How cannabis is used in the management of neuropathic pain
Medical cannabis is becoming increasingly common in parts of Europe, and doctors in the UK are just coming around to the many benefits it offers. Cannabinoids, or CBD, are a compound found in cannabis. CBD is effective in relieving pain, and in particular neuropathic pain.
What is neuropathic pain?
Neuropathic pain is pain that occurs if your nervous system isn’t working properly. It can stem from the nervous system in different parts of your body, including your spinal cord, your brain, and your nerves. It happens when damaged nerve fibres send the wrong signals to your brain. These signals indicate that something is wrong and cause you pain.
Some of the most common causes of neuropathic pain include alcoholism, diabetes, complex regional pain syndrome, shingles, and HIV and AIDS. Common cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy, can also cause neuropathic pain, also can disorders of the nervous system such as Parkinson’s and Multiple Sclerosis.
How cannabis can help in the management of neuropathic pain
Studies have shown that cannabis provides ‘moderate’ pain relief from neuropathic pain, and can be used by patients suffering from all of the conditions listed above to reduce the symptoms of pain as well as provide stress relief and anti-anxiety effects.
What’s perhaps even more interesting is that some research has even shown that cannabis provides moderate pain relief for both neuropathic pain and nociceptive pain. Nociceptive pain is pain caused by damage to bodily tissues, and it’s common in some conditions where patients suffer from both neuropathic and nociceptive pain, like MS.
If patients suffering from these conditions can feel relief from both types of pain with a single medicine, this could be a game-changer.
Get in touch
If you’re interested in finding out more about how cannabinoids can be used in the management of pain, anxiety, and other medical conditions, get in touch with our team at the London Cannabis Clinic.
We can prescribe medical cannabis for people suffering from a wide range of illnesses including those that cause neuropathic pain and nociceptive pain.