Christina DeBusk September 6, 2019
CBD for MS patients is building supporting research
Multiple sclerosis, or MS, is a disease in which a person’s immune system attacks healthy tissues within the central nervous system. This results in a disruption of signals between the brain and the rest of the body, typically causing the person to experience balance and coordination issues, vision problems, fatigue, and cognitive troubles related to memory and concentration.
In total, MS impacts almost one million adults in the United States alone according to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS), with 2.3 million people worldwide currently living with this particular diagnosis. Additionally, though MS does not yet have a cure, the NMSS stresses that research has found that the sooner it is treated, the better the prognosis for the individual with regards to long-term disability.
Oftentimes, this treatment involves taking medications and/or engaging in rehabilitation services to help patients learn to function at their highest level possible. But one treatment duo that may also offer promising effects is a combination of chiropractic and CBD.
Chiropractic for MS
Some studies have found that chiropractic can help ease the pain a patient may be experiencing due to the MS, thus providing relief from this particular symptom. Additional pieces of research expand on this further, stating that some pattients have found dramatic positive effects after their very first chiropractic visit.
MS and CBD
Research is also finding a positive connection with CBD for MS patients. CBD stands for cannabidiol, one of the many non-psychoactive cannabinoids found within the hemp plant that has been linked to numerous health benefits.
Harvard shares that these benefits appear to include reduction of epileptic seizures, lower levels of anxiety, improved sleep, and relief from chronic pain. Science suggests that it may help with MS as well.
As an example, in a 2018 study published in Frontiers in Neurology, the authors state that, while CBD and its impact on MS is still being investigated, individuals with MS who use CBD with a 1-to-1 ratio of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol, the psychoactive part of the marijuana plant) have reported both reduced muscle spasticity and reduced muscular pain.
Another study, this one in the journal the Neurobiology of Disease, explains that CBD can potentially help individuals diagnosed with MS due to its “potent anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive properties.”