Originally published November 11 2005
New Zealand doctors believe cannabis-based drugs can relieve arthritis pain
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Doctors at the Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases in Bath gave Sativex, a cannabis-based medicine, to arthritis patients and found the drug effective in reducing their pain.
Cannabis-based drugs might be used to treat arthritis after a study showed they could relieve its pain.
Cannabis has already been shown to have a role in the treatment of multiple sclerosis.
Other studies suggest it may help treat gut disorders such as Crohn's disease.
The latest study - the first to examine its effect in rheumatoid arthritis - found it significantly reduced pain and suppressed the disease.
Researchers followed up a survey of 1000 people who had obtained the drug.
About 15 per cent said they had done so to relieve the condition.
Doctors at the Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases in Bath gave the cannabis-based medicine, Sativex, to 31 randomly selected patients with rheumatoid arthritis and compared them with controls.
Those given the active drug had statistically significant improvements in pain, quality of sleep and inflammation.
The findings are published online in the Rheumatology Journal.
Concern about the intoxicating effects of cannabis have deterred researchers from exploring its potential as a medicinal treatment.
A Sativex spokesman said the medicinal effect was inseparable from its intoxicating effect.
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