Muscle Spasms & CBD

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CBD relieves the symptoms of muscle spasms to increase your everyday function. Find out how you can use CBD for your condition.

What Are Muscle Spasms?

Most people have a muscle cramp at least once in their lives. However, when muscle spasms become chronic and debilitating, they need medical attention. These cramps cause sudden pain and muscle tightness that get in the way of everyday function. Seniors, overweight people and athletes have a higher chance of experiencing muscle spasms, but anyone can get them.

Chronic muscle spasms often happen due to neurological disorders. Conditions like multiple sclerosis and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis disrupt your brain’s communication with your muscles. Your muscles then undergo constant strain, creating spasms.

Some patients have chronic muscle spasms as a side effect of their medications. Medicine used for asthma, blood pressure, cholesterol, Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s can all cause muscle cramps.

Many people with muscle spasms now rely on cannabis-based medication like CBD medicine for symptom relief. CBD relieves pain and inflammation so you can feel more comfortable.

Muscle Spasms and the Endocannabinoid System

Our bodies have endocannabinoid systems (ECS) that use and create cannabinoids. You can find cannabinoids in the marijuana plant (phytocannabinoids) and in the ECS (endocannabinoids). The ECS includes the CB1 and CB2 cannabinoid receptors and endocannabinoids. Your cannabinoid receptors attach to cannabinoids and use them to maintain bodily functions.

Patients with conditions like multiple sclerosis that cause muscle spasms could have different ECS balances than those without them. The ECS produces the endocannabinoid anandamide to attach to the CB1 receptor. When anandamide activates CB1, it improves your mood and regulates pain and inflammation. Multiple sclerosis patients have higher levels of anandamide than patients without the condition.

This difference suggests that the body releases anandamide to protect itself from MS’s effects. When tissue becomes damaged or inflamed, the ECS creates more of the cannabinoid. We can take advantage of this phenomenon by using CBD to reduce your symptoms.

Tapping Into the ECS’ Healing Powers With CBD

CBD has a unique function in the ECS. Instead of binding to CB1 or CB2, CBD boosts the ECS’ capabilities. Among other benefits, it blocks FAAH, the fatty acid that breaks down anandamide. When you take CBD medicine, it increases the anandamide levels in your body. Your system uses anandamide to relieve symptoms such as:

  • Pain: Anandamide regulates pain sensations. It manages the signals sent between your brain and nerves when muscle spasms cause pain.
  • Inflammation: Damaged tissue becomes inflamed as a protection mechanism. By managing the number of immune cells that cause inflammation, anandamide can soothe the affected area.
  • Mood Symptoms: CBD attaches to your serotonin receptors to improve your mood. The increase of anandamide in your brain also helps you feel happier and calmer.

Replacing or Supplementing Symptom-Causing Medication With CBD

If your muscle spasms happen as a side effect of medication, you could lower or replace your dose with CBD. CBD shows beneficial effects in patients with high blood pressure, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s syndrome and asthma. We recommend talking to your doctor before trying to make this substitute.

Choosing a Suitable CBD Medication

Medication with CBD comes in various forms. Some of these products may provide more benefits than others because of your symptoms and situation. When looking for a CBD medicine, remember to consider:

  • Formula: If you qualify for a medical marijuana card, you can get access to CBD medication that includes small amounts of THC. These products have fewer psychoactive effects than THC medicine because CBD balances them out. Over-the-counter CBD medicine can also help, but make sure it has a high enough concentration.
  • Type: A CBD medication’s effects depend on how you take it. Pills, patches, edibles and other medicines that enter the bloodstream have a full-body effect. Meanwhile, a topical treatment or CBD oil rubbed into the skin provides stronger relief in a concentrated area.
  • Your Doctor’s Opinion: For the best results, we recommend getting help from a marijuana-certified doctor. They can help you find effective CBD products even if you don’t plan to join the medical marijuana program. Browse our comprehensive doctor listings to find one near you.

Learn More From the Experts at MarijuanaDoctors.com

We can help you make educated decisions about your medical marijuana treatment. Visit our resource library or browse our list of health issues you can treat with cannabis medicine.

Learn More About Muscle Spasms

Learn more about Muscle Spasms and what makes medical marijuana an effective treatment for Muscle Spasms’s symptoms.