Chronic Pain
Medical cannabis treatments for Chiari malformation
Chiari malformation is a condition in which the lowermost part of the brain (the cerebellum) is pushed below the opening at the base of the skull, into the spinal canal. There are four main types of Chiari Malformation, but the CM1 variant (the most common) affects around 8 in 1000 people, with a slightly higher rate of diagnosis in children. Most people are born with the condition, but it can also develop later in life due to an infection, disease or injury.
It’s possible to access medical cannabis for Chiari malformation symptoms in the UK if you have already tried two or more standard treatments.
Arond 0.8%
of people are estimated to have Chiari 1 malformation, making it the most common form of the condition
67%
of patients achieved pain relief at two hours with a balanced THC:CBD preparation, versus 35% with placebo, in the first randomised, placebo-controlled trial of vaporised cannabis for migraine
83.7%
83.7% of migraine patients rated their medical cannabis treatment very or extremely effective, with 72.1% reporting relief within the first week, in Releaf's November 2025 UK patient survey
Symptoms
Chronic occipital and neck headaches, often worsened by coughing or straining
Cognitive fog and fatigue
Neck and shoulder pain
Anxiety and/or depression ilnked to a debilitating chronic condition
Nerve pain, particularly where syringomyelia is present
Neurological tingling and numbness
Sleep disruption from positional pain
Chiari malformation patients often experience a range of symptoms that medical cannabis may help manage. Symptoms can include:
Treatment options:
If you have gout, there are several treatment options available to help relieve symptoms during a flare-up and prevent further potential flares. These include:
Decompression surgery
Amitriptyline
Gabapentin
Intrathecal treatments
Medical cannabis
Migraine preventatives
NSAIDs
Opioids
Paracetamol
Physical therapy
Pregabalin
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A word from our specialist
“Chiari malformation can cause a range of difficult symptoms for patients to live with, from persistent headaches and neck pain to vertigo and disrupted sleep.
For many patients, these symptoms can have a real impact on daily life and can be tiring to manage over the long term. They can also vary in severity, and potentially lead to other conditions.
For some patients, treatments like prescribed medical cannabis may be worth exploring to help make day-to-day life easier to manage.
Many of my own patients have reported experiencing improvements in symptoms like headaches, muscle spasms and sleep disturbances, when taken alongside other conventional treatments. But each patient will need to be assessed individually, as it might not be a suitable treatment for everyone.
Dr Oladotun Abidakun
Neurologist
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Can medical cannabis treatments help the symptoms of Chiari malformation
Chiari malformation (formerly known as Arnold-Chiari malformation) is a condition that affects brain placement. While the lower part of the brain ordinarily sits at the top of the spine, a Chiari malformation pushes this part of the brain into the spinal canal, resulting in pressure on the brain stem and spinal cord, and fluid obstruction.
There are four main types of Chiari malformation, but type one (CM1) is the most common. This type is not considered to be life-threatening, but some people do experience uncomfortable symptoms because of it.
What symptoms does Chiari malformation cause?
While some people with Chiari malformation are asymptomatic, for others, headaches are the leading symptom that affects quality of life often triggered or worsened by coughing, straining, sneezing or bending over. Further symptoms include dizziness, neck pain, blurred vision, swallowing problems, tinnitus, insomnia and nausea.
Chiari malformation can also result in the accompanying condition of syringomyelia (a build-up of fluid in the spinal cord or brain), which can lead to pain, weakness and numbness. Up to 90% of patients with syringomyelia experience at least one type of pain, including headaches, musculoskeletal pain, non-descript pain, and neuropathic pain.
What treatments are currently available for Chiari malformation?
Decompression surgery is the leading treatment option for Chiari malformation. This can reduce pressure on the brain and allow fluid to flow normally. Painkillers, including opioids and NSAIDS, are commonly prescribed to manage symptoms, although alternative pain management options are often preferable due to the adverse side effects of opioid use and the ongoing opioid epidemic.
Medical cannabis is a natural alternative that can be prescribed privately by legal UK medical cannabis clinics, like Releaf, for the symptoms of Chiari malformation.
Can medical cannabis treatment help with my Chiari malformation symptoms?
Medical cannabis can be prescribed to help ease the symptoms of a Chiari Malformation largely due to its potential anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties. The application of cannabis for headache conditions is a well-researched area, yielding generally very positive results in both the easing of headache-related pain and headache (or migraine) frequency.
In a survey of nine clinics in California, 40.7% of patients prescribed medical cannabis for headaches experienced self-reported therapeutic benefits for the discomfort, while another study of 121 medical cannabis patients found 85.1% reported a reduction in migraine frequency.
Although headaches are the predominant symptom of Chiari malformation, other symptoms medical cannabis can help to address include dizziness, nausea, nerve pain and sleep disruption. Again, although not researched specifically in relation to Chiari Malformation, all of these symptoms, and the potential application of medical cannabis to treat them, have been researched under other conditions such as persistent postural–perceptual dizziness (PPPD) benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), trigeminal neuralgia, fibromyalgia and insomnia.
