More Evidence That Inhaled Cannabis Helps Neuropathy Pain

Today's post from the ever-reliable sciencedaily.com (see link below) provides yet more evidence that inhaled cannabis can be one of the few genuinely effective means of quietening neuropathic symptoms. Of course, smoking a joint is also inhaling cannabis (or at least the THC component) but many people quite understandably, can't take the smoking aspect of it and inhaling via vaporizers is for them, a better solution. The argument drags on but the more studies like this one, the more the relevant authorities will be convinced that it doesn't lead to a path of depravity and ruin. Meanwhile, savvy neuropathy patients have known this for years and regularly control their pain by means of inhaled cannabis, with no ill effects. When the moral and law-giving forces catch up we may get sensible legislation rolled out across the world.

Inhaled cannabis shown effective for diabetic neuropathy pain
Date: July 20, 2015 Source: American Pain Society 

Summary:

Inhaled cannabis reduces diabetic neuropathy and the analgesic effect is dose-dependent, new research suggests. Researchers conducted a randomized, double-blind study evaluating 16 subjects to assess the efficacy and tolerability of inhaled cannabis for treating pain caused by diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN).

FULL STORY

New research reported in The Journal of Pain, published by the American Pain Society, shows that inhaled cannabis reduces diabetic neuropathy and the analgesic effect is dose-dependent.

Researchers at the University of California San Diego conducted a randomized, double-blind study evaluating 16 subjects to assess the efficacy and tolerability of inhaled cannabis for treating pain caused by diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN). They studied the effects of low, medium and high doses of inhaled cannabis on DPN pain and hyperalgesia. Subjects participated in four outpatient treatment sessions, separated by two weeks, in which they were exposed to placebo or three different doses of aerosol 1% THC, the most abundant and psychoactive compound in cannabis. As a drug delivery method for marijuana research, inhalation is preferred because the pharmacokinetics of inhalation are superior to smoking, as peak effects occur quickly and are more easily titrated.

DPN occurs in half of diabetes patients and 15 percent have pain, especially in the feet. Many patients do not achieve satisfactory relief from two FDA-approved treatments. Animal research in models of neuropathic pain suggest that cannabinoids may be effective in reducing pain, but no studies have focused specifically on painful DPN.

"We hypothesized that inhaled cannabis would result in a dose-dependent reduction in spontaneous and evoked pain with a concomitant effect on cognitive function," said lead author Mark S. Wallace, M.D., professor of anesthesiology, University of California San Diego School of Medicine.

Results showed there was a dose-dependent reduction in pain intensity from inhaled cannabis, which the authors noted is consistent with results of other trials of the drug for diverse neuropathic pain syndromes.

"The dose dependent analgesic effect was evident for both spontaneous and evoked pain in the trial subjects, but it was more consistent on spontaneous pain," said Wallace.

The also authors reported that all subjects experienced either euphoria or somnolence, which may limit the acceptability of cannabis as an analgesic. However, in measuring the impact of inhaled cannabis impact on cognition (attention and memory), they found modest effects with no dramatic declines or impairments.

"These findings along with previous studies suggest that cannabis might have analgesic benefit in neuropathic pain syndromes, including treatment-refractory DPN," said Wallace.

Story Source:

The above post is reprinted from materials provided by American Pain Society. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

Journal Reference: 
 
Mark S. Wallace, Thomas D. Marcotte, Anya Umlauf, Ben Gouaux, Joseph H. Atkinson. Efficacy of Inhaled Cannabis on Painful Diabetic Neuropathy. The Journal of Pain, 2015; 16 (7): 616 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2015.03.008
 
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/07/150720115147.htm