- Fibrous Dysplasia
THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS PRESENTED FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. MEDICAL MARIJUANA INC. PROVIDES THIS INFORMATION TO PROVIDE AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS OF CANNABIDIOL. LINKS TO THIRD PARTY WEBSITES DO NOT CONSTITUTE AN ENDORSEMENT OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS BY MEDICAL MARIJUANA INC. AND NONE SHOULD BE INFERRED.Fibrous dysplasia is a bone disorder that causes healthy bone to be replaced with fibrous tissue. Studies have shown marijuana can help manage the pain associated with the disorder.
OVERVIEW OF FIBROUS DYSPLASIAFibrous dysplasia is a chronic, uncommon bone disorder where scar-like tissue develops in place of normal bone. As a result, the bone is weakened and susceptible to deformation or fracture. The condition begins before birth, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, and is caused by a gene mutation. Despite the abnormal bone forming before birth, the condition typically isn’t known until childhood when the abnormal fibrous tissue has grown and expanded, causing symptoms to arise.
There is no cure for fibrous dysplasia and surgical treatment is often necessary to help curtail its progression. Medications are commonly used to decrease the activity of the cells that are responsible for dissolving bone. When surgery occurs, the affected bone is stabilized with metal implants to fix breaks or deformities and to prevent further breaking, and the fibrous tissue is scooped out and replaced with bone grafting. Over time, however, the bone grafting is often absorbed and replaced again with the fibrous tissue.
The affected bone gradually becomes weaker as the fibrous tissue expands, eventually causing pain. The weakened area of the bone is often painful and so can the nearby healthy, and sometimes weight bearing leg and pelvis bones, because they’re adjusting and carrying more of the load.
FINDINGS: EFFECTS OF CANNABIS ON FIBROUS DYSPLASIACannabis can help those with fibrous dysplasia to manage the pain associated with their condition. Cannabinoids in cannabis, including tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), are effective at chronic pain (Ware, et al., 2003). Cannabinoids activate the cannabinoid receptors in the body, and these receptors regulate the release of neurotransmitter and central nervous system immune cells to manage pain levels (Woodhams, Sagar, Burston & Chapman, 2015).
As a result, cannabis use has been found to be prevalent among the chronic pain population, with improvements in pain, sleep and mood being the most frequently reported reasons for use (Ware, et al., 2003).
STATES THAT HAVE APPROVED MEDICAL MARIJUANA FOR FIBROUS DYSPLASIACurrently, Illinois is the only state that has approved medical marijuana specifically for the treatment of fibrous dysplasia.
However, several states have approved medical marijuana specifically to treat “chronic pain.” These states include: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Montana, New Mexico, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont. The states of Nevada, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Montana, Ohio, Vermont, and West Virginia allow medical marijuana to treat “severe pain.” The states of Arkansas, Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Washington, and West Virginia have approved cannabis for the treatment of “intractable pain.”
A number of other states will consider allowing medical marijuana to be used for the treatment of fibrous dysplasia with recommendation by a physician. These states include: California (any debilitating illness where the medical use of marijuana has been recommended by a physician), Connecticut (other medical conditions may be approved by the Department of Consumer Protection), Massachusetts (other conditions as determined in writing by a qualifying patient’s physician), Nevada (other conditions subject to approval), Oregon (other conditions subject to approval), Rhode Island (other conditions subject to approval), and Washington (any “terminal or debilitating condition”).
In Washington D.C., any condition can be approved for medical marijuana as long as a DC-licensed physician recommends the treatment.
RECENT STUDIES ON CANNABIS’ EFFECT FIBROUS DYSPLASIA
OVERVIEW OF FIBROUS DYSPLASIAFibrous dysplasia is a chronic, uncommon bone disorder where scar-like tissue develops in place of normal bone. As a result, the bone is weakened and susceptible to deformation or fracture. The condition begins before birth, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, and is caused by a gene mutation. Despite the abnormal bone forming before birth, the condition typically isn’t known until childhood when the abnormal fibrous tissue has grown and expanded, causing symptoms to arise.
