Does cannabis really help with pain? Patients in study say yes.

This result came from a cross-sectional study to assess the perceived efficacy of cannabis as a pain-relieving alternative in musculoskeletal conditions. It was published in July 2022 in the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

The study involved self-reported cannabis clinic patient information over a 2-month period. The primary orthopedic conditions treated with cannabis were: muscle spasms (52%), neck pain (13%), back pain (19%), hip pain (9%), and knee pain (7%). There were several other conditions treated, including anxiety and insomnia.

184 patients were included. The average age was 38 and 67% were male. The most popular method of administration was inhalation (36%) followed by ingestion (25%).

Authors and patients used the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) for analgesic (pain-relieving) efficacy.

• "This study showed an average pain reduction score of 4.02 points on the Numeric Rating Scale among all the participants.
• Those with musculoskeletal conditions reported a notable average pain reduction score of 4.47 points.
• In addition, 89% of the participants considered medical cannabis to be more effective than narcotics for adequate pain management.
• 165 participants (90%) will recommend cannabis over prescribed drugs."

The average "before cannabis" NRS score was 8.09. The average "after cannabis" NRS score was 3.62, representing an average reduction in pain score of about 55%.

The full text article is here at PubMed.gov.