A study published in the American College of Rheumatology’s journal Open Rheumatology found that medical marijuana may help alleviate chronic pain in patients with hypermobility spectrum disorder (HSD) and hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS).
Researchers from Imperial College London analyzed data from 161 patients enrolled in the UK Medical Cannabis Registry. Over an 18-month period, participants reported significant improvements in pain-related measures, including the Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire 2, pain visual analog scale, and Brief Pain Inventory (P < 0.001).
Additional benefits were observed in sleep quality, anxiety levels, and overall health-related quality of life.
Adverse events were reported by less than one-third of patients, with headache being the most common. However, the treatments were generally well tolerated.
Researchers conclude by stating:
An association was identified between patients with HSD/hEDS with chronic pain and improvements in pain-specific and general health-related quality of life following the commencement of CBMPs. CBMPs were also well tolerated at 18 months. These findings must be interpreted within the context of the limitations of study design but add further weight to calls for randomized controlled trials.
