• Curr Pain Headache Rep · Dec 2023

    Review

    Medical Cannabis and Its Efficacy/Effectiveness for the Treatment of Low-Back Pain: a Systematic Review.

    • Cerina Lee, Elizabeth C Danielson, Molly Beestrum, Dean T Eurich, Ashley Knapp, and Neil Jordan.
    • Institute for Public Health and Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA. jae.lee4@northwestern.edu.
    • Curr Pain Headache Rep. 2023 Dec 1; 27 (12): 821835821-835.

    Purpose Of ReviewThis systematic review aims to inform the current state of evidence about the efficacy and effectiveness of medical cannabis use for the treatment of LBP, specifically on pain levels and overall opioid use for LBP. Searches were conducted in MEDLINE (PubMed), Embase, and CINAHL. The search was limited to the past 10 years (2011-2021). Study inclusion was determined by the critical appraisal process using the Joanna Briggs Institute framework. Only English language articles were included. Participant demographics included all adult individuals with LBP who were prescribed medical cannabis for LBP and may be concurrently using opioids for their LBP. Study quality and the risk of bias were both evaluated. A narrative synthesis approach was used.Recent FindingsA total of twelve studies were included in the synthesis: one randomized controlled trial (RCT), six observational studies (one prospective, four retrospective, and one cross-over), and five case studies. All study results, except for the RCT, indicated a decrease in LBP levels or opioid use over time after medical cannabis use. The RCT reported no statistically significant difference in LBP between cannabis and placebo groups. Low back pain (LBP) affects 568 million people worldwide. In the United States, LBP treatment represents more than half of regular opioid users. With the opioid epidemic, alternative methods, particularly medical cannabis, is now increasingly sought by practicing physicians and patients. Due to its infancy, there is minimal high-quality evidence to support medical cannabis use as a first line treatment for LBP.© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.

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