HOW MEDICAL CANNABIS CAN HELP WITH CEREBRAL PALSY SYMPTOMS
Is cannabis a possible treatment for cerebral palsy symptoms? Here are some ways it might be helpful.
Patients with cerebral palsy exhibit abnormal movement, muscle tone, or posture because of their neurological disorder. A lot is unknown about the causes of cerebral palsy, but conditions like Periventricular Leukomalacia (PVL) in which brain damage occurs during birth are linked to the disease.
There is no treatment or cure for PVL; however, anecdotal reports and scientific studies indicate that medical cannabis can be effective in treating cerebral palsy symptoms.
We will discuss the main ways medical cannabis can ease the symptoms of cerebral palsy in this article as recommended by Homegrown Cannabis Co. By doing so, we’ll be able to illustrate how it might help those with the disease.
Table of Contents
What Are The Benefits Of Medical Cannabis For Cerebral Palsy?
With symptoms ranging from mild spastic movements to severe convulsions, cerebral palsy is a life-long disorder. There is currently no cure for the disease, but scientists are looking for treatments to relieve symptoms. One such treatment is medical marijuana.
In the absence of adequate research on this topic, we can draw a reasonable picture of how cannabis can help people with cerebral palsy manage their symptoms through anecdotal evidence from people who have used it.
Medical Cannabis Can Provide Partial Seizure Control
The effect of medical cannabis on the symptoms of spastic quadriplegia has been studied in several studies. All parts of a person’s body are affected by this form of cerebral palsy. Some of the symptoms include:
- Rapid contraction and release of muscles
- Seizures
- Unable to stretch or move joints
- Twitching muscles
- Tightness and spasticity of the muscles
- Walking can be difficult
- Disability-related cognitive impairment
- Impediments to speaking
It has been shown that medical cannabis can reduce seizures, one of the most common cerebral palsy symptoms. The NIH published a study in 2007 that showed cannabis’ active compounds helped control epileptic seizures, which supports the claim.
Additionally, CBD and THC, two of the key components of marijuana, could aid in reducing neurological seizures in cerebral palsy patients. Visit https://homegrowncannabisco.com/high-thc-seeds to learn more about THC.
Painful Muscle Spasms Can Be Reduced
In addition to treating cerebral palsy seizures, medical cannabis also alleviates muscle spasms.
Several recent, peer-reviewed studies have shown that cannabis can alleviate pain associated with cerebral palsy-related muscle tension, to include:
- A person with spastic quadriplegia experiences spasticity in their faces, torsos, and limbs.
- It is defined as spastic hemiplegia when the affected arm or leg is primarily affected by spasticity.
- There are milder effects in the arms and legs of spasticity diplegia.
Medical cannabis reduced painful muscle spasms in one study, published in 2014. Study participants experienced muscle spasms related to multiple sclerosis, but the study results can be used for cerebral palsy too.
Moreover, medical cannabis worked far better than a placebo in reducing spasticity and managing pain in people with multiple sclerosis, according to a study conducted in 2012 and published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.
Anecdotal evidence suggests that this plant is effective for treating the muscle spasms experienced by people with cerebral palsy.
An Alternative Treatment For Speech Disorders Using Medical Cannabis
There is evidence that medical cannabis reduces cerebral palsy symptoms such as speech problems. Often, cerebral palsy is associated with repetition of speech and stuttering. It is extremely difficult for people with the condition to communicate effectively because the effects of the condition can be extremely debilitating.
The story of Jacqueline Patterson illustrates how someone with CP suffers from stuttering. As a child, Jacqueline struggled with speech problems, and in 2007, she was featured in a documentary called ‘In Pot We Trust’, in which she explained how this plant helped to resolve her speech issues.
Patterson says she first smoked cannabis when she was 14, and her muscles are no longer tense, and she is able to pronounce words with a fluid pace instead of having to use her tongue to pronounce them.Patterson’s stutter is visible throughout this clip from her documentary, but you can clearly see how smoking has improved her speech at the end.
The positive effect of this plant on stuttering is yet to be substantiated in any clinical study. In spite of this, physicians recommend it as an effective treatment for speech disabilities caused by cerebral palsy.
Does Medical Cannabis Only Help with Cerebral Palsy in These Ways?
The main ways medical cannabis can benefit people with cerebral palsy have been described in this post. There are a variety of anecdotal benefits available, but the three discussed have the most research behind them.
Despite its limitations, medical cannabis offers promise as a treatment for cerebral palsy’s debilitating symptoms.