Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) is a severe, and persistent condition that is known to be challenging to manage or treat, but medical cannabis may be able to offer relief to patients who have been unable to meet their needs with conventional pharmaceuticals.
This is because medical cannabis is regulated by our endocannabinoid systems, which are also responsible for regulating, or modulating, pain, inflammation, and immune responses - amongst other things. When cannabis compounds like THC and CBD enter this system, they are able to influence the responses the endocannabinoid system usually initiates.
CRPS causes severe pain, typically in one limb, but always at an intensity that is out of proportion to the severity of the initial or original injury or event. For those with complex regional pain syndrome, cannabis-based treatments may reduce their pain perception, giving analgesic effects, and reduce inflammation - which can be extremely useful considering CRPS’s inflammatory aspects.
Currently, in the UK, the medications and treatments prescribed to those with CRPS have not been licensed to treat the condition. This is because they have not undergone clinical testing to ensure their safety and efficacy in treating Complex Regional Pain Syndrome specifically. Medical cannabis treatments are in the same category, they can be prescribed by specialist doctors to treat or manage CRPS, but they have not undergone clinical trials involving CRPS patients.