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My partner is in the early stages of Parkinson's, with mild tremors and stiffness, but most days they’re good, at least right now. We’re considering different avenues and treatment, and were wondering about the usefulness of cannabis.
Parkinson’s disease is a serious diagnosis. Good for you for facing up to it and seeing what kinds of treatments are available.
The first thing you should do, if you haven’t already, is go see your doctor, and follow their advice for how to deal with the condition. Sounds like you’ve already done the research, which is great because your partner can play an active role in their treatment decisions, and you can be their advocate and support, as needed.
Others researching the condition should start with mainstream medical sites that have recognized authority. So, for example, if you put “Parkinson’s disease” into Google the first organic research result is the Mayo Clinic, which is one of the most respected hospitals as far as patient care and cutting-edge research.
They give a great definition of the progressive nervous disorder, and then go through the symptoms, causes, diagnoses and treatments. You’ll learn that while Parkinson’s can’t be cured right now, you may be able to control the symptoms of the disease, in some cases significantly,. You can learn about the conventional medications and in some case surgeries for dealing with the condition.
After this, you may want to do some research on alternative therapies, including medical marijuana. This is where HelloMD comes in. We have a deep well of resources that include many articles on the subject and advice from medical professionals thoroughly versed in the ins and outs of medical marijuana used for a variety of conditions.
Simply drop “Parkinson’s disease” into our site’s search box and you’ll get a list of articles we’ve done on the topic. A good one to start with is “Marijuana for the Management of Parkinson's Disease.”
If many of the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease are due to a loss of neurons that produce a chemical messenger in your brain called dopamine, then medical cannabis may play a role in management of the disease. The endocannabinoid system is strongly related to the release of dopamine in the body, and the cannabinoids in cannabis can help in achieving better control of Parkinson's symptoms because cannabinoids work as neuro-protective agents that guard against the destruction of neurons.
Or if you want to learn about the role that CBD specifically might play in managing symptoms, check out this article.
If you want to learn more, and live in a state that HelloMD serves, you might want to start the process of getting your medical marijuana card, so you can legally buy medical cannabis products. During our fast and easy sign-up process, you’ll be able to speak to one of our knowledgeable medical practitioners, who will answer any questions you may have about Parkinson’s disease and possibly using marijuana to help with its symptoms.
While you could, and should, talk to your family doctor about this, keep in mind that medical marijuana is a new and expanding field, and not all medical professionals are up to date with the latest research and practices.
Nurse Patty
There are a lot of possible products that may help. It’s a good idea to do your own research and experiment. A good place to start looking is our article by Danielle Lim, “5 Marijuana Products to Ease Symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease”.”
One of the suggested products is Mary’s Medicinals Transdermal Patch, which release small amounts of medication into the bloodstream over a long period of time, delivering systematic rather than localized pain relief. It has a hand-selected cannabinoid-and-terpene ratio that can deliver eight to 12 hours of relief.
Or there’s the Care By Design Sublingual Drops and Sprays. With different consumption options and a good selection of CBD-to-THC ratios, these products are a good choice for cannabis newbies, who can experiment with different tinctures, sprays and ratios to see what suits their needs.
Happy Helper