Those aged 18 to 34 treat themselves with cannabidiol or cannabis at a rate 2 times higher than that of people aged 45 and over.
People aged 18 to 34 who experience chronic pain are more likely to use cannabidiol (CBD) or cannabis for pain, according to the results of a new survey conducted by Harris Poll on behalf of the Samueli Foundation.
“The prevalence of persistent pain among young adults is alarming, and their use of cannabis or CBD oil indicates that they are looking for more ways to manage their pain through self-care,” Wayne Jonas, MD, executive director of Integrative Health Programs of the Samueli Foundation. , he said in a statement.
“We know that cannabis and CBD can be effective in treating pain that results from various conditions, such as cancer,” he said. “But there is not enough evidence to support the effectiveness of CBD and cannabis in treating common chronic pain conditions.”
The survey shows that people aged 18 to 34 are more likely to suffer from chronic pain, by 65%, than people aged 35 and over, by 52%, by 73% of younger people saying who experience pain every day.
Among younger individuals who suffer from chronic pain, 22% say they consume cannabis and / or CBD for pain and are twice as likely to do so compared to those 45 and older.
According to the results of the survey, young individuals typically experience back pain (32%), knee pain (22%) and neck pain (20%).
About 29% said they talked to their doctors about their pain since the start of the pandemic, compared to 15% of those 45 or older who talked to their doctors.
However, almost 75% do not know what type of health care provider can help better manage pain.
“This should be a wake-up call to doctors as their patients seek more information from them about managing their chronic pain, especially for non-pharmacological approaches,” Jonas said. “It’s up to providers across the healthcare system to engage in regular conversations with patients to find out the best ways to manage their pain on a daily basis.”
Approximately 78% of people use non-pharmacological treatments to control their pain, while approximately 70% use pharmacological treatments. The most common approaches are over-the-counter painkillers (53%), exercise (43%), heat or ice (34%), healthy eating (26%), and cannabis or CBD (16%). .
Since the onset of the pandemic, 66% of people have said they have changed their approach to pain management. About 80% said they are interested in healthy eating, 71% are interested in exercise and 68% are interested in massage.
About 83% of people reported that their quality of life would improve greatly if they could better manage their pain.
Reference
Adults under the age of 35 who experience chronic pain are more likely to use cannabis or CBD to control it. EurekAlert. News release. October 26, 2021. Accessed October 27, 2021. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/932742
