Cannabis Oil Mitigates Osteoarthritis Knee Pain In Clinical Trial
Unfortunately, knee injuries are common worldwide, especially within the sports community and among older individuals. Researchers estimate that knee injuries account for as much as 41% of all sports-related injuries for athletes.
Many knee injuries result in the affected patient developing osteoarthritis in the injured knee. An estimated 365 million people worldwide suffer from knee osteoarthritis, which can be very painful for the individual suffering from the condition.
A team of researchers in Thailand recently conducted a clinical trial involving the use of cannabis-infused oil among patients suffering from osteoarthritis knee pain. Below is more information about the clinical trial and its results via a news release from NORML:
Sukhothai, Thailand: The sublingual administration of oil extracts containing plant-derived cannabinoids significantly reduces knee pain in subjects suffering from treatment-resistant osteoarthritis, according to clinical data published in the Journal of Southeast Asian Orthopaedics.
A team of Thai investigators conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial involving 32 patients diagnosed with severe osteoarthritic knee pain. All the participants in the study were awaiting total knee arthroplasty. Participants consumed either oral extracts containing THC (4.59 mg/drop) and CBD (24.25 mg/drop) or a placebo (coconut oil) for 30 days in addition to traditional prescription medications.
Patients’ pain scores “demonstrated a statistically significant improvement” following cannabis treatment, researchers reported.
The study’s authors concluded: “Cannabis oil significantly reduced pain intensity and improved the QOL [quality of life] in patients with knee OA, as reflected by improvements in the NRS [Numeric Rating Scale]and KOOS [Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome] scores. … Future research with optimized dosages, larger sample sizes, and longer follow-up periods is needed to evaluate its true clinical relevance.”
Full text of the study, “Effectiveness of cannabis oil as an adjuvant therapy in patients with severe knee osteoarthritis: A randomized, double-blind study,” appears in the Journal of Southeast Asian Orthopaedics. Additional information on cannabis and arthritis is available from NORML’s publication, Clinical Applications for Cannabis & Cannabinoids.
