Medical cannabis for Parkinson’s disease, how can it improve symptoms? Medical cannabis has been shown to help improve the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. Some of the ways medical marijuana can help include reducing tremors, improving sleep, and reducing anxiety and depression. Medical cannabis may also help protect the brain from damage caused by Parkinson’s disease.
What is Parkinson’s Disease?
Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects movement and causes problems with balance, coordination, and speech. The cause of Parkinson’s is unknown, but it is thought to involve a combination of genetic and environmental factors. There is no cure for Parkinson’s disease, but there are treatments that can help manage the symptoms.
Medical cannabis for Parkinson’s disease has been shown to help treat a variety of medical conditions, including chronic pain, anxiety, and depression. It has also been shown to help protect the brain from damage. So it makes sense that medical marijuana could help treat the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.
What Are the Medical Research Findings?
A medical study published in 2016 involving medical cannabis for Parkinson’s disease investigated whether medical marijuana might help slow the progression of Parkinson’s disease. This was an observational study, which is a type of medical research that can’t prove cause and effect but can show medical trends among patients with similar medical conditions.
The researchers found that medical marijuana slowed down the progression of Parkinson’s disease in most users. Of the 45 patients who were included in this study, 22 showed progress while 25 did not. The researchers noted that they didn’t find any negative effects from medical cannabis use, only benefits.
Another medical study also looked at how medical marijuana affected Parkinson’s disease sufferers. Researchers compared 30 people who used medical cannabis with 30 people who had never used it before. They assessed them using a medical scale, as well as a caregiving scale. The medical scale measured medical symptoms, such as tremor and stiffness. The caregiving scale assessed how involved the patients were in their daily life and medical care.
The researchers found that medical cannabis was associated with:
– improved mood and sleep
– decreased pain and tremors
– better cognitive function (memory, attention span)
– reduced caregiver burden (less need to be watched or supervised)
These effects could all improve the quality of life for Parkinson’s disease sufferers by making everyday activities easier to perform. It also meant they required less medical supervision from their caregivers. This is important because many people with Parkinson’s are elderly, which means they are more likely to develop medical conditions, such as pneumonia and Alzheimer’s.
The researchers also found that medical cannabis was associated with less anxiety and some improvements in thinking skills among people who had never used medical marijuana before. However, the study couldn’t determine whether it was medical cannabis or a placebo effect that led to these improvements.
Other Benefits of Medical Cannabis for Parkinson’s Disease Sufferers
In addition to improving symptoms, medical marijuana can have other benefits for people with Parkinson’s disease. One benefit is medical marijuana may protect the brain from damage caused by Parkinson’s disease. Researchers have found that medical cannabis can reduce inflammation in the brain. This makes it a potentially useful treatment for neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s.
How Does Medical Cannabis Help Reduce Tremors?
One of the main symptoms of Parkinson’s disease is tremors. Medical cannabis has been shown to help reduce tremors, which can make it easier for people with Parkinson’s to do everyday tasks like eating and walking.
How Does Medical Marijuana Help Improve Sleep?
People with Parkinson’s often have trouble sleeping, which can lead to fatigue and daytime drowsiness. Medical cannabis has been shown to help improve sleep quality, which can help people feel more rested and energetic.
If medical marijuana can help improve the quality of life for Parkinson’s disease sufferers, then it would be a good idea to talk with your medical marijuana doctor about the potential benefits.