5 Studies that show Cannabis can treat Spinal Cord Injuries
Spinal cord injuries can result in some of the most damaging and unbearable side effects possible. Injuries in this area of the body often result in a change, either temporary or permanent to normal motor or sensory function.
A fragile, spaghetti-like plethora of nerves surround the spinal cord, all of which are vital to the human body functioning regularly. When these nerves are compromised, pain, spasticity, depression and many other side effects often occur, leaving the victim in constant need for medical treatment.
Recent studies have indicated that perhaps the most effective treatment for Spinal Cord Injuries and its related side effects is medical marijuana.
1. In a 2010 study, the Department of Medicine at the University of Manitoba, Canada recruited 12 volunteers with spinal injuries to test whether Nabilone, a synthetic cannabinoid alleviated their spasticity. The results concluded that 11 of the 12 subjects showed significant decrease in activity from affected muscle groups.
2. The Switzerland Centre for Spinal Cord Injury conducted a study in 2007 involving 25 patients with spinal cord related injuries. Each subject was given oral THC in the form of oil. By the end of the study a major overall decrease in the spasticity sum score (SSS) was noted through this method of treatment, leading the centre to conclude that THC is an effective and safe drug in the treatment of spasticty.
3. In 1995 the Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, conducted a test on five quadriplegic patients using Dronabinol as treatment. At the conclusion of the test, Spasticity was markedly improved in two of the five patients, while two showed slight improvements and one showed no improvement. In all five subjects however, decreased vigour in erratic mood states was noted.
4. A 1982 study conducted by J. Malec and RF Harvey compiled 43 questionnaires from cannabis users who suffered from severe spinal cord injuries. The results showed that all 43 participants reported decreased spasticity with cannabis use.
5. In 2001, the Switzerland Centre for Spinal Cord Injury conducted a study on SCI sufferers who all experienced overactive bladder as a major side effect. 15 patients were given THC orally or rectally over a period of 6 weeks. At the end of the study, the oral group did not demonstrate much of a reduction in bladder activity. However, the rectal group showed significant decreases in bladder activity, with 5 of the 6 measuring “tools” indicating improvement in all rectally treated patients.
Too bad marijuana’s “fanbase” is nothing but milennial morons that watch too much Cheech and Chong, and Scary Movie sequels. Or else I’d you people more seriously.
Dear Andrew
I am a complete T6 paraplegic and I have two legally prescribable drugs on the NHS right now to help me control spasm.
One is Baclofen, this drug you have to take continuously for it to be effective. I have tried this but it left me disoriented and tired, and I was unable to work or drive, so had a high impact on quality of life.
The other is Diazepam ( Valium), while this does have the advantage of not needing to be taken continuously, and one dosage did effectively treat the symptoms of spasm for 12 hours, it left me dizzy, confused, hungry, unable to leave the house, unable to get in and out of my wheelchair and definitely unable to drive. The reason why I asked my doctor for help to control my spasms was to be able to write my dissertation. Let’s just say, that what I wrote was fairly incoherent, I also managed to go online to Amazon.com and order £200 worth of books (as my credit card details were in the system) that I could not return effectively as they had been ordered from the States. This story is pretty funny, especially as I was rescued by my fiancée who found me spinning around in my wheelchair to make myself giggle but it does underline the point that the current drugs available on the NHS do not equate to good quality of life, or useful interaction within society.
I have taken the third option of using exercise to control my spasms, this takes over a hour a day, which is fine but I cannot exercise at night. So to get a good nights sleep I can take Baclofen, give up work and pay for someone to do any driving that I need or I can take Diazepam, find myself very amusing, make sure that my laptop is put away but be unable to get up and care for my toddler if he needs it and loose the morning of the next day or I can take my current option of not sleeping well with exhaustion and poor mood and all that brings to family life.
Option three is the best of a poor list, and leaves me able to pay bills, shop, and care for my child but as I have grown older, it is clear it is not sustainable as it leaves me open to increased rates of infection and illness. Exercise is good; but being blunt; I will not be able to handcycle for a hour a day at fifty, let alone drive all over the country to play basketball.
Where cannabis is being used in the states it has been very interesting to read how well it works to control spasms and pain. It has also been interesting to read how different varieties are used at different times of day to be able to get the most out being able to function well in a wheelchair. Currently Sativex is available on the NHS to MS patients who report good results, but it is extremely expensive and as I have stated there are cheaper options available that do control spasms but they do not nessarily equate to a good quality of life. It has been trialed on spinal cord injured patients such as myself with a good result but it is extremely expensive at £560 per patient per month so even if it was scheduled for use by paraplegics the PCTs could not afford it. I have read the online cost effectiveness of allowing patients to grow their own in the states and the personal reports of allowing people to choose the varieties they grow based on personal preference and effectiveness and to be frank I am jealous. I have no desire to do something that is illegal and grow cannabis or to buy cannabis from people who’s driving force is not my medical benefit. But I am left wondering what the future holds where the treatment currently available on the NHS has worse side effects than are listed for cannabis use.
