“Clinicians might offer oral cannabis extract for spasticity symptoms and pain (excluding central neuropathic pain) (Level A). Clinicians might offer tetrahydrocannabinol for spasticity symptoms and pain (excluding central neuropathic pain) (Level B). Clinicians should counsel patients that these agents are probably ineffective for objective spasticity (short-term)/tremor (Level B) and possibly effective for spasticity and pain (long-term) (Level C). Clinicians might offer Sativex oromucosal cannabinoid spray (nabiximols) for spasticity symptoms, pain, and urinary frequency (Level B). Clinicians should counsel patients that these agents are probably ineffective for objective spasticity/urinary incontinence (Level B). Clinicians might choose not to offer these agents for tremor (Level C). Clinicians might counsel patients that magnetic therapy is probably effective for fatigue and probably ineffective for depression (Level B); fish oil is probably ineffective for relapses, disability, fatigue, MRI lesions, and quality of life (QOL) (Level B); ginkgo biloba is ineffective for cognition (Level A) and possibly effective for fatigue (Level C); reflexology is possibly effective for paresthesia (Level C); Cari Loder regimen is possibly ineffective for disability, symptoms, depression, and fatigue (Level C); and bee sting therapy is possibly ineffective for relapses, disability, fatigue, lesion burden/volume, and health-related QOL (Level C)…”
Category Archives: Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
Marijuana pills and sprays ease MS symptoms
“Multiple sclerosis is characterized by disrupted communication between the brain and the body, resulting in symptoms ranging from blurred vision to muscle weakness and pain. There is no cure for the condition, and therapies have proven difficult, as many have serious side effects.
But now, relief may come in the form of a medical marijuana pill.”
Marijuana Benefits MS Patients as Other Remedies Fail
“Marijuana, taken in pill or spray form, helps ease certain multiple sclerosis symptoms, while about a dozen other alternative remedies offer no benefit, according to a report by U.S. neurologists.”
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-03-24/marijuana-benefits-ms-patients-as-other-remedies-fail.html
AAN calls oral cannabinoids effective for MS pain, spasticity
“An expert panel organized by the American Academy of Neurology called oral cannabis extract the only complementary and alternative medicine unequivocally effective for helping patients with multiple sclerosis, specifically easing their pain and symptoms of spasticity, medicine possibly for as long as 1 year of treatment.”
Study: Marijuana only alternative therapy showing promise for MS patients
“Researchers said medical marijuana seems to be the only “alternative therapy” showing promise for helping those with multiple sclerosis.
Officials at Oregon Health and Science University said research shows therapies like massage and acupuncture aren’t as effective as medical marijuana.”
Neurologists Say Medical Marijuana Effective in Treating MS
“The American Academy of Neurology has become one of the first medical organizations in the U.S. to endorse the use of medical marijuana.
In new guidelines published in the journal Neurology, the Academy said oral cannabis, medical marijuana pills and medical marijuana spray may help ease symptoms of muscle spasticity and frequent urination caused by multiple sclerosis (MS).”
Smoked Cannabis Reduces Some Symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis
“Controlled trial shows improved spasticity, reduced pain after smoking medical marijuana
A clinical study of 30 adult patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine has shown that smoked cannabis may be an effective treatment for spasticity – a common and disabling symptom of this neurological disease.”
“Medical marijuana eases some MS symptoms, neurologists report” http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-treating-ms-with-cannabis-20140324,0,2596095.story
Medical Marijuana Pills May Ease Some MS Symptoms: Review
“Medical marijuana pills and sprays might ease the symptoms of multiple sclerosis, but most other alternative therapies do little to lessen the pain and muscle rigidity that often accompanies the disease, according to new guidelines.
To reach that conclusion, an expert panel from the American Academy of Neurology reviewed more than 40 years of research on alternative medicine treatments for multiple sclerosis (MS)…
The guidelines are published in the March 25 issue of the journal Neurology.”
“Marijuana May Ease Some Symptoms of MS, New Guidelines Find. Medical marijuana pills or an oral spray made from cannabis may help ease some of the painful spasms caused by multiple sclerosis that make day-to-day life hard for patients, according to new guidelines from the American Academy of Neurology.” http://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/marijuana-may-ease-some-symptoms-ms-new-guidelines-find-n60626
Nabiximols (THC/CBD Oromucosal Spray, Sativex®) in Clinical Practice – Results of a Multicenter, Non-Interventional Study (MOVE 2) in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis Spasticity.
“Nabiximols (Sativex®), a cannabinoid-based oromucosal spray, is an add-on therapy for patients with moderate to severe multiple sclerosis spasticity (MSS) resistant to other medications. The primary objective was to provide real-life observational data of clinical experience of nabiximols in contrast to formal clinical trials of effectiveness…
Conclusion: Real-life data confirm nabiximols as an effective and well-tolerated treatment option for resistant MSS in clinical practice.”
Cannabinoid system and neuroinflammation: implications for multiple sclerosis.
“There is a growing amount of evidence suggesting that cannabinoids may be neuroprotective in central nervous system inflammatory conditions.
Advances in the understanding of the physiology and pharmacology of the cannabinoid system have potentiated the interest in cannabinoids as potential therapeutic targets.
…The effects of cannabinoids on cytokine brain work and on the regulation of neuroinflammatory processes may affect chronic inflammatory demyelinating diseases such as multiple sclerosis.”