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People experience muscle spasms or sore muscles for a variety of reasons—from having conditions like muscular dystrophy to completing an intense session at the gym. Luckily, cannabis can help. Studies show that the tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in marijuana improves the communication between muscles and nerves, and reduces inflammation, which helps relieve spasms and sore muscles.
We’ve gathered our three most popular Q&As about how marijuana can help alleviate muscle spasms, aches and pains. The advice comes from professionals in the cannabis industry as well as experienced consumers, who shared their knowledge in our Answers section. We hope you find this information helpful and practical.
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Q: pain from muscle spasms
I have dystonia which causes muscles spasms and pain in the upper trapezius muscles when I'm active. The pain subsides when I'm sleeping or resting. I've tried the Cheeba Chews with 50 mg CBD and 2 mg THC divided in halves. I’ve also tried the 18:1 high CBD spray from Care by Design—neither seem to help. I don't need to take anything at night, but how often should they be taken during the day? Should I try a different product?
Answer: @andrewvanmd I would recommend massaging a high THC topical ointment/cream directly onto the dystonic muscles every few hours. I would also try increasing the THC in your edible and sublingual cannabis preparations. Also, when you take the sublingual spray make sure you are doing the following.... 1) Before applying the spray, remove excess saliva from your mouth. 2) Allow the preparation to remain under your tongue for as long as possible, in order to achieve sublingual/oral absorption.
RELATED: EASING MUSCLE SPASMS WITH MEDICAL MARIJUANA
Q: Does the Alta California Spasm Relief Tincture really help with muscle spasms? If so, how much do I take?
Answer: @melissa I am not a doctor but I have tried this product. It has helped me with muscle spasms effectively after a tough workout. I started with a half a dropper and then went to a full dropper. When you try a product always look at the dosage and start “low and slow” as the saying goes. Perhaps start with slightly less than the suggested amount, wait 20 minutes and then try a bit more. Hope this helps.
Q: Will Sweet Releaf help muscle soreness?
I work out a lot and my muscles get very sore. Will this help to receive some of the soreness?
Answer: @didi Yes, you can get a lot of relief from sore muscles using the original formula of Sweet Releaf which addresses soreness and discomfort of muscles and tendons at the mild to moderate level. For a typical workout, a moderate level of soreness would be expected afterwards and topicals are perfect in such cases because you just apply them directly to the spots that hurt and wait a few minutes for the area to relax, loosen up and pain to resolve.
For added effectiveness, use Sweet ReLeaf after a shower or bath when your skin's pores are open. We've heard from patients that applying it when pores are open helps the medicine penetrate quicker so relief is felt sooner and sometimes more deeply.
Photo credit: Austin Neill
If you’re new to cannabis and want to learn more, take a look at our Cannabis 101 post. HelloMD can help you get your medical marijuana recommendation; it's easy, private and 100% online.
