Renslo Bryan, Greis Ari, Liu Conan S, Radakrishnan Anjithaa, Ilyas Asif M
Department of Medical Cannabis, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, USA.
Rothman Orthopaedic Institute Foundation for Opioid Research & Education, Rothman Orthopaedic Institute, Philadelphia, USA.
Cureus. 2022 Jan 24;14(1):e21564. doi: 10.7759/cureus.21564. eCollection 2022 Jan.
Background Osteoarthritis (OA) can result in significant pain, requiring pain management with opioids. Medical cannabis (MC) has the potential to be an alternative to opioids for chronic pain conditions. This study investigates whether MC used in the management of OA-related chronic pain can reduce opioid utilization. Methods Forty patients with chronic OA pain were certified for MC. Average morphine milligram equivalents (MME) per day of opioid prescriptions filled within the six months prior to MC certification was compared to that of the six months after. Visual analog scale (VAS) for pain and Global Health scores were measured at baseline, three, and six months post MC certification. Results Average MME/day decreased from 18.2 to 9.8 (n=40, p<0.05). The percentage of patients who dropped to 0 MME/day was 37.5%. VAS scores decreased significantly at three and six months, and Global Physical Health score increased significantly by three months. Conclusions MC reduces opioid prescription for patients with chronic OA pain and improves pain and quality of life.
骨关节炎（OA）可导致严重疼痛，需要使用阿片类药物进行疼痛管理。医用大麻（MC）有可能成为慢性疼痛病症中阿片类药物的替代品。本研究调查了用于OA相关慢性疼痛管理的MC是否能减少阿片类药物的使用。方法：40例慢性OA疼痛患者获得了MC使用认证。将MC认证前六个月内开具的阿片类药物处方的每日平均吗啡毫克当量（MME）与认证后六个月的进行比较。在MC认证后的基线、三个月和六个月测量疼痛视觉模拟量表（VAS）和总体健康评分。结果：平均每日MME从18.2降至9.8（n = 40，p < 0.05）。降至每日0 MME的患者百分比为37.5%。VAS评分在三个月和六个月时显著降低，总体身体健康评分在三个月时显著提高。结论：MC减少了慢性OA疼痛患者的阿片类药物处方，并改善了疼痛和生活质量。
