Living with a rheumatic condition like arthritis, degenerative disc disorder, and fibromyalgia can be incredibly tough. They are also very common, with nearly 50% of adults in the US and Canada aged 65 and over-reporting at least one such condition. While there are treatments available, they don’t always work for everyone and can sometimes cause unwanted side effects.
What are the Treatments for Rheumatic Conditions?
Rheumatic conditions can be treated with a range of medications. Some conditions may require medications to help control inflammation and prevent further worsening of symptoms. Doctors often prescribe strong painkillers (like opioids) or anti-inflammatory drugs (like ibuprofen) for rheumatic conditions which cause pain. These may help, but they can also lead to problems like dependency or other side effects. That’s why many people are looking for alternative options, and medical cannabis is becoming increasingly popular.
In a recent study, researchers aimed to investigate the degree to which patients with rheumatic conditions substitute conventional treatment options with medical cannabis.
Medical Cannabis and Rheumatic Conditions
Medical cannabis has been available via prescription in the UK since 2018. A specialist doctor can prescribe them for a range of conditions, including rheumatic conditions, if an individual has not successfully benefitted from first-line treatments. Whilst medical cannabis has shown promise, there are too few high-quality studies to allow it to be widely prescribed on the NHS at present.
What Does the Latest Research Say?
This latest study analysed secondary data to investigate “patterns of medical cannabis product substitution for symptom management among people reporting current use of medical cannabis for rheumatic conditions in the United States and Canada.” Here’s what they found:
- Many people are using it: Over 750 patients with conditions like arthritis and fibromyalgia took part in the study.
- It’s replacing other medications: Around two-thirds of the patients said they were using medical cannabis instead of their usual medications.
- Why the switch? People reported switching due to side effects, symptom control or quality of life.
- What were they using it for? Medical cannabis was most commonly used as a instead of sleep medication, muscle relaxants, and painkillers, including opioids.
- How were they using it? Patients who were replacing first-line therapies with medical cannabis used it more frequently, often inhaled it, and used products higher in tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
- What did they report? Those who replaced other medications with medical cannabis reported significant changes in pain, sleep, stiffness, muscle spasms, inflammation, and overall health.
The Future of Medical Cannabis for Rheumatic Conditions
While these findings are encouraging, more research is needed to confirm the benefits of medical cannabis for rheumatic conditions. Although many people are finding relief, large-scale clinical trials are necessary to provide solid evidence.
At present medical cannabis can therefore only be prescribed by specialist clinics, such as Curaleaf Clinic, when people have failed to benefit from first-line therapies. To find out if you are eligible for a medical cannabis consultation, complete our short eligibility questionnaire.