In addition to this, in 2014, the Canadian Pain Society began recommending cannabinoids as a therapy for chronic neuropathic pain, which can also occur due to Chiari malformation and its associated condition, syringomyelia.
How does the endocannabinoid system relate to Chiari malformation?
While activating your ECS with medical cannabis won’t cure a Chiari malformation, the analgesic, anti-inflammatory and pain-modulating properties, which partly occur due to cannabinoid interaction with the ECS, can be a great help in managing symptoms of this condition without the side effects of more commonly prescribed opioid medications.
Endocannabinoid receptors have been shown to decrease in the concentration of pro-inflammatory cytokines and increase anti-inflammatory mediators, making them important therapeutic targets for neuroinflammatory disorders.
What does the research say about cannabis and Chiari malformation?
Medical cannabis is well known and widely prescribed for its pain management and anti-inflammatory properties, both of which are often essential in a treatment for Chiari malformation patients who experience symptoms.
There are many studies supporting the prescription of medical cannabis for these needs, however research specifically looking at cannabis for Chiari malformation remains limited. That being said, a recent study published in the Journal of Neurological Sciences focused on “therapeutic cannabis for pain management in a patient with CM type 1 during a concomitant SARS-CoV-2 infection” and has offered some positive, condition-specific outcomes. The patient, who was experiencing intense headaches, found no pain relief from non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or myorelaxants, so they were prescribed cannabis oil (an almost equally balanced blend of CBD and THC) with an initial daily dose of 10 drops, later increased to 15 drops. This was effective enough at reducing pain for them to leave hospital, and one month later they reported significant improvement in global function and a considerable decrease in headaches.
What forms of Releaf medical cannabis can be prescribed for Chiari
malformation?
There are a number of medical cannabis products available on prescription with Releaf, including oils, capsules, dried flower (to be vaporised), pastilles and THC vapes. It is illegal to smoke medical cannabis, and it is also not recommended as combusting the flower destroys minor cannabinoids and terpenes which many experts believe work together with THC to produce a superior effect (the entourage effect).
Medical cannabis oil can be formulated with specific THC:CBD ratios, while a wide variety of medical cannabis cultivars are available in dried flower form, all offering unique cannabinoid and terpene profiles for a range of needs.
Am I eligible for UK medical cannabis treatment for Chiari malformation?
If you’re looking for alternative treatments for Chiari malformation, have a Chiari malformation diagnosis and have previously tried at least two treatments or therapies, you could be eligible for UK medical cannabis treatment with Releaf.
Fill in the Releaf no-obligation medical cannabis eligibility checker to find out if medical cannabis is an option for you, today.
FAQs on medical cannabis for Chiari malformation
Can medical cannabis help with my Chiari headaches specifically?
Numerous peer reviewed studies and have found that medical cannabis can help people manage migraines and other headache conditions. Documented historical treatment with cannabis echoes the same. While research is still needed on how cannabis can help with headaches specifically caused by Chiari malformation, many patients have experienced significant improvement in headaches in general when taking medical cannabis.
Can medical cannabis help with syringomyelia pain alongside my Chiari?
Neuropathic pain, like syringomyelia, occurs due to multiple conditions medical cannabis is prescribed for, and there are many studies suggesting that medical cannabis can help to reduce this sort of pain. This is believed to be partly due to the dense presence of the endocannabinoid system receptors in the peripheral and central nervous system, as well as other tissues such as bone and in the immune system.
In addition to this (and the aforementioned studies relating to medical cannabis for headaches) medical cannabis has also been shown to decrease swelling and pain, and improve joint function in musculoskeletal pain patients, triggered by inflammation. It’s very common for people who take cannabis to report effective pain management – one study found 57% of patients felt cannabis was more effective than other analgesic medications at managing their chronic musculoskeletal pain.
Will medical cannabis interact with my existing Chiari medications?
You’ll be instructed to use NHS login when checking eligibility and booking your initial consultation, which will allow safe, secure and instant access to your medical records, so your Releaf consultant will be able to see any previously or currently prescribed medications.
Releaf is the most trusted UK medical cannabis clinic , offering individualised ongoing care for 240,000 people in the Releaf community, so you’re in great hands.
Is there a risk of medical cannabis worsening intracranial pressure in Chiari?
Studies generally suggest that cannabis helps to decrease intracranial pressure, rather than worsen it. This has been found in research relating to headache conditions and traumatic brain injuries. Remarkably, several studies have shown that cannabinoids may reduce intracranial pressure in traumatic brain injury as well as serving a neuroprotective role.
Can medical cannabis help with my cognitive fog and fatigue from Chiari?
Several health conditions medical cannabis can be prescribed for present with cognitive fog and fatigue, and Chiari malformation is one of them. Current reports indicate that between 15% and 40% of people with chronic pain may experience brain fog, and three out of four experience chronic fatigue. Despite being better known as a sedative, medical cannabis can be very effective for treating chronic fatigue – one study of 1224 people found, average, 91.94% experienced decreased fatigue following consumption of cannabis.