Can Cannabis help?

In the States, there are constant arguments regarding the value of cannabis in treating pain and most states have legal problems anyway. Here in the Netherlands, we have no such problems, so this should be of interest. The problem is that if you're a non-smoker, you might have extra difficulty using cannabis.
According to the Californian doctor, Dr. Sean Brean...

This week I was contacted by the director of operations for The Foundation for Peripheral Neuropathy in Chicago because of the feedback they are getting from patients about how much it helps them. Unfortunately Illinois does not have a medical marijuana law on the books so the patients there are frustrated and want relief. The women I spoke with reached out to me because I have blogged about the success I have had using medical marijuana to treat neuropathic pain. READ ON….
...Neuropathic pain can happen from a number of different reasons. One of the most common is cause by high circulating blood sugars seen in patients with Diabetes. These sugars bind to the nerves and alter various proteins resulting a damage. Also, diabetes affects the small blood vessels that supply the nerves. When the blood flow is limited there is less oxygen to the nerves and they die off. The #2 and #3 reasons patients develop neuropathy is HIV infection and medication induced (many chemotherapy agents cause neuropathy).

There have been numerous studies that show medical marijuana’s efficacy. If you google “Center for Medical Cannabis Research, UCSD” it will link to 14 completed studies showing the efficacy of medical marijuana. Many of those studies demonstrated the positive benefit of using marijuana for neuropathic pain.

When patients follow up with me after using medical marijuana they report:

1. Decreased dependance on other pain meds.

2. Improved sleep. Many times they sleep through the night “for the first time in years”.

3. Improved Mood. They now have hope and have a better outlook on their lives. Finally something that gave them some relief!

4. Improved appetite.

It has been very rewarding taking care of patients with neuropathic pain. Traditional medicine has not given enough credit to cannabis as a treatment for this disease. As more and more patients use this my hope is that more doctors will hear their success stories.
Medical Marijuana and Peripheral Neuropathy