Inhaled Cannabis Effective in Reducing Chronic Lower Back Pain, Says Israeli Study
Four out of five individuals experience lower back pain at some point in their lives, making it one of the most common reasons they turn to cannabis
By Sechat
According to an Israeli study published in the Rambam Maimonides journal, long-term inhalation of THC-rich cannabis flowers, the active ingredient in cannabis, safely controls symptoms of chronic lower back pain more effectively than using CBD-dominant extracts.
Researchers assessed the safety and efficacy of natural cannabis flowers with THC predominance and sublingual extracts with CBD predominance in patients with back pain. Participants used extracts daily for one year, followed by cannabis flower use in the subsequent 12 months.
The researchers reported that "smoked cannabis inflorescence, rich in THC, was more effective than CBD-rich cannabis extracts in inducing symptom relief in lower back pain," as evaluated on a visual analog scale and by a disability index. Additionally, the use of analgesic medications by patients significantly decreased during the second year of the study. No serious adverse events were reported.
"Our findings indicate that THC-rich inhalation therapy is more effective than CBD-rich sublingual extract therapy for treating lower back pain and that cannabis therapy is safe and effective for chronic lower back pain," conclude the authors
It is estimated that 111,000 Israelis are currently licensed to use medicinal cannabis products. More than half of these patients use cannabis to treat chronic pain conditions. Previous studies have similarly shown that cannabis use is associated with reduced opioid consumption in patients with chronic back pain.