The NFL and the NFLPA announced on Thursday that they’re committing more money to fund alternative pain management studies, jointly awarding research grants totaling $526,525 to independent medical researchers at the American Society of Pain and Neuroscience (ASPN) and Emory University.
The league says that these two grants will, “fund investigations into innovative, first-of-their-kind, alternative pain management methods that could benefit NFL players, and society at large.”
One of the main focuses of the studies will be cannabidiol (CBD), which is a compound found in marijuana used to treat pain. They’ll also look into invasive vagal nerve stimulation (nVNS). The study at ASPN will be about alleviating and treating symptoms of concussions, while the study at Emory will hone in on “mindfulness-based intervention in sports medicine injuries.”
You can find full descriptions of each study here.
This marks the second round of grant funding chosen by the NFL-NFLPA Joint Pain Management Committee. In 2022, they awarded over $1 million to the University of California San Diego and the University of Regina, with a goal of studying cannabinoids in order to reduce the usage of prescription medication.
“We are always seeking new knowledge, techniques, and tools to ensure that NFL athletes are treated with the best possible care,” NFL Chief Medical Officer Dr. Allen Sills said via press release. “We are proud to lead the way on investigating how the use of CBD and other alternative measures could positively impact pain management for players. As within the broader scope of player health and safety, we want to ensure every treatment at our disposal clears the appropriate medical standard for wider use.”
The league expressly states that the results of these studies may inform alternative pain management strategies, but they will not impact the policies the CBA has in place on substance abuse.
