An orally absorbed tablet containing cannabidiol (CBD) effectively reduces pain after shoulder surgery with no safety concerns, a new study finds.

The study found that the tablet ORAVEXXTM safely managed pain after minimally invasive rotator cuff surgery, and did not produce side effects sometimes associated with CBD use, such as nausea, anxiety, and liver toxicity.

"There is an urgent need for viable alternatives for pain management, and our study presents this form of CBD as a promising tool after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair," lead investigator Michael J. Alaia from NYU Langone Health.

"It could be a new, inexpensive approach for delivering pain relief, and without the side effects of anti-inflammatory drugs like NSAIDs and addiction risks linked to opiates. Additionally, CBD has the benefit of pain relief without the psychotropic effects associated with THC or marijuana," Alaia added.

For the study, presented at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) 2022 Annual Meeting in Chicago, the multi-centre Phase 1/2 clinical trial randomly sorted 99 participants across two study sites between the ages of 18 and 75 into a placebo group and a group receiving oral-absorbed CBD.

Participants have been prescribed a low dose of Percocet, instructed to wean off the narcotic as soon as possible and to take the placebo/CBD three times a day for 14 days after the surgery.

On the first day after surgery, patients receiving CBD experienced on average 23 per cent less pain as measured by the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) pain score compared to patients receiving the placebo, highlighting that in patients with moderate pain, CBD may render a significant benefit.

On both the first and second days after surgery, patients receiving CBD reported 22 to 25 per cent greater satisfaction with pain control compared to those receiving placebo. Further analysis also showed that patients receiving 50 mg of CBD reported lower pain and higher satisfaction with pain control compared to patients receiving placebo. No major side effects were reported.