HIGHLIGHTS
Δ-9-THC has a prominent role in pain management.
THC appears to act on pharmacodynamics and has a therapeutic window in neuropathic pain.
The endocannabinoid system is differentiated from other treatments due to the fact that it has specific cannabinoid acting areas naturally in the human body.
THC as a component has high prospects in pain management compared to conventional treatments.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES:
Prevalence of painful neuropathy is around 7%-10% in the entire population, also, it may have different histories and require integrated care. Challenges for patient care are concerning, most of them have not achieved satisfactory results with drugs for pain management, which are often disabling, in addition to associated comorbidities such as sleep disorders and mood swings. Most of the drugs currently being used for neuropathic pain (NP) have several adverse effects, which hinders adherence to treatment and makes it impossible to reach the doses that would be indicated for proper management. Given this scenario, studies are being done aiming at the endocannabinoid system present in the human body with the ability to modulate pain, sleep, and mood disorders, among other benefits. Drugs such as phytocannabinoids, mainly the molecules cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabidiol (THC), have been studied with significant potential for the treatment of painful neuropathy. This review aimed to describe the probable mechanisms of action of cannabinoids in NP and the results obtained so far with the use of these molecules.
CONTENTS:
This study is a narrative review of the literature. Data were analyzed using the databases National Library of Medicine (NCBI), Academic Google, Medline and scientific database configurations by LILACS and Web of Science in a temporal search between 2004 and 2022. A total of 45 articles were counted.
CONCLUSION:
THC modulates opioid effects in neuropathic pain. This is associated with a pharmacokinetic effect and has also been demonstrated by brain imaging. This significant performance can be associated with specific target sites and primary actors regarding Δ-9-THC and its binding to receptors associated with analgesia. Also, further studies with this component or associated with small cannabinoid variations are necessary to certify its role in neuropathic pain.
Keywords:
Cannabidiol; Cannabinoids; Cannabis; Pain