Medical Marijuana and Muscle Spasms
It can be pretty alarming when a part of your body moves without you telling it to. This is what muscle spasms do. Muscle spasms are sudden and involuntary movements in one or more muscles. Spasms go by several names, for example, cramps, twitches, or the infamous “charley horse.”
Muscle spasms can be just annoying but also quite painful. How might medical marijuana help muscle spasms? Chemicals within cannabis, such as CBD, fight muscle spasms.
What Causes Muscle Spasms?
Muscle spasms can happen all over the body, such as the hands, arms, legs, feet, abdomen, and muscles surrounding the rib cage. You’ll notice that these are muscles that are subject to frequent movement. Because of this, fatigue and overuse are some of the most common causes of muscle spasms. Lack of hydration and not warming up before exercise or strenuous activity is a surefire way to ensure a muscle spasm, too.
Muscle spasms may also be more frequent with certain health conditions such as nerve and thyroid disorders. People most at risk for muscle spasms include older adults, overweight people, athletes, and pregnant women. Athletes, in particular, have been exploring CBD to fight muscle spasms.
Symptoms of muscle spasms usually include sharp pains lasting a few seconds, as though the muscle is moving on its own or jumping out. Sometimes the twitching muscle may be observable. If muscle spasms are part of a neurological condition, there may be other symptoms.
How Medical Marijuana May Help Muscle Spasms
CBD muscle spasm treatment is quite effective. CBD, a cannabinoid, is a chemical found in marijuana. Another cannabinoid you may be familiar with is THC. These chemicals can be absorbed at many sites in the human body, even down to a cellular level through cannabinoid receptors. This system of receptors in the body is known as the endocannabinoid system. These receptors are known as CB1 and CB2.
Cannabinoids can have an influence on a number of processes, such as sleep, mood, appetite, and immune response. CB1 receptors, specifically, influence a spasm as spasms result from a signal from the central nervous system to a muscle. When the muscle spasms, the body’s natural endocannabinoids reduce the pain of the contractions. However, if the body cannot keep up, CBD may be able to help. Marijuana can be considered a muscle relaxer in this regard. CBD activates those CB1 receptors and can help alleviate the pain of a spasm.
How Ozark MMJ Cards Can Help
The pain of muscle spasms may be able to be reduced with medicinal marijuana. Muscle spasms are one of both Arkansas’ and Missouri’s qualifying conditions for a medical marijuana card, and they are frequently used for certification in Oklahoma as well.
If you want to give medicinal marijuana a try in improving your wellness, Ozark MMJ Cards is here to help by getting you certified for a medicinal marijuana card! Simply start by setting a certification appointment with us, or contact us today for more information.