There are already a growing number of Americans using CBD to help relieve pain, though research is still continuing to catch up from the progress lost due to past criminalization of cannabis and hemp.
Additionally, recent studies have found that cannabis and specific cannabinoids may be a comparable alternative in treating pain and other symptoms, pointing to the plant’s potential to help individuals to limit or eliminate use of opioids for recovery.
In this vein, Michigan scientists are looking to further investigate how cannabidiol, or the popular non-psychoactive cannabinoid CBD, may reduce the need for opioids after a total knee replacement. Myriad studies have already found CBD to potentially offer relief in a number of areas, including pain, though we’re only just beginning to dive into the healing potential of the compound.
Members of the Michigan Society of Anesthesiologists (MSA) are joining Henry Ford Health, Michigan Medicine and other experts in the field to launch the largest clinical trial surrounding CBD administration before and after full knee replacement surgery and whether this could replace the need for opioids.
The trial will specifically focus on patients undergoing knee replacement surgery, though researchers hope their insights may offer further insight toward the general use of CBD before and after a wide range of elective surgeries that typically rely on opioids as a standard pain-relief treatment.
“This study could be a significant step forward in exploring additional pain management strategies and assessing the potential for CBD to reduce opioid consumption following surgery,” said Lara Zador, MD, a co-investigator on the study, anesthesiologist with advanced training in pain management and director of the Multidisciplinary Pain Clinic at Henry Ford Health.
An MSA news release on the research notes that acute and chronic pain management remains a “significant issue” after surgery, despite recent advances in perioperative pain management. Opioids are still the standard means for pain relief, though the ongoing opioid crisis and the potential for dependence and addiction has created the need to look into other potential solutions.
Mclaren Health orthopedic surgeon Toufic Jildeh said that opioids tend to mask pain instead of helping to relieve it.
“They really shut down the pathways that really alert the patients that they’re in pain,” Jildeh told WILX 10. “And because of that, they’re very powerful in controlling pain after surgery. However, it should be noted that opioids do not deal with the root cause of pain and because of that they can be over prescribed.”
Chad Brummett, MD is the senior associate chair for research in the Department of Anesthesiology and co-director for the Opioid Research Institute at the University of Michigan. Brummett echoed Zador’s sentiments surrounding the potential of this exploration for future patient care.
“Through this study, we want to better understand if CBD use by patients changes opioid use after surgery,” Brummett said. “It will help us develop a nuanced understanding of how CBD impacts pain severity, anxiety, inflammation and sleep.”
Speaking with WILX 10, Brummett underscored the need to explore opioid alternatives: “What we want to evaluate is the effect of the CBD oil on peoples, primarily their opioid consumption, given the fact that the way we prescribed opioids today is that people are kind of using them at their discretion post operatively.”
The FDA-approved trial is expected to be completed over four years, and patients awaiting knee surgery at Henry Ford or Michigan Medicine will be selected to participate so long as they meet certain requirements.
The collaborative effort “reflects a commitment to improving patient care and exploring innovative solutions to address the challenges associated with post-surgery pain,” the news release on the research concludes. “The outcomes of this trial hold the potential to impact the way pain is managed following surgery, offering hope for a safer and more effective alternative to opioids.”
