Cannabis-based medicines are often talked about as a possible way to treat long-lasting nerve pain, also called chronic neuropathic pain.
This type of pain happens when nerves are damaged and it can be hard to treat. Usual pain medicines often don’t work well for many people, so there has been a lot of interest in trying other treatments like cannabis.
Cannabis-based medicines come in different forms. Some use the whole cannabis plant, while others include just certain parts like THC (which causes the high feeling) or CBD (which doesn’t make you feel high). These can be taken in many ways—like smoking, sprays for the mouth, tablets, creams, or skin patches.
A new review published in the Cochrane Database looked at 21 clinical trials that tested cannabis-based treatments for nerve pain. These studies involved over 2,100 adults. The treatments were used for anywhere from two weeks to six months and were compared with placebos (fake treatments) to see if they actually helped.
The researchers sorted the treatments into three types: those that had mostly THC, those that had mostly CBD, and those that had a mix of both. They looked at how much pain was reduced and whether people felt better using the real medicines compared to the placebo.
The results showed that there is no strong evidence that any type of cannabis-based medicine worked better than a placebo for reducing nerve pain. Some patients who used a mix of THC and CBD said they felt slightly better, but the improvement was very small—not enough for doctors to consider it a real or useful change.
Side effects were another concern. The studies did not always report side effects in the same way, so it was hard to be sure about the risks. But people using THC-based products were more likely to feel dizzy or sleepy. Some even stopped taking the medicine because of these side effects.
The lead author of the review, Dr. Winfried Häuser, said that more high-quality research is needed. He explained that future studies should include a wider range of people, especially those with other health problems. The studies should also last longer—at least 12 weeks—to better understand the true effects and risks of using cannabis-based medicines for nerve pain.
Right now, the quality of the studies is too poor to say for sure whether these treatments are helpful or not. This means doctors and patients should be cautious. Even though cannabis-based treatments might sound promising, we still don’t have clear proof that they work for this type of pain.
Study review and analysis: The review carefully looked at many studies but found that none of them provided strong proof that cannabis helps people with nerve pain in a meaningful way. Some people may feel a little better, but the changes are too small to matter in real life.
On top of that, side effects like dizziness could make things worse. The authors are clear: better, longer, and more detailed studies are needed before cannabis-based medicine can be recommended for nerve pain.
If you care about pain, please read studies about how to manage your back pain, and Krill oil could improve muscle health in older people.
For more health information, please see recent studies about how to live pain-free with arthritis, and results showing common native American plant may help reduce diarrhea and pain.
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