Medical Cannabis for Chronic Pain

Bren - short for Brendan - is a 65-year-old retired probation officer living in Portsmouth-by-the-Sea. He recently started his medical cannabis treatment with Releaf to manage the pain associated with Sheuermann's disease, a degenerative disease that affects the spine. Read more

Joel is 50 and lives in Northamptonshire with his two children. Since his mid-20s, Joel has visited the hospital many times due to pain in his neck and shoulders, but despite numerous MRI tests and other scans, he never received a definitive diagnosis for his health struggles. Read more

Greg lives in Durham with his three beloved French Bulldogs, around whom his life revolves. But enjoying time with them has often been overshadowed by pain, for which he was diagnosed with fibromyalgia around four years ago. In addition to experiencing chronic pain and fatigue symptoms from the condition, Greg also lives with sleep apnoea, which causes sleep disturbance and can lead to further daytime fatigue. Read more

Releaf patient Harry Benford has struggled with eczema since he was a teenager. Over the years, he tried several treatment options to manage the inflammation and itching that went with his condition. And while some options helped to improve aspects of his eczema, he has always been on the lookout for alternatives. Read more

As a business owner, active father, and keen golfer, Scott didn’t expect to be diagnosed with gout in his thirties, especially considering he isn’t a big drinker. But soon, the pain and inflammation worsened, and it began to disrupt not just his physical wellbeing, but his sleep, stress, and overall quality of life too. Read more

Alistair lived in a small village on the border of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire and, until a few years ago, worked in senior management roles for large national companies. However, following a difficult journey with his health, which began following a motorcycle accident when he was just 17, Alistair relied heavily on codeine to manage his symptoms. Read more

After suffering an injury a few years ago, which left him with chronic pain in his left arm, Alex had become disheartened by the lack of efficacy and side effects he had experienced with conventional pain medications. Working in trauma orthorpaedics, he had come across several people who had tried medical cannabis to manage their pain, and when a friend mentioned Releaf, he decided to explore the option for himself. Read more

When you couple ligament damage with arthritis, the resulting inflammation and pain can be almost relentless. James felt it in both knees, every time he climbed the stairs, every time he knelt on a job, and even just when he tried to keep pace at work. Read more

Carol Hawkes has suffered from fibromyalgia and chronic pain since a traumatic surgery fifteen years ago. While she has been prescribed several types of medications to manage the pain, she was never able to find a solution that worked for her without impacting her life and well-being. Read more

For Shane, mental and physical fortitude have always been part of her life. She grew up in a family of weight trainers and competed in bodybuilding, which pushed her body to the limit. Read more

Some say that nurses make the worst patients, but for us Jackie has been a dream - and her very real transformation has been nothing short of remarkable. Now using prescribed medical cannabis oil to manage her fibromyalgia symptoms and restless leg syndrome, Jackie is able to enjoy the things she loves like long walks with dogs, and she has even been able to take up a new hobby: open water swimming. Read more

For Steven, Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR), fibromyalgia and a gout-like condition ensured every day was filled with pain. As a retired school teacher, business owner and former carer for his parents, Steven said he’d lived ‘a rich tapestry of various experiences’, but at 71 he found himself having to say goodbye to hobby after hobby. From DIY, to walking, to gardening, Steven found himself struggling to keep up with daily life, let alone with the things that made his heart sing. Read more

Meet Andy, a long-term Releaf patient who has found positive health outcomes through medical cannabis treatment for not just his rheumatoid arthritis, but also found that it helped ease the complex set of health issues that followed.  Read more

Paul’s story is one of struggle, persistence, and eventual relief. A workplace accident left him with lasting damage to his back and leg. Surgery followed, but instead of recovery, he was left with constant pain that shaped every part of his life. Work became impossible, and the toll on his well-being grew heavier with time. Read more

After 5 years of chronic pain due to a major spinal injury and complications with surgery, Hollie faced a daily regimen of heavy painkillers that caused nothing short of horrible side effects. That was until she saw an advert for Releaf, and decided to see if medical cannabis could help.  Read more

Harry’s story begins with a work injury that changed everything. Three slipped disks in fact, an extremely debilitating injury which regularly resulted in him not being able to physically show up for his role as a substance abuse nurse, and also gave up the activities that once defined his week. Football, rugby, and gym sessions slipped out of reach, and with them came weight gain and a growing sense that life was shrinking. Read more

When chronic pain is your baseline, it takes away so much and eventually shapes your entire sense of self. It’s not just the pain, but all those everyday losses that come with it. Read more

Charles is a master builder, a Royal Army veteran, and now a new dad living off-grid in Cornwall. He’s also one of a growing number of patients who no longer see cannabis through the lens of stigma, but as a considered part of looking after both body and mind. Read more

Simon’s life has always been shaped by sound. A musician (and later a DJ) since he was able to pick up a guitar, his passion for music led to a long career performing, teaching, and sharing music with others. Read more

Battling a serious, long-term health issue (especially one that comes with intense, unpredictable pain) is hard enough on its own. But when it takes years to get an accurate diagnosis, and medical professionals lack a full understanding of how to test for or treat your condition, it can feel like a never-ending uphill battle. Read more

When Joe first considered medical cannabis, he was a little sceptical. He’d heard the stereotypes and misconceptions, and even though he’d tried cannabis in the past, he wasn’t sure if cannabis-based treatments were right for him, or, if they’d even work. Read more

Next in our series of patient stories, we meet Marlyse. Prior to arriving at Releaf, Marlyse had endured months of agony after a freak rollerskating accident left her with intense injuries. Although various conventional treatments such as opiates and even spinal surgery were prescribed and offered some relief, Marlyse’s pain continued to disrupt almost every facet of her day-to-day life. Read more

Next up in our series of patient stories, we're proud to introduce Liz, who was diagnosed with osteoporosis a year ago after two serious injuries.  Read more

Next in our continuing series of patient stories, we meet Kim, a retired art teacher who has been living with a painful spinal condition for nearly 40 years. Read more

Living with arthritis since his late 20s, Kieran's journey to effective treatment has been anything but straightforward. From misdiagnoses and unhelpful medications to the daily pain that impacted his work and well-being, he struggled to find relief. Read more

Amber is a mother of three who moved to the UK from Canada 14 years ago. Since she was a child, Amber faced a myriad of health challenges, including joint pain, stomach issues and insomnia linked to a chronic connective tissue disorder. Read more

After a car accident triggered his Restless Leg Syndrome, Eric was trapped in a cycle of insomnia, fatigue, and frustration that affected every aspect of his life. Read more

Jacqueline's health journey has been one of setbacks, surgeries, and ongoing struggles with arthritis and chronic pain, both of which contributed to mental health challenges. Read more

Living a healthy, active lifestyle has always been a top priority for the dad of four and full-time illustrator and printmaker, Martin. But due to the chronic pain from Ehlers–Danlos syndrome (EDS) and spinal arthritis, each day is a balancing act between managing his symptoms, pursuing his creative work, and getting all the other day to day stuff done. Read more

As more mainstream research shows the benefits of medical cannabis in treating chronic illness, the surrounding stigma in the UK is steadily declining. At Releaf, we’re seeing an increasingly diverse range of people of different ages, religions and ethnicities come through our doors looking for holistic solutions for chronic health issues. Read more

Ethan was an active hiker and mountain biker before a back injury robbed him of his mobility, making it hard for him to move around his home and perform simple, everyday tasks—let alone walk the trails of the Scottish Highlands. Read more

Have you ever been forced to work through an injury? To just grin and bear it? This is a decision that thousands of people in the UK face every day. For so many of our patients suffering with chronic pain, taking months off work to heal from work injuries was never a realistic option. Read more

For years, Chaos has lived with the debilitating effects of anxiety, depression, and chronic pain. Fibromyalgia is only just starting to be properly recognised in the conventional medical community, even though it affects millions of people worldwide. Read more

Ryan’s passion is the outdoors, and there’s nothing he loves more than a long hike through the forest with his trusty dog. For years, Ryan’s pain disconnected him from the natural world. Now, his recent treatment with medical cannabis is finally offering hope. Read more

I’m Maxim, a 20-year-old from Haywards Heath, with a passion for sales. I’d say I’m a pretty outgoing, yet, ordinary person. I’m enthusiastic about work, and I love to be sociable and meet up with my friends or go out with my girlfriend, like most twenty-something's do. Read more

The growing evidence of medical cannabis’ effectiveness in treating chronic pain is slowly reshaping how we approach health and wellness. However, many GPs in the UK are still quick to prescribe addictive medications like opioids and benzodiazepines before looking at safe, alternative solutions like medical cannabis. Read more

Rhona's story is one of resilience and determination. After years of battling through chronic pain and sleeping issues without being able to find a real diagnosis, Rhona was coming to the end of her rope. Read more

One of our primary goals at Releaf is to remove the stigma associated with medicinal cannabis, and that’s why Hollie’s story is so important. Read more

Having your health taken away from you, through no fault of your own, is terrible - especially for someone so used to being extremely active. Read more