If you suffer from any of the following conditions, you could benefit from the use of medical marijuana:
Muscle Spasms
Using marijuana as treatment for muscle spams has demonstrated significant success. Muscle spams (or muscular spasticity) is a common condition which affects millions of people in the United States. Muscle Spams are common in people with sclerosis, stroke, cerebral palsy, quadriplegia, spinal cord injuries, and various other conditions. There is a very limited number of treatments for muscle spams available to patients, the most common being Phenobarbital and Diazepam (Valium). Patients generally develop a tolerance to these drugs rather quickly making them ineffective for treatment. Patients also often complain of becoming addicted to these drugs.
The amount of evidence for the effectiveness of marijuana use for the treatment of muscle spams is overwhelming. Our patients generally find the results to be immediate and long lasting. We have also noticed a psychological benefit to our patients knowing they can get greater benefit and relief from a natural remedy like marijuana then strong and addicting pharmaceuticals like Valium.
Below are some of the evidence and research done on the effects of marijuana on muscular spasticity:
- Dr. J. Russell Renolds noted "There are many cases of so called epilepsy in adults but which, in my opinion (are) the result of organic disease of a gross character in the nervous centers, in which India hemp (cannabis) is the most useful agent with which I am acquainted."
- Dr. William B. O'Shaughnessy said that he was greatly impressed with marijuana's ability as a muscle relaxant and anti-convulsant, further stating "The (medical) profession has gained an anti-convulsive remedy of the greatest value."
- Dunn and Davis reported in a 1974 issue of Paraplegia magazine that ten patients admitted using marijuana for spinal cord injury, "with perceived decrease in pain and spasticity."
In September 1988 Chief Administrative Law Judge Francis Young of the DEA concluded that the medical benefits of marijuana on the treatment of spasticity is "beyond question" and he recommended rescheduling the drug to allow prescriptive access. Unfortunately the recommendation was rejected by the administrator of the DEA. Thankfully in 2000 the voters of Colorado expressed their understanding of the marijuana's value and passed Amendment 20 allowing the use of marijuana for treatment of muscle spams among numerous other conditions.
Caregivers of Colorado offers the highest quality medical grade marijuana for treatment of muscle spams.
