Today we want to talk a little bit about medical marijuana uses and when medical cannabis can help patients to find some relief from their chronic symptoms.
Medical Marijuana Uses: When Can Medical Cannabis Help?
There are many conditions that medical marijuana can alleviate, but many people who are interested in receiving medical cannabis treatment, aren’t aware of the different conditions that it can help to relieve. That’s why today we want to talk a little bit about what medical cannabis can be used for and how it can help symptoms.
Alzheimer’s disease
Alzheimer’s disease is a disease plagued by a plethora of complicated and uncomfortable symptoms, but medical marijuana has proven beneficial to many patients. In fact, studies have shown that cannabis can not only relieve the anxiety that many Alzheimer’s patients experience, but it can help to develop new connections between brain cells – particularly those in the memory center of the brain. This development of new connections has shown to greatly improve recollection and overall function.
Cancer
There is a wide-ranging series of cancers, but many are accompanied by similar side effects – nausea, loss of appetite, and pain. Medical cannabis has proven beneficial to all of these symptoms when administered and monitored properly. Cannabis relieves nausea by binding with cannabinoid receptors in the body and interrupting the signals that are being sent to the brain telling us that we feel nauseous. Cannabis is also helpful in stimulating appetite because it binds with specific cannabinoid receptors in the body and as a result it stimulates appetite. Lastly, marijuana has shown to relieve pain in much the same way that they affect the other symptoms noted above – it binds to receptors in the body and consequently interrupts the pain signal going to the brain so that pain is relieved.
Epilepsy
Medical marijuana use for epilepsy is still under research but there are many individual cases where patients with epilepsy have found seizure relief through cannabis. Just as cannabinoids can interfere with pain signals going to the brain, researchers believe that epilepsy sufferers find relief because of how the cannabinoids affect cell to cell communication within the brain.
Glaucoma
One of the causes of glaucoma and one of the most uncomfortable symptoms associated with glaucoma is related to the great amount of pressure in the eye. As this pressure builds up, pain ensues and sight is impacted. As glaucoma slowly progresses it can lead to vision loss. Medical marijuana has not only been proven to relieve pain, but it has also been shown to reduce intraocular pressure for between three to four hours at a time resulting in relief!.
Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disorder that is characterized by a variety of symptoms that can affect the entire body. Among these symptoms are muscle spasticity, pain, and insomnia. Cannabis can help to ease muscle spasticity through topical application by numbing the affected area and easing the muscle out of spasm. Cannabis can also aid in insomnia because many strains have the effect of inducing sleepiness.
Chronic Pain
We have already talked a little bit about how pain can be relieved in cancer patients through the use of medical cannabis. The same mechanism of action is behind the relief that other chronic pain sufferers feel when using these products.
Chron’s Disease
Patients with Chron’s disease who have been prescribed medical marijuana often contribute their relief to a reduction in inflammation. Although we do know that cannabinoids are an effective anti-inflammatory, we are just now learning that the relief that Chron’s patients find in marijuana is more likely involved with the interaction between cannabis and the endocannabinoid receptors in the body resulting in the relief of many symptoms (particularly those mentioned above).
Have More Questions About Medical Marijuana Uses?
If you have questions about medical marijuana use and whether it would be the right treatment option for you, The Medical Marijuana Doctor can help. Begin by making your medical marijuana appointment online using our simple booking tool!