Can Medical Marijuana Treat Multiple Sclerosis or MS?

Are you having multiple sclerosis for years now and have tried number of things to control the symptoms? Have you become tired as nothing seems to ease those muscle spasms and ease your pain? Don’t get disheartened. The solution to all your problems may just be marijuana. Yes! You heard it right. Not just a recreation drug, but marijuana is also being used medically to treat MS. The thought that medical marijuana can treat Multiple Sclerosis or MS may be surprising but possible. This article deals with the facts related to it.

Wondering how can medical marijuana treat MS? Multiple sclerosis (MS) affects millions of people throughout the world but there is still no cure for this disease. Treatments of Multiple Sclerosis or MS typically involve the use of powerful drugs which aim to manage symptoms, slow the progression of the disease, and accelerate the recovery from attacks. Let us understand how medical marijuana can treat Multiple Sclerosis or MS in detail.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurodegenerative autoimmune illness which affects the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerve. For certain reasons, the immune system of the body starts to think of neurons as dangerous invaders and so the body’s own immune cells begin to attack the neurons. This kind of self-inflicted damage results in the accumulation of scar tissue which in turn negatively impacts the ability of the neurotransmitters. This implies that neurons lose their ability to fire correctly and send basic signals to the rest of the body. Symptoms appear more frequently in the advanced Multiple Sclerosis or MS. Patients of advanced Multiple Sclerosis or MS may also have loss of vision, have problems in mobility and can become paralytic too.

Marijuana, also called cannabis, is a herb that has been wildly successful in relieving symptoms of multiple sclerosis. Be it in the form of cannabis oil or as prescription drug, certain variations of medical marijuana are being used to treat Multiple Sclerosis or MS and its symptoms successfully. Thanks to marijuana, Multiple Sclerosis or MS patients all across the world have found much-needed relief from gastrointestinal distress, pain, muscle spasms, and even paralysis. But, how can a herb possibly be so effective in treating the incurable Multiple Sclerosis or MS? Here’s how medical marijuana eases symptoms or helps to treat multiple sclerosis.

While it is possible that medical marijuana can treat Multiple Sclerosis or MS, until all other medications have been tried and failed, the doctor is not likely to recommend this treatment. Marijuana treatments can be advised as additional treatment only to those Multiple Sclerosis or MS patients who are living in areas where use marijuana is legal.
Also in their nascent stage, certain studies have shown that marijuana can be used to treat Multiple Sclerosis or MS symptoms like over active bladder, muscles stiffness and pain, uncontrolled muscle movements, nerve pain and sleep problems, effectively. Marijuana also improves digestion, guards the brain from degeneration and protects the eyes too. This treatment takes time to show results and the body may take several weeks to respond to this treatment.

Although theoretically, smoked marijuana may be effective, doctors advise that medical marijuana to treat Multiple Sclerosis or MS patients should be used in the form of a pill or spray. This is so because with all its benefits, smoked marijuana is also accompanied by many side effects like lung damage. Also, when taken in pill or spray form, the doctor can control how much of the active chemical enters the patient’s body and prevent potential side effects.

Whether used for fun or as a medicine, marijuana can cause certain side effects dizziness, sleepiness, increased heart rate, dry mouth, balance and co-ordination problems, and slow reaction time. Certain long-term risks associated with daily use of medical marijuana are problems of anxiety, trouble in complex thinking and mood swings. However, if used as prescribed, medical marijuana can treat Multiple Sclerosis or MS effectively with minimal risk of side effects.

Studies have shown that around 9% of adults and nearly 17% of young people who use marijuana become addicted to it. So medical marijuana for Multiple Sclerosis or MS should only be taken under strict supervision and care of the doctor.

Although, the use of medical marijuana to treat Multiple Sclerosis or MS and any other condition, is gradually getting legalized throughout the world, most doctor still don’t wish to prescribe this drug treatment to their patients. However, the medical marijuana landscape is constantly changing and things seem to be heading in favor of using medical marijuana to treat Multiple Sclerosis or MS and similar conditions.

Also Read:

• Massage Therapy for Multiple Sclerosis (MS): Benefits- Pain, Stress Reduction
• Multiple Sclerosis (MS) or Disseminated Sclerosis: Types, Risk Factors, Symptoms, Treatment
• Synthetic Marijuana or Synthetic Cannabis: Effects on Heart, Popularity
• Marijuana: Everything You Need To Know
• Is Medical Marijuana for Fibromyalgia the Right Choice for You?
• Rehabilitation for Marijuana Addicts
• Treatments for Multiple Sclerosis & List of Medications to Treat MS
• Alcohol and Risk of Multiple Sclerosis: Is there a Link?