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Medical Cannabis Use Reduces Opioid Prescriptions in Patients With Chronic Back Pain
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Medical Cannabis Use Reduces Opioid Prescriptions in Patients With Chronic Back Pain

Ari Greis, Bryan Renslo, Adrianne R. Wilson-Poe, Conan Liu, Anjithaa Radakrishnan and Asif M. Ilyas
Curēus (Palo Alto, CA), v 14(1), pp e21452-e21452
20 Jan 2022
PMID: 35223236
url
https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.21452View
Published, Version of Record (VoR) Open

Abstract

General & Internal Medicine Life Sciences & Biomedicine Medicine, General & Internal Science & Technology
Background This study investigates whether the use of medical cannabis (MC) in patients with chronic back pain is associated with a decreased opioid prescription. Methods The study included 186 patients with chronic back pain who were certified for MC use. The average morphine milligram equivalent (MME)/day of opioid prescriptions filled within the six months prior to MC certification was compared to that of six months after. Pain and disability questionnaires were distributed at three, six, and nine months post-certification. Results Patients who started at less than 15 MME/day and patients who started at greater than 15 MME/day decreased from 15.1 to 11.0 (n = 186, p < 0.01), 3.5 to 2.1 (n = 134, p < 0.01), and 44.9 to 33.9 (n = 52, p < 0.01), respectively. Pain and disability scores were improved at follow-up as well. Conclusion MC use reduces opioid prescription for patients with chronic back pain and improves pain and disability scores.

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UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This publication has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:

#3 Good Health and Well-Being

InCites Highlights

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Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
Web of Science research areas
Clinical Neurology
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