Woman cured of sciatica within hours of using cannabis oil she bought online

Richard Hartley-Parkinson

Cannabis oil removed all the pain Brenda Davidson was suffering from her sciatica (Picture: Northpix)

A woman who spent 13 years in crippling pain that reduced her to tears says she has been cured thanks to cannabis oil.

Brenda Davidson says she is virtually pain free since using the oil, which is legally available because it doesn’t contain THC.

A day after trying her firstdrop of the oil she said: ‘I can’t believe this, I am not in any pain!’

Brenda, 55, from Kirkwall, Orkney, said: ‘My hairdresser has done a lot of research into the cannabis oil, and said her mother had seen tremendous results.’

‘She was putting three drops under her mother’s tongue and she reacted very positively to it.

‘She told me that everyone will be different; it will depend on the individual.’

She is planning to stop taking the conventional tablets completely once she is confident the cannabis oil will continue to work.

Brenda was sceptical, but thought she had little to lose by giving it a go.

She took cannabis oil that cost £54 for a 10ml bottle that lasts nearly two months (Picture: Northpix)

It took her about a fortnight before she finally had a look online to see what she could find.

Initially, Brenda opted for a cheaper product, which she found did not work, so she then tried the company CBD Brothers, which had been recommended to her by her hairdresser.

‘It costs £54 for a 10ml bottle, but it lasts me six to eight weeks. I remember it was a Saturday that it first arrived home, so I tried it, then again on the Sunday, but it wasn’t until the Monday, at work, that I thought ‘I can’t believe this, I am not in any pain’!’

As a former cafeteria assistant, Brenda was on her feet for long periods in a day – and was often reduced to tears with the level of pain.

She suffered from sleep deprivation, and tried to hide the agonising pain as best she could from close family, but was unable to walk for any distance – something which is no longer a problem since taking the oil.

Brenda said she had been on holiday in Italy some 13 years ago when, completely out of the blue, she began to feel some strange pains – looking back now, she believes that she may have ignored some of the earlier signs.

What is cannabis oil and is it illegal?

CBD Brothers’ website explained that cannabidiol oil is a cannabis-derived nutritional supplement which possesses a range of medicinal benefits reported to help people with the following conditions: cancer, epilepsy, rheumatism, migraines, psoriasis, diabetes, anxiety, acne, depression, nausea, neuropathic pain and many more, they claim.

Crucially, it does not contain any THC, the psychoactive component of cannabis; in other words, CBD does not get you high. Since last year, it has been legal to buy in the UK, after the Government’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHPR) approved its use as a medicine under licence.

Cannabidiol, or CBD, is one of more than 80 cannabinoids, natural compounds found in the marijuana plant. Extracted from the plant as a mineral-rich oil, it is usually bottled with a dropper – but you can also get it in the form of chewing gum, soap or as a vape oil for e-cigarettes.

It has no side effects, either, and is not addictive, CBD Brothers state.

‘I just took painkillers at that time, and went to see the doctor when I got back home. Again they gave me painkillers, and I got an x-ray at some point but nothing showed up.

‘It got to the point that I could no longer walk the dog. I would be in so much pain and just come home crying my eyes out.

‘I have been on different painkillers over the years and they put me through physio but it did not really help.’

Brenda and her husband, Raymond, have recently moved to Nairn – an ambition for a long time – something which she has been able to enjoy, being almost pain-free again.

‘If it does start to niggle a bit by tea-time I just take another drop and it’s fine again – I really did not think it would work, but it has. The NHS should definitely look into providing it on prescription – surely it would work out cheaper for them than giving out all these prescriptions for painkillers.

‘Altogether, it is the best £54 I have ever spent!’

Cannabis oil is not approved by the Scottish Medicines Consortium for use on the NHS in Scotland, so it isn’t generally available.

However, patients can make special requests for any medicine not approved by the SMC. This has to be signed off by their GP or consultant, and is then considered by a panel of relevant experts.

Christopher Nicolson, director of pharmacy at NHS Orkney said: ‘Cannabis oil has not yet been considered for use in Scotland by the Scottish Medicines Consortium, therefore it is not yet available on prescription.

‘However, in general terms, there is scope for doctors to make a request if they wish to prescribe the product. This involves an application being made to the office of the Medical Director. NHS Orkney would then consider the request, and take expert advice before any agreement to fund the treatment..’