Eficácia, segurança e tolerabilidade de Cannabis no tratamento de pacientes com dor neuropática crônica: uma revisão sistemática de literatura

Abstract

Objective: To describe the findings of randomized clinical trials on the use of Cannabis in the treatment of neuropathic pain. Introduction: Neuropathic pain is a disorder characterized by chronic pain associated with decreased quality of life. We can still consider an open field of research the investigation of new therapeutic agents for this clinical condition. Cannabis has been increasingly studied as a therapeutic alternative. Methodology: The search sources for the research were the Latin American and Caribbean Literature in Health Sciences databases (LILACS) and the Spanish Bibliographic Index in Health Sciences (IBECS), contained in the online database Virtual Library (BVS) (bvsalud.org) and the Medline (PubMed) database (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed). We searched for randomized clinical trials evaluating the efficacy and safety of Cannabis in the treatment of neuropathic pain. The studies were submitted to selection by title and, later, by reading the abstracts. Selected studies were read in full to verify eligibility, according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Results: Seven randomized controlled trials were selected, five of which were cross-sectional studies. For those who evaluated the efficacy, all obtained clinical benefits after use of the drug. For those who evaluated the acceptability/safety of the drug, the occurrence of side effects were transient and without recurrence. Discussion: Cannabis has been shown to be useful in the treatment of neuropathic pain. Conclusion: This review evidenced the efficacy and safety of Cannabis in the treatment of neuropathic pain; there is a need for additional research for a more detailed evaluation of its role in the therapy of this chronic painfulcondition.