Researchers say cannabidiol (CBD) may be effective for pain relief after rotator cuff surgery (shoulder muscles). They add that CBD usually does not cause serious side effects or a high risk of addiction.
Experts say that CBD can be an effective postoperative pain treatment for a number of surgeries. A new study says cannabidiol (CBD) can effectively relieve pain after rotator cuff surgery while being at least as safe as opioids.
Study: Pain Relief After Shoulder Surgery
The study was presented at the American Orthopedic Society of Sports Medicine's annual meeting in Colorado Springs. The detailed research led by Dr. Michael J. Alaia, a sports orthopedic specialist at NYU Langone Health in New York City. The findings have not yet been peer-reviewed or published in a medical journal.
Alaia's team has set up a multicenter study involving 80 subjects, ages 18 to 75. One group was given a placebo. The other was given CBD for 14 days. In the CBD group, the dose was 25 mg or 50 mg, depending on the subject's weight.
Pain level with or without cbd
The participants' pain level was recorded on days one, two, seven and 14. Researchers used the visual analog scale (VAS scale) for pain, opioid consumption and satisfaction with pain management. Liver function was measured on days seven and 14 to assess safety and nausea was monitored.
The researchers reported that on day one, the VAS pain score was significantly lower in those given CBD. In addition, although not significant, patient satisfaction with pain management tended toward the CBD group. However, the researchers also found that there were no statistically significant differences in opioid use between the two groups.
The people who received 50 mg of CBD reported lower VAS scores on day one and higher satisfaction with pain relief on days one and two compared to those who received 25 mg of CBD and the control group.
On days seven and 14, the researchers reported that there were no statistically significant differences in VAS score, opioid use, or patient satisfaction with pain management. Also, there were no significant differences in nausea or liver function.
“Based on our findings, CBD is safe and effective in reducing pain in the immediate perioperative period after rotator cuff repair and should be considered in postoperative multimodal pain management,” Alaia said in a statement.
Source: healthline.com (EN)
