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According to a recent study, cannabis may be an effective and safe treatment for chronic low-back pain.
The use of opioid-based treatment is associated with serious risks and limited effectiveness.
The following separate. earlier study61% had at least 1 opioid prescribed to them in the preceding year. In this group, 18.8% had a long-term use of opioids during the year preceding their first visit. This increased the likelihood of developing tolerance and dependency.
Cannabis may be a good alternative to opioids for certain chronic back pain sufferers.
To explore this, researchers from universities in Vienna and Germany carried out a multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled phase 3 trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of VER-01 — a standardized, full-spectrum cannabis extract from the cannabis sativa DKJ127 strain. Full spectrum cannabis extracts contain all of the cannabinoids that are naturally present in the plant.
In the study 820 adult participants were involved.
- Phase A: A 12-week double-blind treatment phase
- A 6-month open-label extension (phase B)
- Choose between a random withdrawal or 6-months of continuation (phase C).
The study met its primary endpoint in phase A, with a mean pain reduction of −1.9 NRS points in the VER-01 group. In phase B, pain further decreased to −2.9 NRS points, with these effects sustained through phase C. Phase D did not meet its primary endpoint; and interestingly, pain increased significantly more with placebo upon withdrawal.
VER-01 caused more adverse reactions, mostly temporary and mild, than the placebo (83.3% versus 67.3%), although it was well tolerated with no sign of dependency or withdrawal.
Researchers state that:
The results of the VERCLBP-01 trial show that VER-01 reduces pain in a clinically significant way compared with the placebo. This is accompanied by improvements in sleep and physical function, which are two factors that help participants perceive the effects of VER-01. The VER-01 treatment arm also had participants who required less rescue medication.
This research is not a scientific study has been published Nature Medicine is a journal that publishes articles on a variety of topics.
Another study, published in 2013, found that CBD and THC administered orally can provide relief for chronic back pain.