Cannabinoids are substances found in Hemp and Cannabis that have been shown to have medicinal properties. These substances are known to inhibit pain pathways in the brain. A recent study concluded that cannabinoids, when combined with opioids, were more effective at reducing pain and anxiety than either therapy alone. However, a few of these studies had limitations such as small sample sizes and short durations. More research is necessary to better understand the long-term effects of using cannabinoids for pain management.
The following article will explore current research about the medical uses for cannabinoids and the risks associated with using this drug. We hope you find it helpful!
Introduction
Cannabinoids are compounds that have been derived from cannabis and hemp plant to create medications, tincture, capsules and topicals to name a few. This is a relatively new field of research, with about 10 years of research conducted with any serious degree or even trying to look for the positive benefits. Most studies before this 10 year people sought to find the negative and harmful side effects of cannabis and cannbinoids.
Lucky, try as they may to cast a negative light on the plants. more and more, Positive benefits that couldn't be Ignored arose in each study. This eventually lead to a few rouge scientists venturing out on there own to see if maybe these hippies where on to something.
We are merely at the tippy tip of the iceberg but studies are pointing to a brave new future that cannabinoids will have a big part to play in people (and pets) daily pain management routines.
History of cannabinoids
Cannabinoids are a class of chemical compounds known as phytocannabinoids. They were first discovered in the 1940s and for a long time were solely believed to exist only in marijuana plants, but it was later discovered that they also existed in other plants such as black pepper, hops, and eucalyptus.
Scientists have been studying how these compounds affect our health since the 1960s, when Raphael Mechoulam, a researcher from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, discovered tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the primary psychoactive compound in marijuana.
The mechanism by which cannabinoids exert their effects on humans is not yet fully understood. It is known that they act on receptors in cells in the brain and nervous system called cannabinoid receptors. These receptors, which exist throughout our bodies, are part of a communication network called the endocannabinoid system. The endocannabinoid system regulates many important biological functions including pain response and immune function.
Endocannabinoid System And Pain
There are two types of cannabinoid receptors that respond to cannabinoids- CB1 receptors, which are present in the central nervous system and peripheral tissues, and CB2 receptors, which are mainly found on cells in the immune system. The one of the key roles of these receptors is to modify pain signalling to the brain.
When an injury occurs our bodies produce endocannabinoids at the area of the injury. These Endocannabinoids have been shown to help with the perception of pain, inflammation levels and a whole host of other mechanisms to aid the body in the healing process. When you use a Cannabinoids products like a CBD oil for the treatment of pain. The cannabinoid oil helps our body's Endocannabinoid system function properly allowing our bodies own endocannabinoids to function more effectively leading to less pain and faster healing.
Studies suggest 30-50% reduction in pain across the board with a variety of aliments and injuries. More Research Is Needed But This Is Very Promising.
If You Look At Other Pain Management Options Available.
The Results Archived with traditional are on par or worse.
CBD and Cannabiniods can also allow opiods to work more effectively. Which lead to using less medications to achive the same desire result, leading to less addiction qualities and health problems down the road.
Research about the use of cannabinoids and pain management.
There are more studies coming out about the long-term effects of using marijuana for pain management. For example, one study showed that people who smoked marijuana at least 15 times a day for 12 years had no significant negative health effects.
On the other hand, some studies have shown that smoking marijuana can make chronic pain worse after six years. More research needs to be done on this topic before conclusive statements can be made about its risks and benefits.
Review: Cannabidiol for the treatment of canine osteoarthritis pain.
A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of daily cannabidiol for the treatment of canine osteoarthritis pain. (1) Looking to see if CBD could be an option to help manage dog arthritis?
These results were insightful. This study could really help dog owners dial in the proper dosage, as well as help decide which CBD oil to choose.
What Do The Pain And Cannabinoids Studies Say?
No pain, all gain? Interim analyses from a longitudinal, observational study examining the impact of medical cannabis treatment on chronic pain and related symptoms.
Findings highlight the potential efficacy of MC treatment for pain and underscore the unique impact of individual cannabinoids on specific aspects of pain and comorbid symptoms.
Cannabinoid CB2 receptors: a therapeutic target for the treatment of inflammatory and neuropathic pain
Such strategies offer the potential to produce synergistic antihyperalgesic effects with a more beneficial therapeutic ratio compared to conventional analgesics (for example, by combining a CB2-selective agonist with lower doses of opiates
Activation of peripheral cannabinoid CB1 and CB2 receptors suppresses the maintenance of inflammatory nociception: a comparative analysis
In summary, our results demonstrate that selective activation of CB1 or CB2 receptors in the inflamed paw is sufficient to suppress tactile allodynia and mechanical hyperalgesia. This suppression is observed under conditions in which only a partial suppression of thermal hyperalgesia was observed. Collectively, our data suggest that peripheral cannabinoid analgesic mechanisms may be exploited to suppress the tactile hypersensitivity observed in chronic inflammatory pain states.
Cannabis-based medicines for chronic neuropathic pain in adults
1876 participants, 13 studies, low-quality evidence).Secondary outcomes Cannabis-based medicines probably increase the number of people achieving pain relief of 30% or greater compared with placebo
A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel group study of THC/CBD spray in peripheral neuropathic pain treatment
Findings demonstrate that, in a meaningful proportion of otherwise treatment-resistant patients, clinically important improvements in pain, sleep quality and SGIC of the severity of their condition are obtained with THC/CBD spray. THC/CBD spray was well tolerated and no new safety concerns were identified.
A multicentre, open-label, follow-on study to assess the long-term maintenance of effect, tolerance and safety of THC/CBD oromucosal spray in the management of neuropathic pain
The proportion of patients who reported at least a clinically relevant 30 % improvement in pain continued to increase with time (up to 9 months); at least half of all patients reported a 30 % improvement at all time points. Improvements were observed for all secondary efficacy outcomes, including sleep quality 0-10 NRS scores, neuropathic pain scale scores, subject global impression of change and EQ-5D questionnaire scores.
The Effectiveness of Topical Cannabidiol Oil in Symptomatic Relief of Peripheral Neuropathy of the Lower Extremities
Our findings demonstrate that the transdermal application of CBD oil can achieve significant improvement in pain and other disturbing sensations in patients with peripheral neuropathy. The treatment product was well tolerated and may provide a more effective alternative compared to other current therapies in the treatment of peripheral neuropathy.
Cannabinoids for fibromyalgia
The primary outcomes in our review were participant-reported pain relief of 50% or greater,
Association between county level cannabis dispensary counts and opioid related mortality rates in the United States:
Evaluation of the effects of CBD hemp extract on opioid use and quality of life indicators in chronic pain patients: a prospective cohort study
The results indicate that using the CBD-rich extract enabled our patients to reduce or eliminate opioids with significant improvement in their quality of life indices.
Many Many More Available via google scholar, Pub Med
Conclusion:
Cannabinoids are substances derived from the cannabis plant that produce psychoactive effects. They also have therapeutic effects, but because of the psychoactive effects, they are classified as a Schedule I drug. Cannabinoids have been used as medicine for thousands of years and have been studied for their potential therapeutic benefits for a wide variety of ailments.
There is still much to learn about the use of cannabinoids and pain management. However, there is promising research that suggests that the use of cannabinoids in conjunction with other pain management strategies may be a promising avenue in the treatment of chronic pain.
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