Faculty Advisor(s)
Maureen Pascal
Abstract
Background: The opioid epidemic has led medical professionals to research alternative methods of pain reduction. There is limited evidence concerning the usage of medical cannabis and its effect on the symptoms associated with Parkinson’s disease and/or reduction of chronic pain. Pain is subjective and neurologically derived, therefore, an association of quality of life differentiation upon individuals with chronic illnesses such as Parkinson’s disease and chronic pain can add to the research of whether medical cannabis is an appropriate alternative treatment to influence pain perception.
Objective: The aim of this study is to identify a correlation between medical cannabis and Parkinson’s disease and/or Chronic pain.
Design: This is a descriptive design study carried out through means of an electronic survey. Paper copies of the survey will also be made available for participants who prefer a paper copy.
Setting: The participants will be obtained from customers that shop at Ethos Cannabis Dispensary in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania. Analysis will be performed at Misericordia University in Dallas, Pennsylvania.
Participants: We hope to obtain 100 participants to complete our survey that are current prescription medical cannabis users and have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and/or Chronic pain.
Measurements: The primary outcome measures included in our survey are the LISAT-11 and the Wong-Baker Pain Faces Scale. The LISAT-11 is a quality of life questionnaire and the Wong-Baker Pain Faces Scale is a pain questionnaire. Participants will be asked to rank their current quality of life using medical cannabis as well as their pain perceptions both before and after medical cannabis usage.
Limitations: Limitations include a small sample size of participants to complete the survey and knowledge of any other means of pain reduction the individual may be utilizing paired with Medical Cannabis.
Conclusion: This study will describe differences in quality of life and pain perceived by medical cannabis users with Parkinson’s disease and/or Chronic pain at Ethos Dispensary before and after they started using medical cannabis.
Publication Date
2021
Document Type
Poster
Department
Physical Therapy
Keywords
Medical Cannabis, Parkinson's Disease, Chronic Pain
Disciplines
Rehabilitation and Therapy
Recommended Citation
Inge, Hailey S.; Hiryak, Jenna M.; DeMichele, Patrick; Meyer, Olivia J.; and Pascal, Maureen, "PROTOCOL: The Effects of Medical Cannabis on Pain and Quality of Life in Individuals with Parkinson’s Disease and/or Chronic Pain" (2021). Student Research Poster Presentations 2021. 29.
https://digitalcommons.misericordia.edu/research_posters2021/29