CBD Study Aids in Relief for Chronic Pain Sufferers

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A recently published study (1) explored the potential benefit cannabidiol (CBD) may have on individuals who suffer from chronic pain. The research was published in Cureus, a scientific journal. Researchers a part of the study are connected with the Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine (Dothan, Alabama) (2).

The data pool consisted of 121 patients diagnosed with chronic pain. At the start of the study, baseline was set by the pain ratings from an anonymous Qualtrics survey provided to the patients and then “following CBD treatment on a scale of zero (no pain) to 10 (worst pain they have ever felt),” (1,2). Metrics showed that 98% of participants reported reduced pain after consumption of CBD. 55.4% of participants experienced no side effects from consuming CBD products (1). Almost a third of the participants reported experiencing fatigue and drowsiness. No severe side effects were reported but a low number of participants did report uncommon side effects which included cramps, constipation, diarrhea, and headache (1,3).

The study detailed positive results on the cannabinoid (1,2), “CBD has demonstrated efficacy in the treatment of chronic pain in study respondents, regardless of the cause. Over 98 percent of participants self-reported an improvement to some extent of their chronic pain, ranging from a minimal reduction in pain (For example, 1/10), to a complete resolution of chronic pain (For example, 10/10), through CBD treatment.”

Researchers found that results indicated (1), “…that participants utilize CBD for a variety of chronic pain. Arthritis, disk herniation, and fibromyalgia were the leading causes of chronic pain reported by respondents. However, these together only represented a little over a third of survey participants, with the remaining participants reporting up to 20 other different causes of chronic pain. These findings indicate that CBD usage as a treatment for chronic pain is not restricted to the pain management of a few specific causes.”

CBD offers analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects. This is done by “Inhibiting cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase, inhibiting the production of leukotrienes in polymorphonuclear cells, acting as an allosteric modulator of the mu and delta opioid receptors, and partially activating the serotonin 5-HT1A receptor,” (1).

Researchers concluded (1,2), “The findings from the current project indicate that a majority of participants believe their chronic pain has improved with the usage of a CBD supplement. Most subjects used CBD between one and three times a day, with many finding relief with a dose of 100 mg or less. Furthermore, most respondents experienced either mild side effects or no side effects at all. Altogether, these findings may be comforting to individuals concerned about taking pain medication too frequently, at high doses, or about its associated adverse effects. While our research is certainly not exhaustive, it is a clear indication that the possibility of great benefit of CBD treatment exists in treating chronic pain. As such, additional research is warranted to explore this topic further.”

CBD has been reported in other studies as providing relief for pain. One study conducted by Scripps Research Institute researchers in Los Angeles, California, found that commercially available CBD products helped with “improvements in patients’ pain, anxiety, and sleep quality,” (2,4).

References

1. Huang, A.; Stolzenberg, L.; Usman, M.; Awan, M.; Bruner, P.; MacGregor, G. A survey on the use of cannabidiol (CBD) isolate, its perceived benefits, and associated side effects among subjects with chronic pain https://www.cureus.com/articles/343272-a-survey-on-the-use-of-cannabidiol-cbd-isolate-its-perceived-benefits-and-associated-side-effects-among-subjects-with-chronic-pain#!/ (accessed May 13, 2025).
2. Norml. Chronic pain patients report improvements following use of CBD https://norml.org/news/2025/05/08/study-chronic-pain-patients-report-improvements-following-use-of-cbd/ (accessed May 13, 2025).
3. Huang, A.; Stolzenberg, L.; Usman, M.; Awan, M.; Bruner, P.; MacGregor, G. A survey on the use of cannabidiol (CBD) isolate, its perceived benefits, and associated side effects among subjects with chronic pain https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40196085/ (accessed May 13, 2025).
4. Norml. Study: Consumption of commercially available CBD products associated with perceived improvements in pain, anxiety, sleep, and well-being https://norml.org/news/2022/12/15/study-consumption-of-commercially-available-cbd-products-associated-with-perceived-improvements-in-pain-anxiety-sleep-and-well-being/ (accessed May 13, 2025).