I want to work, I want to pay tax, I want to not rely on other people for basic daily tasks, I want to sleep and I want parliament to discuss the issue of drugs policy reform. The issue needs to be looked at from all angles on the facts and impacts and how it affects people today.
I have attached for your information a list of more medical trials of cannabis on paraplegic patients with positive outcomes for spasms. I have also attached the NHS list of side effects for the two prescribable options that as I am sure you will see are debilitating in their own right.
http://thecompassionchronicles…
Side effects of the drugs currently on offer for spasm
http://www.nhs.uk/medicine-gui…
http://www.nhs.uk/medicine-gui…
I will not insult you by attaching a list of the risks of cannabis but be assured I am fully aware of them. I have no history of mental illness and there is no history of it within my family, I am aware of the need to have a 1 to 1 balance of THC to CBD to place myself in the lowest risk ratio, I do not drink, I do not take drugs apart from the prescribed glycerol suppositories and antibiotics that are the norm for paraplegics. I have no interest in getting “stoned”, I just want a good quality of life. I hope that you can take the time to read all of the information that I have provided and appreciate that all I am looking for is a way of living within the law but out of pain without losing what it means to be me.
Kind regards
Mo
Hi Mo,
Would you kindly start a Treatment Diary on this site. Your story is fascinating and by loggin your treatment using our treatment diary, you will be helping many people understand how marijuana can help in palliative care.
Many Thanks.
Hi, Mo !!! God bless u, my english its not perfect but i Will try my best. I’m proud of you, i think Your story has to be told, people needs to know what cannabis can really help in so many chronic and painful conditions how this effective treatment makes Life better.
It’s ok that you don’t take us seriously Andrew as anyone with an IQ over 85 don’t take clowns like you seriously either. Adults are talking about medicine here so why don’t you remove yourself from a complex topic like this and treat yourself to Bill O’Reilly re-runs.
You got owned by MO…..haha
Andrew, you really do not know what you are talking about, maybe because of the fact that you have never been in severe pain before.
Dear Matthew
I would love it help, but I do not consum cannabis as it is against the law. I have a young child and would do nothing that might endanger that relationship. I really do hand cycle for an hour a day although I have had a rough couple of weeks where I got a chest infection, which kicked off a uti and then rounded off with a staff infection. So too ill to excersise and too spasamy to sleep. I am up currently as every time I try to get into bed my legs shake so much I nearly fall on the floor. My husband has work tomorrow so I really can’t keep both of us awake by twiching all night long.
I’ll probably try for a lie down on the sofa, at least if I fall off it, its not as far from the floor as the bed. Lol
Cheers Mo
MO: There are other plants that will decrease the muscle spasms that do not have the side effect of Valium, also Valium has a half life of a month so you fell depressed because it causes chemical imbalance. The exercise is on of the best methods for control, and herbal medicine for the pain, meditation can be just as powerful as any chemical once mastered. Also look into CBD derived from hemp, non psycho active cannibinoids, and other legal state approved ones like sativex.
Mo, excellent response. My son refused to take baclofen and hasn’t tried the valium stuff…as someone who never, even once used weed before his injury he now uses it for spasms, appetite stimulation (getting less effective) and sleep aid…he,too, only uses the suppositories (he is also T6 complete) and the anti-b’s when necessary but is considering going back on neurontin as his pain is getting less and less tolerable. In California you can have a medical marijuana card (as you might imagine, the abuse is rampant) so i guess he is legit (the rules seem to change regularly) and he has no kiddies so it is a solution of sorts for him. What I am much more excited about is he is going to enter a study in July that uses epidural stimulation in conjunction with serious PT that, in theory, will seriously impact the autonomic system…if it improves his bowel/bladder function, as predicted, he will be over the moon (not to mention sexual function…he is now 24)…stay tuned…btw…not too sure millennials are terribly aware of Cheech & Chong. I might add, i have seen plenty of 50+ SCI’s hand-cycling and more…so don’t write that off!
the only known natural cure is CBD.oil with THC we have cured ostio arthritis with this oil . thankyou stan
I’m new here even in the quad class but I’m surviving I’m on medications some of them you mentioned Mo I need advises in lot of thing like sexual life day to day thing work family life as general I’m 30 year’s of age in RSA I’m a c6/c7 dislocation.