Cannabinoids use for chronic neuropathic pain improves sleep quality as well

A new study published in Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine suggests that significant increase in pain intensity, sleep quality, and patients' global impression of change (PGIC) show that cannabinoids can help treat chronic neuropathic pain.

The quality of life and ability to sleep can both be significantly impacted by chronic neuropathic pain, which is frequently incapacitating. There is little data on how cannabis affects the quality of sleep when used to treat neuropathic pain. To ascertain the impact of cannabis on sleep quality, pain severity, and patient perception of treatment success in patients with neuropathic pain, Aidan Leonard McParland and colleagues conducted this systematic review and meta-analysis.

For randomized controlled studies contrasting artificial and natural cannabinoids to placebo in individuals with neuropathic pain syndromes, nine databases of medical literature were examined. Data on validated instruments for measuring pain intensity, sleep quality, patients' overall perceptions of change, and the frequency of cannabis side effects were retrieved and synthesized.

The key findings of this study were;

8 randomized controlled trials met the inclusion requirements for this study out of the 3491 papers that were examined. 

The metafor package was used to conduct the analyses, which were carried out using R 4.1.2. 

The alpha=0.05 criterion for statistical significance was used to interpret the results. 

Most research did not employ validated sleep health metrics. 

Six research' worth of data from a meta-analysis revealed that cannabis significantly enhanced the quality of sleep. 

The cannabis (CB) group's daily pain scores were significantly lower, according to a meta-analysis of data from eight trials. 

However, daytime somnolence, nausea, and dizziness were more likely to occur when sleep health and analgesic advantages were present.

More information is required on newly developed cannabis formulations since there was a statistically significant increase in dizziness in cannabinoid groups at both high and low dosages, in the presence and absence of cannabidiol, and compared to placebo. To enhance the sleep and pain components, a precise dosage combination of tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol might be found.

Reference: 

McParland, A. L., Bhatia, A., Matelski, J., Tian, C., Diep, C., Clarke, H., Kapustin, D., Triveda, A., Brull, R., & Singh, M. (2022). Evaluating the impact of cannabinoids on sleep health and pain in patients with chronic neuropathic pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. In Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine (p. rapm-2021-103431). BMJ. https://doi.org/10.1136/rapm-2021-103431