September 8, 2018 | MUSCLE SPASMS
By, Lauraine Kanders, ANP, ACNP-BC
From foot cramps during the day to charley horses at night time, muscle spasms can impact almost anybody. While people often suffer from muscle spasms on a routine basis, the range of the pain and the frequency of the spasms can differ from case to case.
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and Multiple Sclerosis (MS) are two conditions that cause patients to endure all forms of uncomfortable spasms. The normal modus operandi for treating these multiple spasms, as part of these diseases, is to offer patient with prescriptive medication and homeopathic treatment. However, in numerous cases, especially in neurological diseases, the prescriptive drugs fail to alleviate the pain or reduce cramps for patients.
Due to the failure of previous treatment options to help in the recovery process, medical marijuana is becoming an increasingly popular option for treating muscle spasms. States where the use of MMJ is legal are benefiting from this alternative treatment method. The magic herb is also a good option to use for patients that were previously prescribed opioids for common muscle injuries and everyday spasms.
USE IN NEW YORK STATE
The Health Department for New York State has not fully legalized MMJ use within the jurisdictions. However, there are certain conditions that qualify for use. Muscle spasms that occur because of severe debilitating chronic pain do qualify as an associate condition for the use of MMJ in New York.
WHY MEDICAL MARIJUANA WORKS FOR MUSCLE SPASMS
The general response from the public towards medical marijuana is one reason why it is used across many states in the U.S. Different states have different regulations pertaining to MMJ. While states like Massachusetts allow medical cannabis for muscle cramps, as recommended by one’s doctor, others provide access to the herb if the cramps are caused by another underlying condition. New York State, as mentioned above, has also marked muscle spasms as an associate condition for MMJ use.
Marijuana is known to help ameliorate muscle spasms by reducing inflammation within your body. For those who aren’t aware of it, inflammation is the number one reason behind muscle spasms inside your body.
When you use medical marijuana for muscle spasms, cannabinoid receptors present within your ECS bind with CBD and TCH, which are cannabinoids found inside MMJ. By binding to these receptors, CBD and THC help initiate an anti-inflammatory response, which helps prevent muscle spasms after an injury.
Numerous studies on the effectiveness of MMJ for muscle spasms are centered on its use for helping alleviate pain from spasms caused by another underlying chronic condition, including MS or ALS. As more states start regulating MMJ use for muscle spasms, more and more pharmaceutical companies would start research on how and why MMJ can affect chronic muscle spasms, unrelated to diseases like muscle injury, MS or ALS.
HOW TO USE IN NY
You can get in touch with Lauraine Kanders, ANP, ACNP-BC at MedicalMarijuanaRecsNY for getting your certificate to use medical marijuana in New York State. Same day certifications are possible.
