Background: Cannabis has been an area of interest within the healthcare field due the plant's medicinal properties. Although there is controversy within the United States regarding potential psychoactive effects of cannabinoids, there is no denying the fast-acting analgesic properties. A common method used for pain management is phonophoresis, a physical agent modality utilized by occupational therapy practitioners and other healthcare professionals within a rehabilitation setting. Cannabinoids may be broken down into a form that can be used by phonophoresis, to potentially facilitate pain management, thus positively impacting therapeutic effects.Objective: A scoping review that investigates the effectiveness of phonophoresis and cannabinoids in pain management. Additionally, the introduction of a potential therapeutic technique that combines both phonophoresis and cannabinoid pharmacological agents from a biomechanical frame of reference to address pain and improve the standard of care treatment is paramount.
Conclusion:Cannabis has been used for medicinal purposes for over 5,000 years and phonophoresis has been utilized to deliver pharmacological agents. Therefore, transdermal delivery of pharmacological cannabinoids through phonophoresis may be possible through nano-emulsifications of delta-9 Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and Cannabidiol (CBD). The therapeutic use of cannabinoids is a relatively new area and further research is recommended. Additionally, research on phonophoresis has demonstrated inconclusive results associated with pain management.