Dystonia is more than just muscle contractions. In addition to making your muscles involuntarily move, dystonia can affect your mood and sleep — not to mention, muscle spasms cause pain!
Patients with dystonia often find themselves taking a cocktail of drugs to handle all the symptoms they deal with. But, what if they could use a safer alternative and reduce the number of medications to take? Medical marijuana can relieve many symptoms at once with fewer side effects.
Marijuana medicine can help so many health issues due to its natural properties. Cannabinoids, or the components of marijuana, have unique health benefits.
The two major cannabinoids found in marijuana, cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), have been shown to help relieve muscle spasms — they’re each effective on their own to reduce your symptoms, but work even better together.
Since you can use either major cannabinoid for muscle spasms, some folks only use CBD for relief. Since CBD has no cognitive effects, patients can use it medically without feeling high. However, if you don’t mind the temporary impairment associated with THC, a combination treatment is more effective.
THC and CBD have sedative properties, but you may want to stick with just CBD or a small amount of THC. While CBD relaxes a patient at any dose, THC is less predictable. Higher dosages can cause paranoia, and patients sensitive to THC could experience no relaxation at all.
To find a good marijuana medication for insomnia, you may have to experiment with different formulas. Everyone has a unique body chemistry, so don’t despair if you don’t find the perfect medicine right away.
The right cannabinoid for your mood issues will depend on the type of mood problem you deal with. CBD relieves anxiety symptoms, while a combination of CBD and THC can improve depression.
Due to its calming properties, CBD alone can reduce anxiety. Some patients can use a small dose of THC for relaxation as well, but higher amounts of THC can actually cause anxiety.
A balance of CBD and THC lowers depression symptoms. THC provides an uplifted mood, while CBD mellows out the effect to prevent any THC-related anxiety.
Marijuana is nature’s painkiller — many cannabinoids, especially CBD and THC, effectively relieve pain. A combination of CBD and THC works best for pain, but each can work well on its own. Just about any kind of marijuana can greatly reduce pain, so you have all sorts of choices.
A professional in the medical marijuana industry can give you advice on medical marijuana and cannabinoids. Find a cannabis-certified doctor to recommend medicine, then talk with your local dispensary staff to find the right product for your symptoms.