There is no cure for fibrous dysplasia and surgical treatment is often necessary to help curtail its progression. Medications are commonly used to decrease the activity of the cells that are responsible for dissolving bone. When surgery occurs, the affected bone is stabilized with metal implants to fix breaks or deformities and to prevent further breaking, and the fibrous tissue is scooped out and replaced with bone grafting. Over time, however, the bone grafting is often absorbed and replaced again with the fibrous tissue.
The affected bone gradually becomes weaker as the fibrous tissue expands, eventually causing pain. The weakened area of the bone is often painful and so can the nearby healthy, and sometimes weight bearing leg and pelvis bones, because they’re adjusting and carrying more of the load.
FINDINGS: EFFECTS OF CANNABIS ON FIBROUS DYSPLASIACannabis can help those with fibrous dysplasia to manage the pain associated with their condition. Cannabinoids in cannabis, including tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), are effective at chronic pain (Ware, et al., 2003). Cannabinoids activate the cannabinoid receptors in the body, and these receptors regulate the release of neurotransmitter and central nervous system immune cells to manage pain levels (Woodhams, Sagar, Burston & Chapman, 2015).
As a result, cannabis use has been found to be prevalent among the chronic pain population, with improvements in pain, sleep and mood being the most frequently reported reasons for use (Ware, et al., 2003).
STATES THAT HAVE APPROVED MEDICAL MARIJUANA FOR FIBROUS DYSPLASIACurrently, Illinois is the only state that has approved medical marijuana specifically for the treatment of fibrous dysplasia.
However, several states have approved medical marijuana specifically to treat “chronic pain.” These states include: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Montana, New Mexico, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont. The states of Nevada, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Montana, Ohio, Vermont, and West Virginia allow medical marijuana to treat “severe pain.” The states of Arkansas, Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Washington, and West Virginia have approved cannabis for the treatment of “intractable pain.”
A number of other states will consider allowing medical marijuana to be used for the treatment of fibrous dysplasia with recommendation by a physician. These states include: California (any debilitating illness where the medical use of marijuana has been recommended by a physician), Connecticut (other medical conditions may be approved by the Department of Consumer Protection), Massachusetts (other conditions as determined in writing by a qualifying patient’s physician), Nevada (other conditions subject to approval), Oregon (other conditions subject to approval), Rhode Island (other conditions subject to approval), and Washington (any “terminal or debilitating condition”).
In Washington D.C., any condition can be approved for medical marijuana as long as a DC-licensed physician recommends the treatment.
RECENT STUDIES ON CANNABIS’ EFFECT FIBROUS DYSPLASIA
- A survey of chronic pain patients found that improvements in pain, sleep and mood as the most frequently reported benefits associated with cannabis use.
Cannabis for chronic non-cancer pain: case series and implications for clinicians.
(http://journals.lww.com/pain/Abstract/2003/03000/Cannabis_use_for_chronic_non_cancer_pain__results.23.aspx)
- Fibrous dysplasia. (2014, July 8). Mayo Clinic. Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/fibrous-dysplasia/basics/definition/con-20032196.
- Fibrous Dysplasia. (2010, June). American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Retrieved from http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=a00083.
- Ware, M.A., Doyle, C.R., Woods, R., Lynch, M.E., and Clark, A.J. (2003, March). Cannabis use for chronic non-cancer pain: results of a prospective survey. Pain, 102(1-2). Retrieved from http://journals.lww.com/pain/Abstract/2003/03000/Cannabis_use_for_chronic_non_cancer_pain__results.23.aspx.
- Woodhams, S.G., Sagar, D.R., Burston, J.J., and Chapman, V. (2015). The role of the endocannabinoid system in pain. Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology, 227, 119-43. Retrieved from http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007%2F978-3-662-46450-2_7.