ABSTRACT
Cannabis has been proven to alleviate neuropathic pain. Both cannabinoids, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) are effective. The dose and duration of treatment depend upon the severity of the pathology, sometimes only a few weeks is required, such as in new-onset shingles, while with chronic neuropathic pain such as from complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) months up to several years are required to diminish the pain or possibly reverse it. Cannabis as a neuroprotectant, antioxidant and pain modulator is an appropriate medicine for neuropathy, offering the potential for nerve repair, not just pain management. This chapter presents case reports of eight patients with neuropathic pain from a wide range of causes, from age-related peripheral neuropathy to post-polio syndrome to CRPS, among others. Most patients used a combination of CBD and THC with varying ratios in their products, from THC-dominant cannabis to CBD-dominant cannabis. The important thing to remember with this condition, often chronic, is to stay on the therapy for a long time, even if no immediate result is evident.
