Pain intensity of chronic non-cancer patients was reduced by cannabinoids consumption , but effect sizes were small .
Efficacy for neuropathic and non-neuropathic pain was similar
There is growing interest in using cannabinoids for chronic pain .
We performed a systematic review and meta- analysis of r and omized controlled trials to evaluate the analgesic efficacy and adverse effects of cannabinoids for chronic non-cancer pain .
Nabilone as an adjunctive to gabapentin for multiple sclerosis-induced neuropathic pain: a randomized controlled trial.
BACKGROUND Neuropathic pain ( NPP ) is a chronic syndrome suffered by patients with multiple sclerosis ( MS ) , for which there is no cure . Underlying cellular mechanisms involved in its pathogenesis are multifaceted , presenting significant challenges in its management . METHODS A r and omized , double-blind , placebo-controlled study involving 15 relapsing-remitting MS patients with MS-induced NPP was conducted to evaluate nabilone combined with gabapentin ( GBP ) .  Eligible patients stabilized on GBP ( ≥1,800 mg/day ) with inadequate pain relief were recruited . Nabilone or placebo was titrated over 4 weeks ( 0.5 mg/week increase ) followed by 5-week maintenance of 1 mg oral nabilone ( placebo ) twice daily . Primary outcomes included two daily patient-reported measures using a 100-mm visual analog scale ( VAS ) , pain intensity ( VASpain ) , and impact of pain on daily activities ( VASimpact ) . Hierarchical regression modeling was conducted on each outcome to determine if within-person pain trajectory differed across study groups , during 63-day follow-up . RESULTS After adjustment for key patient-level covariates ( e.g. , age , sex , Exp and ed Disability Status Scale , duration of MS , baseline pain ) , a significant group × time(2 ) interaction term was reported for both the VASpain ( P < 0.01 ) and VASimpact score ( P < 0.01 ) , demonstrating the adjusted rate of decrease for both outcomes was statistically greater in nabilone vs placebo study group . No significant difference in attrition rates was noted between treatments . Nabilone was well tolerated , with dizziness/drowsiness most frequently reported . CONCLUSION Nabilone as an adjunctive to GBP is an effective , well-tolerated combination for MS-induced NPP . The results of this study identify a novel therapeutic combination for use in this population of patients predisposed to tolerability issues that may otherwise prevent effective pain management
Pain intensity of chronic non-cancer patients was reduced by cannabinoids consumption , but effect sizes were small .
Efficacy for neuropathic and non-neuropathic pain was similar
There is growing interest in using cannabinoids for chronic pain .
We performed a systematic review and meta- analysis of r and omized controlled trials to evaluate the analgesic efficacy and adverse effects of cannabinoids for chronic non-cancer pain .