Among other critically degenerative ailments, Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive and permanent movement disorder that affects the entire nervous system. One to two per 1000 persons in the US is afflicted by PD, where its frequency increases with age, affecting nearly 1% of the populace above 60 years. The stiffness and degenerative cognitive functions can increase for PD-affected elderly persons. Such symptoms can become more acute, including difficulties in speech and motion, along with tremors and even shifts in body posture.  

Even though medicines are prescribed by physicians, gaps can remain in such treatment. Constant research is searching for new and alternative treatment procedures that nowadays help persons control PD symptoms and overall well-being. The legalization of cannabis in the US has triggered a great increase in the use of marijuana for individualistic and health reasons. With the growing popularity of cannabis, specialists in the medical community dealing with PD are becoming more eager to know that medical marijuana can alleviate the symptoms. We will unearth how medical marijuana helps to promote the quality of life for individuals afflicted with PD.  

What Is Parkinson’s Disease? 

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most afflicted neurodegenerative disorder occurring in adults in the US. PD can be highly difficult to deal with, as it triggers a fatigued condition with both motor and non-motor symptoms. Thus, Parkinson’s disease is an ailment of the central nervous system that causes slow body motion, stiffness, loss of balance, and tremors. Other non-motor symptoms are cognitive disability, anxiety, depression, and psychosis.  

How Medical Marijuana Functions As a Treatment for Parkinson’s Symptoms? 

Marijuana is available from the cannabis plant and includes multiple components, including cannabinoids, which attach to the receptors across the brain and the entire body. Such receptors are found in the areas of the brain afflicted by Parkinson’s disease. CBD or Cannabinol is a type of cannabinoid that is extensively used in medical marijuana. Not traditionally used in the medical community, medical marijuana is a kind of alternative medication that helps to relieve PD symptoms. Marijuana straightway affects the peripheral and central nervous systems, entering the body via neurotransmitters, the chemical agents of the nervous system. Research studies show that an effective treatment of individuals afflicted with PD reports that marijuana alleviates the conditions of slow motion, pain, and tremors.  

Nevertheless, major clinical trials are undergoing to better perceive the potential advantages of cannabis. Marijuana comes with two types of active ingredients of cannabinoids, including THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), and CBD (cannabidiol). THC is accountable for improving the mood and mind, while CBD comes with anti-inflammatory features that effectively alleviate the symptoms of anxiety, depression, and pain. Medical marijuana can assist in removing various symptoms of PD, including rigidity in the body, reduced movement ability or Bradykinesia, sleep issues, tremors, and pain. Moreover, cannabis used for patients affected with Parkinson’s disease has also been shown to improve weariness, memory, and temperament. Researches denote that medical marijuana may help to alleviate both motor and non-motor symptoms in PD-afflicted patients.  

Potential Benefits of Medical Marijuana in Healing Individuals with Parkinson’s Disease 

1. Increased Pain Relief and Promotes Body Motion 

Among the most popular reasons individuals use medical marijuana is to alleviate body pain. Studies pointed out that cannabis can be quite effective in treating chronic pain. Besides, treating Parkinson’s disease marijuana also proves to be a safer option against other pain-removing medicines including benzodiazepines and opioids. These medications can be fatal for patients with PD causing deaths each year, due to accidental drug overdoses. Hence, it is justified to undergo alternative treatment of medical marijuana. Again, high-quality research studies also pointed out that medical-grade marijuana proves to be effective in improving the body motion of Parkinson’s disease patients. Thus, routinely treating with cannabis can alleviate the chronic symptoms of rigidity.  

2. Better Sleep Quality 

More and more research has established that patients using medical cannabis can improve their quality of sleep. Besides, consuming medical marijuana also helps them to alleviate the symptoms of insomnia, while increasing the time before falling asleep every night. Patients affected with PD have reported that marijuana can cure their sleep disorders.  

3. Improved Relief for Anxiety and Depression  

A latest survey has pointed out that medical marijuana can be an effective remedy for reducing panic disorders, common anxieties, social anxiety disorder, and depression in patients having PD. One such study established that patients with social anxiety functioned properly during the simulation of public speaking when they were treated with medical cannabis. Again, long-term research has seen improvement in mental health for PD patients, when treated with marijuana. In a study of 90 patients with PD, 48% reported relief of syndromes of depression, and a decrease in tremors after taking half a teaspoon of medical marijuana leaves routinely for a month. Yet, another clinical investigation performed with 23 patients affected with Parkinson’s disease disclosed that using medical marijuana promoted motor syndromes including rigidity, bradykinesia, and tremor.  

It also established improvement of non-motor symptoms of sleep and pain. Thus, positive influences on both motor and non-motor syndromes of Parkinson’s disease prove to be worthy of cannabis as an alternative treatment. Moreover, pathological research pointed out that daily or weekly use of medical marijuana brings an improved mood or temperament for all PD patients, as against users of other medications. Hence, it has been proven through various studies that using marijuana can reduce depressive syndrome and stress by 50% in patients with PD, resulting in improved temper and behavior.  

To Put It Concisely  

For patients seeking an effective and alternative medication for alleviating PD symptoms, choosing medical marijuana can be an ideal choice. Nevertheless, before consuming medical cannabis for PD, patients are highly recommended to consult a licensed marijuana physician. Over the years, it has been seen that more than half of the adults afflicted with PD either minimized or discontinued using other medicines like opioids during their medical marijuana therapy. Thus, an alternative role of cannabis in reducing the dependency on benzodiazepines, opioids, and other potential muscle relaxants can be rightfully established. Please book your appointment with us today for expert guidance from our certified physicians to analyze your specific symptoms for medical cannabis treatment.