patients using a visual analogue pain scale, a quality of life numerical scale, and a self-administered health survey. Over the course of the study, 51 patients reported a reduction in pain by at least 50%, while 38 experienced a similar reduction in anxiety and 48 saw major improvements in insomnia. Appetite was the only quality-of-life measure that did not show statistically significant change.
In addition, 23 participants either reduced or stopped using other pain medications, including analgesics and anti-inflammatories. All reported adverse effects were mild and reversible.
The study used high-performance liquid chromatography to analyze the cannabinoid content in the herbal preparations administered. The authors say the findings support previous research showing that full-spectrum cannabis extracts can be an effective and safe adjunct therapy for chronic pain management.
The study’s full abstract can be found below:
Abstract
The aim of this work was to assess the effectiveness of full-spectrum cannabis (THC and CBD) extracts as adjuvants in the treatment of chronic pain. This is a prospective, open label, longitudinal study. Major cannabinoids were analyzed in herbal preparations using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Subjects were included when chronic pain diagnosis criteria was met according to physicians’ diagnosis. A patient stratification protocol was developed using a visual analogue scale to measure pain, a numerical scale for life quality parameters and a self-administered health survey. Eighty-eight patients aged between 35 and 88 years were included. A significant decrease in both pain and other life quality parameters was observed between time zero and subsequent time intervals, excepting the “appetite” variable. Overall, 51 individuals reported a decrease in pain, 38 a decrease in anxiety and 48 in insomnia, with “decrease” defined as symptom reduction of 50% or more between the first and last consultation. In addition, 23 subjects reduced or discontinued other analgesics and/or anti-inflammatory drugs during the trial. Adverse effects were mild and reversible. These results are consistent with previous studies, supporting effectiveness and safety of cannabis extracts as adjuvants in the treatment of chronic pain.
