Researchers are embarking on a study about CBD and bone pain, and you could be a part of it.
A new clinical trial is now underway to discover whether or not CBD can alleviate bone pain. Pure Green, a maker of pharmaceutical grade CBD tablets, is sponsoring the study. Researchers will study twenty participants to find out if a 5 mg sublingual tablet of CBD can ease their musculoskeletal pain.
This is another important step in studying the effects of CBD on the human skeleton. Musculoskeletal pain can be caused by a host of issues, but most notably: fractures, dislocations, sprains, muscle tissue damage, and wear and tear.
People often treat bone pain with NSAIDS — anti-inflammatory ibuprofen drugs like Advil or Motrin.
The side effects of long term ibuprofen use include heart attack, intestinal damage, and weaker bones — which doesn’t bode well for patients already suffering from bone pain. In general, these drugs are not for long term use. But bone pain can be chronic, resulting in reduced activity, loss of sleep, and changes to one’s overall mood.
Cannabis is already an enticing alternative for pain treatment. The massive chronic pain study currently funded by the National Institutes of Health proves this. CBD is becoming well-known for its pain relieving effects, particularly with pain stemming from inflammation. If CBD can also help patients suffering from bone pain, that could be an impactful finding.
What We Already Know About CBD and Bone Pain
The endocannabinoid system helps maintain homeostasis throughout the entire body. Science has discovered that it also plays a role in keeping bones healthy. Both CB1 and CB2 receptors help regulate the mechanics involved in bone formation. Triggering these receptors can further aid in the bone formation and healing processes. Research also shows that cannabis could potentially aid in healing fractured bones by activating these receptors.
In a study published in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research (2015), scientists found that CBD aided bone healing in lab rats. Not only did it make bones stronger, it also improved development of the collagenous matrix. This is important because the matrix provides the basic building blocks needed to create new bone tissue.
Essentially, researchers found that CBD helps increase the size of callous formation where fractures occur. This is a process where a cartilaginous callus mineralizes, and then bony callus replaces it. This bony callus continues to form itself into mature bone.
Another study published in the Annals of Medicine (2009), also found cannabinoids could help heal broken bones in rat models. Researchers suggested that cannabinoids could potentially help treat, and maybe prevent, osteoporosis.
Helping Bones Heal and Cutting Down on Inflammation
Along with possibly helping bones repair themselves, cannabis could also aid in the healing process by keeping inflammation at bay. Researchers have now long known that CBD acts as an anti-inflammatory. This means cannabinoids can help prevent inflammatory conditions like rheumatoid arthritis.
Scientists have also discovered that by modulating the immune system, one can improve the process of broken bone repair. Cannabis could potentially help here too. Although the precise role of cannabinoids in modulation is not yet known, studies show that cannabis could possibly help immune system regulation. However, we need more research to ascertain whether or not cannabis modulates immune functioning in the right way.
How You Can Get Involved in this Clinical Trial
This new study by Pure Green is just getting started, with the goal of observing twenty participants. The current status of the study is, recruitment phase. This means there is still time to get involved as a participant.
However, if you or someone you know is suffering from musculoskeletal pain and would like to participate in this study, there are a few important things to know.
In order to join, you can contact researchers by phone or email. You can find contact information in the details of the study, along with the inclusion and exclusion criteria.
The criteria of this study further refines the search for participants in order to provide for better control measures. Researchers are looking for participants who are suffering from mild to moderate musculoskeletal pain, that exceeds a score of three on the Numeric Pain Rating Scale. The participant must also experience pain for ten days or more per month, for at least three months, before enrolling in the study.
Researchers are also excluding anyone who is also taking medication that influences the endocannabinoid system. The researchers in this study are trying to find out if a specific CBD tablet helps prevent bone pain. This is why they are require that participants only take the Pure Green tablets – no other pain medications. This means consumption of cannabis or any other kind of cannabinoid product is prohibited during the study. The same goes for other pain management pharmaceuticals.
For a complete list of the trial’s criteria and contact information, view the study details here.
Baht, Gurpreet S, et al. “The Role of the Immune Cells in Fracture Healing.” Current Osteoporosis Reports, Springer US, Apr. 2018, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5866272/.
“Low Dose of Cannabidiol (CBD) to Treat Mild to Moderate Musculoskeletal Pain – Full Text View.” Full Text View – ClinicalTrials.gov, clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04193631.
Dieppe, Paul. “Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain.” The BMJ, British Medical Journal Publishing Group, 24 May 2013, www.bmj.com/content/346/bmj.f3146.
Kogan, Natalya M, et al. “Cannabidiol, a Major Non-Psychotropic Cannabis Constituent Enhances Fracture Healing and Stimulates Lysyl Hydroxylase Activity in Osteoblasts.” Journal of Bone and Mineral Research : the Official Journal of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Oct. 2015, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25801536.
Bab, Itai, et al. “Cannabinoids and the Skeleton: from Marijuana to Reversal of Bone Loss.” Annals of Medicine, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2009, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19634029.