Young Adults More Likely to Use Cannabis, CBD for Pain

More than one in five said they used cannabis or CBD oil โ€” twice the rate of their older counterparts.

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WASHINGTON โ€“ Young adults, ages 18-34, are more likely to report experiencing chronic pain compared to older adults (65% vs. 52% ages 35+), with a large majority of them (73%) saying they are in pain every day, according to a new survey conducted online by The Harris Poll on behalf of the Samueli Foundation. More than one in five young adults who experience chronic pain (22%) say they use cannabis and/or CBD oil for pain, and they are twice as likely to do so compared to those ages 45+ (11%).

โ€œThe prevalence of persistent pain among young adults is alarming, and their use of cannabis or CBD oil indicates they are seeking more ways to manage their pain through self-care,โ€ said Wayne Jonas, MD, executive director of Integrative Health Programs at Samueli Foundation. โ€œWe know cannabis and CBD can be effective in treating pain that stems from various conditions, such as cancer. But thereโ€™s insufficient evidence to support the effectiveness of CBD and cannabis in treating common chronic pain conditions. Instead, young people should be working with their physicians to first try non-drug treatments that are recommended by the medical community, such as massage therapy, yoga, physical therapy, and exercise.โ€

Young adults with chronic pain โ€“ most commonly experienced in their back (32%), neck and knees (20% each) โ€“ are looking for help from health care providers to manage their pain, according to the online survey conducted in September of more than 2,000 U.S. adults. Nearly 3 in 10 young adults with chronic pain (29%) say they are talking to their doctors more often about their pain since the pandemic began, compared to just 15% of those age 45 and older. However, three-quarters of young adults (75%) also say they donโ€™t know what kind of health care provider can best help them manage their pain.

โ€œItโ€™s clear that young people are trying to deal with their chronic pain on their own, but they also want and need their providersโ€™ help in determining the most effective treatments for their pain,โ€ said Jonas. โ€œAnd primary care providers, who manage most patients with pain, should steer their patients โ€“ especially young adults โ€“ to proven, effective strategies to manage their everyday pain.โ€

Seventy-eight percent of adults with chronic pain use non-drug treatments, while 70% use pharmacological treatments. The most common approaches are over-the-counter pain relievers (53%), followed by exercise (43%), heat/ice (34%), healthy eating (26%), cannabis/CBD (16%), physical therapy (15%), massage therapy (15%), and yoga (14%). Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, two-thirds of those with chronic pain (66%) say they have changed their pain management. Some people are now using over-the-counter medications (37%), exercising (35%), and healthy eating (25%) to manage their pain more often than they did before the pandemic.

Large majorities of Americans experiencing chronic pain are interested in using non-drug treatments. Among those not currently using these treatments, 80% are interested in trying healthy eating; 71% in exercise; and more than 3 in 5 would be interested in trying massage therapy (68%), physical therapy (62%), or mindfulness-based stress reduction or meditation (61%).   

Quality of life for Americans with chronic pain is likely also suffering, and the majority would like more help and guidance to manage their pain. More than 4 in 5 Americans experiencing chronic pain (83%) say their quality of life would greatly improve if they were better able to manage it, and 79% of Americans with chronic pain say they wish it was taken more seriously by health care providers. Additionally, 68% wish they had more information about how to manage their chronic pain.

โ€œThis should be a wake-up call to physicians that their patients are looking for more information from them about managing their chronic pain, especially for non-drug approaches.โ€ said Jonas. โ€œItโ€™s up to providers across the health care system to engage in regular conversations with patients to uncover the best ways to manage their pain on a daily basis.โ€

More information on supplement use and survey findings can be found at www.drwaynejonas.com.

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