Three small pain studies with CBD

Three small pain studies with CBD

Three small pain studies with CBD

By Prof. Gene Bruno, MS, MHS, RH(AHG)

Huntington University of Health Sciences

Cannabidiol (CBD) is used extensively for a variety of conditions, including pain management. Below are summaries of three published studies on the use of CBD in pain management in small, unique populations

Kidney transplant pain

Because chronic pain is a major therapeutic problem in kidney transplant patients, a study1 was conducted to evaluate the effects, safety and possible drug interactions of CBD on chronic pain in seven kidney transplant patients aged 58 to 75 years. The dose was increased from 50 to 150 mg twice daily for three weeks. The starting CBD dose was 100 mg/day, and two patients required a dose reduction. The results were that two patients had complete improvement in pain, four had a partial response in the first 15 days and one had no change. The researchers stated that CBD was well tolerated and there were no serious side effects.

Epidermolysis bullosa pain

Epidermolysis bullosa is a rare blistering skin disease that is difficult to treat because skin fragility and repeated wound healing cause itching, pain, limited mobility, and recurrent infections. In an observational study2, three patients with epidermolysis bullosa self-initiated topical CBD application. The results were that one patient was completely weaned from oral opioid analgesics, and all three reported faster wound healing, less blistering, and pain relief when using CBD.

Pain from HPV vaccine

An anecdotal, retrospective, open-label, compassionate-use observational study3 was conducted using sublingual CBD-rich hemp oil drops in eight women (age 12-24 years) with adverse drug reactions (including pain) following human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. The dose was 25 mg/kg per day, supplemented with 2-5 mg/ml CBD once per week until a maximum dose of 150 mg/ml CBD per day was reached over a period of three months. Patients' quality of life was assessed using the Short-Form Health Medical Outcomes Questionnaire (SF-36). The results showed significant benefits in physical component (P < 0.02), vitality (P < 0.03) and social role function (P < 0.02) after treatment. According to the SF-36 assessment, the administration of hemp oil also significantly reduced body pain.

Conclusion

Research into the use of CBD in the treatment of various pain syndromes is ongoing. Meanwhile, early research suggests that CBD may be useful in treating pain associated with kidney transplants, epidermolysis bullosa, and HPV vaccine.

References:

1 Cuñetti L, Manzo L, Peyraube R, Arnaiz J, Curi L, Orihuela S. Chronic pain treatment with cannabidiol in kidney transplant patients in Uruguay.Transplantation procedure2018 March;50(2):461-464.

2 Chelliah MP, Zinn Z, Khuu P, Teng JMC. Self-initiated use of topical cannabidiol oil for epidermolysis bullosa.Pediatrician Dermatol.2018 July;35(4):e224-e227.

3 Palmieri B, Laurino C, Vadalà M. Short-term efficacy of CBD-enriched hemp oil in girls with dysautonomic syndrome after human papillomavirus vaccination.Isr Med Assoc J.2017 February; 19(2):79-84.

Professor Gene Bruno, MS, MHS, provost for Huntington College of Health Sciences, is a nutritionist, herbalist, author and educator. For more than 37 years, he has educated and trained natural products retailers and healthcare professionals, researched and formulated natural products for dozens of dietary supplement companies, and authored articles on nutrition, herbal medicine, nutraceuticals, and integrative health topics for trade and consumer magazines and peer-reviewed publications. He can be reached at gbruno@hchs.edu.

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