Cannabinoids and Pain
Cannabinoids have been used to treat pain for many centuries. However, only during the past several decades have rigorous scientific methods been applied to understand the mechanisms of cannabinoid action. Cannabinoid receptors were discovered in the late 1980s and have been found to mediate the eff...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2001-01-01
|
| Series: | Pain Research and Management |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2001/413641 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849304868499488768 |
|---|---|
| author | J Michael Walker Nicole M Strangman Susan M Huang |
| author_facet | J Michael Walker Nicole M Strangman Susan M Huang |
| author_sort | J Michael Walker |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Cannabinoids have been used to treat pain for many centuries. However, only during the past several decades have rigorous scientific methods been applied to understand the mechanisms of cannabinoid action. Cannabinoid receptors were discovered in the late 1980s and have been found to mediate the effects of cannabinoids on the nervous system. Several endocannabinoids were subsequently identified. Many studies of cannabinoid analgesia in animals during the past century showed that cannabinoids block all types of pain studied. These effects were found to be due to the suppression of spinal and thalamic nociceptive neurons, independent of any actions on the motor systems. Spinal, supraspinal and peripheral sites of cannabinoid analgesia have been identified. Endocannabinoids are released upon electrical stimulation of the periaqueductal gray, and in response to inflammation in the extremities. These observations and others thus suggest that a natural function of cannabinoid receptors and their endogenous ligands is to regulate pain sensitivity. The therapeutic potential of cannabinoids remains an important topic for future investigations, with previous work suggesting utility in clinical studies of cancer and surgical pain. New modes of delivery and/or new compounds lacking the psychotropic properties of the standard cannabinoid ligands offer promise for cannabinoid therapeutics for pain. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-400422b9d794432db176ec5c44e9d941 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1203-6765 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2001-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Pain Research and Management |
| spelling | doaj-art-400422b9d794432db176ec5c44e9d9412025-08-20T03:55:36ZengWileyPain Research and Management1203-67652001-01-0162747910.1155/2001/413641Cannabinoids and PainJ Michael Walker0Nicole M Strangman1Susan M Huang2Departments of Psychology and Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USADepartments of Psychology and Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USADepartments of Psychology and Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USACannabinoids have been used to treat pain for many centuries. However, only during the past several decades have rigorous scientific methods been applied to understand the mechanisms of cannabinoid action. Cannabinoid receptors were discovered in the late 1980s and have been found to mediate the effects of cannabinoids on the nervous system. Several endocannabinoids were subsequently identified. Many studies of cannabinoid analgesia in animals during the past century showed that cannabinoids block all types of pain studied. These effects were found to be due to the suppression of spinal and thalamic nociceptive neurons, independent of any actions on the motor systems. Spinal, supraspinal and peripheral sites of cannabinoid analgesia have been identified. Endocannabinoids are released upon electrical stimulation of the periaqueductal gray, and in response to inflammation in the extremities. These observations and others thus suggest that a natural function of cannabinoid receptors and their endogenous ligands is to regulate pain sensitivity. The therapeutic potential of cannabinoids remains an important topic for future investigations, with previous work suggesting utility in clinical studies of cancer and surgical pain. New modes of delivery and/or new compounds lacking the psychotropic properties of the standard cannabinoid ligands offer promise for cannabinoid therapeutics for pain.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2001/413641 |
| spellingShingle | J Michael Walker Nicole M Strangman Susan M Huang Cannabinoids and Pain Pain Research and Management |
| title | Cannabinoids and Pain |
| title_full | Cannabinoids and Pain |
| title_fullStr | Cannabinoids and Pain |
| title_full_unstemmed | Cannabinoids and Pain |
| title_short | Cannabinoids and Pain |
| title_sort | cannabinoids and pain |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2001/413641 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jmichaelwalker cannabinoidsandpain AT nicolemstrangman cannabinoidsandpain AT susanmhuang cannabinoidsandpain |