CHRONIC PAIN TREATMENT: UPDATES ON CANNABIS USE (Atena Editora)

Abstract

GOAL: Chronic pain is pain that extends beyond nociceptor activation, resulting from injuries or long-term changes in the Nervous System. Some of it can be caused by sensitization of nerve endings near the site of injury when the body releases chemical mediators in response to damage. The treatment of chronic pain is carried out based on some general principles determined by the WHO, among which stand out the individualization of the therapeutic scheme that must be done according to the condition of each patient and the analgesic ladder, developed in order to help it. in pain therapy, according to its intensity. The objective of this work is to carry out a survey on the treatment of chronic pain with the use of cannabis. METHODS: This is a literature review, of the narrative type, which aims to describe the characteristics of the treatment of chronic pain with the use of cannabis, from a theoretical point of view, through materials that have already been published on the subject in question, through analysis and interpretation of the literature. Inclusion criteria were: articles in Portuguese and English; published in the period from 2020 to 2023 and that addressed the themes proposed for this research, review-type studies available in full. After the selection criteria, 5 articles remained, which were subjected to thorough reading for data collection. The results were presented in a descriptive way, divided into thematic categories addressing: describe the subtitles or points that were mentioned in the discussion. RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS: More than half of adults who used cannabis to manage chronic pain reported that cannabis use led them to decrease their use of prescription opioids, prescription non-opioids, and over-the-counter pain relievers, and less than 1% reported that cannabis use increased. use of these medications. A report from the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine concluded that there is substantial evidence that cannabis is an effective treatment for chronic pain in adults. It cited 5 systematic reviews of good to reasonable quality that addressed the use of cannabinoids as an analgesic method in people with chronic pain. Conclusions from all reviews, according to the report, were broadly consistent in suggesting that cannabinoids demonstrate a modest effect on chronic pain, however, more research is still needed on the various forms of presentation, routes of administration and combination of cannabinoids. CONCLUSION: This review described the potential effect of Cannabis as an analgesic method for individuals suffering from chronic pain. Of the selected studies, all showed positive results for the use of this substance for analgesic purposes, and most reported adverse effects of very low relevance, which makes this a very promising issue at a time when dependence on the use of opioids and its effects is being discussed in the world. harmful to the organism.