Fibromyalgia patients show significant improvement with THC

Published in the German journal, Der Schmerz in June 2023, this study examined the effectiveness of THC on pain and other symptoms in fibromyalgia patients. There is no cure for fibromyalgia, which generally amplifies pain and disrupts quality of life so symptom management is the focus of treatment.

This study collected retrospective data from a clinic in Germany. 120 patients with fibromyalgia were included and 62 of those patients were treated with THC medicine.

About half the patients received interdisciplinary multimodal pain therapy (IMPT) without THC, and the other half received IMPT that included THC. IMPT is an interdisciplinary program that includes combination pharmacotherapies (more than 1 drug) and psychological treatments, rehabilitation, and medical management.

Both groups reported a significant improvement in pain, depression, quality of life, but the THC group reported greater improvement. In most groups, the dose of the multimodal pharmaceutical pain drug was reduced or discontinued much more often in the patients treated with THC.

The authors' observations and recommendations:

In the parameters of pain intensity, depression, and quality of life, there was a significant improvement in the entire group during the stay (p < 0.001), which was significantly greater through the use of THC.

The results provide indications that THC can be considered as a medical alternative in addition to the substances previously recommended in various guidelines.

The study is published in German. The full text version with an English abstract is here at Springer Link.