Can’t say myself, having neither expertise nor experience with it, and so won’t presume to offer an opinion. But I know several people who would argue strenuously with this one, including a couple of CF Lifers, none of whom are by any stretch what used to be called “heads.”
Large Review Finds CBD Products Don’t Relieve Chronic Pain After All
Evidence does not support the use of cannabidiol (CBD) products as a treatment for chronic pain, a new review found.A meta-analysis of relevant studies published in scientific journals found a lack of convincing evidence that CBD – packaged as oils, vapes, creams, gummies, drinks, and more – reduces pain, prompting the team of UK and Canadian researchers to advise caution when comparing the marketing claims of CBD products.
Scientists were still learning about the potential benefits and risks of CBD when its promotion as a pain reliever took off with a substantial head start.
The authors hope more balanced, evidence-based advice can now be given to patients and their care providers, while research focuses on effective pain treatments.
“Untreated chronic pain is known to seriously damage quality of life, and many people live with pain every day,” says senior author Chris Eccleston, a pain scientist at the University of Bath.
“Pain deserves investment in serious science to find serious solutions.”
It does at that, certainly. Nevertheless, this meta-analysis serves as a reminder that, just as correlation is not causation, it’s usually a mistake to construe absence of evidence as evidence of absence, either.
(Via Insty)
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Never taken it but I know a couple of people that have with no benefit to their pain.
I also know of some that swear it’s the holy grail…..
Sugar pills work wonders, just ask Emma (Andy Griffith Show).
Yep, another case of “if you believe hard enough that it works, then it will work,” maybe.
I’ll retain some skepticism about this finding. I spot-checked the studies which went into the metastudy and wasn’t able to read them: bad link or behind a paywall. That means that I couldn’t see who paid for those studies. Cryin’ shame that we need to consider that in evaluating findings, but I’m not the one who sold out.
Furthermore, the metastudy’s summary of each studies findings showed that some did find a significant benefit from prescription CBD. Over-the-counter, not so much, but they also found that many OTC CBD products didn’t actually contain CBD or so little as to be worthless. We know that a lot of pharmaceuticals don’t work as intended on some people and that side effects can vary widely between people, and that there is often a racial or sexual aspect to the differences. It’s not surprising that CBD would be the same. This should be studied more.
Finally, since some people think that it works for them, they should be allowed to keep using it. Who cares if it’s “real” or a placebo effect?
“Who cares if it’s “real” or a placebo effect?”
Not me. There is no difference. The placebo effect is just as good as any other effect.
I don’t even bother looking at “studies” anymore. I’m sure there must be a decent one occasionally, most are not.