Cannabis Oil Plus Physical Therapy Dramatically Reduced Post-Stroke Tremor and Pain for a Year | Research

The takeaway

A patient with post-stroke dystonic tremor and thalamic pain achieved 60% pain reduction, 57% tremor reduction, and major quality-of-life improvements over 12 months of cannabis oil plus physiotherapy.

Stroke rehabilitation specialists, neurologists, physiotherapists, and patients with post-stroke movement disorders

What the researchers found

Combined cannabis oil and physiotherapy produced sustained 60% pain reduction, 56.88% tremor reduction, 27.6% mental quality-of-life improvement, and 45.46% motor quality-of-life improvement over 12 months, with no serious adverse effects.

Why it matters

Post-stroke tremor and thalamic pain are notoriously treatment-resistant — sustained improvement over 12 months with a combination approach represents a potentially significant therapeutic advance.

The numbers in context

60% pain reduction; 56.88% tremor severity reduction; 27.6% mental QoL improvement; 45.46% motor QoL improvement; 12-month follow-up; no serious adverse effects.

How the study worked

Single case report with 12-month follow-up of a female patient with thalamic ischemia-related dystonic tremor and pain, treated with cannabis oil combined with physiotherapy, assessed with standardized pain, tremor, and quality-of-life scales.

What this study cannot tell us

Single case with no control; cannot separate cannabis oil from physiotherapy effects; no blinding; specific cannabis oil formulation and dosing not detailed in abstract.

How to read the evidence

Single case report with 12-month follow-up but no control comparison and inability to isolate treatment effects.

When this study was published

Published in 2026, adding to the small but growing evidence base for cannabinoids in post-stroke rehabilitation.

The bigger picture

The combination of cannabis oil with physiotherapy may be synergistic — addressing both the neurological (cannabinoid) and functional (rehabilitation) dimensions of post-stroke movement disorders.

Questions still open

Would cannabis oil alone or physiotherapy alone achieve similar results? What cannabinoid formulation and dosing are optimal for post-stroke tremor?

Common questions

Can cannabis help with post-stroke symptoms?

This case report showed dramatic improvements in both tremor and pain after stroke with cannabis oil combined with physiotherapy, sustained over 12 months — but larger studies are needed.

How much did the tremor improve?

Tremor severity decreased by nearly 57% over 12 months, with pain reduced by 60% and quality of life substantially improved in both physical and mental domains.

Read the original research

Sustained Reduction of Dystonic Tremor and Pain after Cannabis Oil Administration and Physiotherapy in Thalamic Ischemia: A One-Year Case Report.

Current neuropharmacology

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Buccheri, Enrico; Caramma, Salvatore; Chiaramonte, Rita; Vecchio, Michele. (2026). Sustained Reduction of Dystonic Tremor and Pain after Cannabis Oil Administration and Physiotherapy in Thalamic Ischemia: A One-Year Case Report.. Current neuropharmacology. https://doi.org/10.2174/011570159X414414251122103253