Cannabis Oil Combined With Physiotherapy Reduced Post-Stroke Tremor and Thalamic Pain in Case Report

(Photo credit: Releaf).

A case report published in Current Neuropharmacology by researchers from the University of Catania details how a combination of cannabis oil and physiotherapy was associated with substantial improvements in a patient suffering from post-stroke dystonic tremor and post-stroke thalamic pain, two conditions that are often difficult to treat with conventional medications. Post-stroke tremor and thalamic pain are known to significantly reduce quality of life, and standard pharmacological treatments frequently provide limited relief. While cannabis has been explored for its potential role in treating movement disorders and chronic pain, clinical evidence remains limited, particularly in stroke-related neurological complications. Physiotherapy, meanwhile, is widely recognized as a key intervention for improving motor function in stroke survivors.

In this case, a female patient with a history of thalamic ischemia was treated with cannabis oil in combination with a structured physiotherapy regimen. Researchers followed her progress for a full year, regularly assessing pain intensity, tremor severity, and functional capacity.

After 12 months of combined treatment, the patient experienced a 60% reduction in pain levels and a 56.88% decrease in tremor severity. Motor function improved alongside these reductions, and quality-of-life metrics also showed measurable gains, including a 27.6% increase in mental health scores and a 45.46% increase in motor-related quality-of-life measures. Importantly, no serious adverse effects were reported during the treatment period.

The researchers note that the sustained improvements observed over the year-long follow-up suggest that combining cannabis oil with physiotherapy may represent a useful therapeutic approach for managing post-stroke dystonic tremor and thalamic pain. However, they emphasize that this was a single-patient case report and that larger, more rigorous studies are needed to determine whether the results can be replicated more broadly.