Palliative Care
Palliative Care
34
How Can Cannabis Help Treat Chronic Pain?
The study of cannabis is continually evolving and we are constantly gaining a better understanding of why cannabis can be an effective treatment for a variety conditions, particularly chronic pain conditions. Exo-cannabinoids — including synthetic and botanical preparations — act on the body’s endocannabinoid system (ECS). The ECS, which scientists only discovered two decades ago, is one of the body’s most important physiological systems.
Dr. Donald Abrams, a professor and Chief of Hematology & Oncology at San Francisco General Hospital, notes there is a convincing body of evidence showing cannabis “is effective in a number of neuropathic pain syndromes,” and that cannabinoids may not only play a role in symptom management, but also provide preventative benefits.
How Can Cannabis Help Treat Chronic Pain?
The study of cannabis is continually evolving and we are constantly gaining a better understanding of why cannabis can be an effective treatment for a variety conditions, particularly chronic pain conditions. Exo-cannabinoids — including synthetic and botanical preparations — act on the body’s endocannabinoid system (ECS). The ECS, which scientists only discovered two decades ago, is one of the body’s most important physiological systems.
Dr. Donald Abrams, a professor and Chief of Hematology & Oncology at San Francisco General Hospital, notes there is a convincing body of evidence showing cannabis “is effective in a number of neuropathic pain syndromes,” and that cannabinoids may not only play a role in symptom management, but also provide preventative benefits.
The endocannabinoid system is responsible for a number of physiological functions related to health, including pain modulation and inflammation. The ECS, through two receptors, CB1 and CB2, help modulate a variety of functions, including:
CB1: Appetite, immune function, muscle control, pain, cognition, and reward
CB2: Immune function, cell proliferation, inflammation, and pain
“I believe that the reason we and all animal species have the complex system of cannabinoid receptors and endo-cannabinoids is to help us modulate the experience of pain,” notes Dr. Abrams. “It is no wonder, therefore, that the plant cannabinoids also seem to have a significant analgesic activity. We have studied the effectiveness of cannabis in painful nerve damage (neuropathy) as well as in combination with opiates. From my own oncology practice I am impressed that cancer patients are able to decrease their use of narcotic analgesics when adding in cannabis medicines.”
When you ingest cannabis, cannabinoids such as THC and CBD, can act on the endocannabinoid system’s receptors and periphery to provide anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects.
How Effective Are Cannabinoids in Treating Chronic Pain?
Over 200 studies have been conducted evaluating the efficacy of cannabis and cannabinoid-derived formulations to treat chronic pain conditions. One comprehensive systematic study conducted by Harvard professor and addiction psychiatrist, Dr. Kevin Hill, reviewed 28 well-designed studies. Hill evaluated six chronic pain trials of 325 patients; five neuropathic pain trials that included 396 patients; and, 12 multiple sclerosis trials that included 1600 patients.
CB1: Appetite, immune function, muscle control, pain, cognition, and reward
CB2: Immune function, cell proliferation, inflammation, and pain
“I believe that the reason we and all animal species have the complex system of cannabinoid receptors and endo-cannabinoids is to help us modulate the experience of pain,” notes Dr. Abrams. “It is no wonder, therefore, that the plant cannabinoids also seem to have a significant analgesic activity. We have studied the effectiveness of cannabis in painful nerve damage (neuropathy) as well as in combination with opiates. From my own oncology practice I am impressed that cancer patients are able to decrease their use of narcotic analgesics when adding in cannabis medicines.”
When you ingest cannabis, cannabinoids such as THC and CBD, can act on the endocannabinoid system’s receptors and periphery to provide anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects.
How Effective Are Cannabinoids in Treating Chronic Pain?
Over 200 studies have been conducted evaluating the efficacy of cannabis and cannabinoid-derived formulations to treat chronic pain conditions. One comprehensive systematic study conducted by Harvard professor and addiction psychiatrist, Dr. Kevin Hill, reviewed 28 well-designed studies. Hill evaluated six chronic pain trials of 325 patients; five neuropathic pain trials that included 396 patients; and, 12 multiple sclerosis trials that included 1600 patients.
The endocannabinoid system is
responsible for a number of physiological
functions related to health, including pain
modulation and inflammation. The ECS,
through two receptors, CB1 and CB2, help
modulate a variety of functions,
including: