Clinical Trial Finds Marijuana Oil Associated With Significant Improvements in Pain and Quality of Life
- 32 patients with severe knee osteoarthritis were divided into control and experimental groups to evaluate the effectiveness of cannabis oil in treating the condition.
- The experimental group, which received cannabis oil, showed a significant reduction in pain compared to the control group.
- Significant improvements were also observed in quality of life and activities of daily living for the experimental group.
- Liver and kidney functions remained stable in both groups, indicating the safety of cannabis oil treatment for knee osteoarthritis.
Conducted by researchers from Srisangworn Hospital in Thailand, the study evaluated the “effectiveness of cannabis oil in treating severe knee osteoarthritis in patients awaiting total knee arthroplasty”.
For the study, 32 patients with severe knee osteoarthritis, unresponsive to conservative treatment, were enrolled and divided into two equal groups. The control and experimental groups received syrup and cannabis oil, respectively, at night for 30 days. Pain and quality of life (QOL) were assessed using the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), and the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS), respectively. Liver and kidney functions were also assessed. “The experimental group showed a significant reduction in NRS scores compared to the control group”, states the study. “Significant improvements were observed in KOOS subscales for pain, activities of daily living (ADL), and QOL.”
Researchers say liver and kidney function “remained stable in both groups.”
The study concludes by stating that “Cannabis oil was associated with significant improvements in pain, ADL, and QOL in severe knee osteoarthritis. Although improvements did not meet MCID (minimal clinically important difference) thresholds, observed benefits suggest potential for pain management. Larger controlled studies are recommended to confirm its clinical efficacy in pain management.”