Pain and Chemical Dependency News

Cannabinoid analgesia as a potential new therapeutic option in the treatment of chronic pain

This is a literature review of how cannabinoids work, current drug development, and current clinical research on the use of cannabinoids for pain relief. The researchers include studies of cannabinoids for pain treatment regardless of pain type or cause. Studies or reviews using animal models of pain are also included. Articles relating to the physiology and pharmacology are evaluated. There is an increase in cannabinoid drug development. Newer agents have fewer adverse effects and include recently developed cannabis medicinal extracts for sublingual use (approved in Canada). These show promise of pain relief in initial clinical trials. Several synthetic cannabinoids have also been studied in humans, including two that are available on the international market. The investigators conclude that cannabinoids provide a novel approach to pain management and are a potential addition to available treatment options. Burns TL, Ineck JR. Adapted from Ann Pharmacother. 2006 Feb;40(2):251-60.


Read more: PMID 16449552
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed

Credit: PubMed, developed by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) at the National Library of Medicine (NLM).

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Department of Pain Medicine and Palliative Care
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