Prevalence and Effect of Cannabinoids in Pain Management for Hand Pathologies

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Pain Management
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Cannabinoids are under investigation for analgesic properties.
• Understanding cannabinoid prevalence in pain management is crucial due to evolving use.
• Focus on urban orthopedic hand patients provides a specific clinical context.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the prevalence of cannabinoid use for pain management in urban orthopedic hand patients.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of cannabinoids in reducing pain compared to traditional analgesics.
• To assess patient preference for cannabinoids versus prescription/over-the-counter (Rx/OTC) medications.

Main Methods:

• An electronic survey was distributed to 122 new patients at an urban academic hospital's orthopedic hand clinic.
• Data collected included demographics, pain scores (numerical rating scale), cannabinoid usage, and other pain management strategies.
• Pre- and post-usage pain scores were analyzed to determine analgesic effects.

Main Results:

• 15% (18/122) of patients reported using cannabinoids for hand pain.
• Both cannabinoids and Rx/OTC medications significantly reduced pain scores (P = .002 and P < .001, respectively).
• Cannabinoids demonstrated a trend towards greater pain reduction (Δ4.4 vs Δ3.0), though not statistically significant (P = .06). Patient preference favored cannabinoids or was equal to traditional options.

Conclusions:

• Cannabinoids are utilized by approximately 15% of urban hand patients for pain control.
• Cannabinoids exhibit comparable analgesic efficacy to Rx/OTC medications for hand pathologies.
• Cannabinoids are well-liked or preferred by patients, suggesting a significant role in hand pain management.