A brief summary of the condition, it’s causes,
common symptoms and treatment pathways
and how Medical Cannabis could help.
A brief summary of the condition, it’s causes,
common symptoms, treatment plans
and how Medical Cannabis can help.
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a condition that affects the brain and the spinal cord. It is an autoimmune disease (where the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy body cells).
In Multiple Sclerosis, the coating that protects your nerves (myelin) is damaged, which can cause a variety of symptoms such as pain, vision problems, fatigue, muscle weakness, pins and needles. Symptoms may come (‘relapses’ / ‘flare-ups’) and go (‘remissions’) and may get worse over time.
An estimated 2.9 million people in the world have Multiple Sclerosis. In the UK, there are more than 150,000 people living with Multiple Sclerosis. Multiple Sclerosis is more common in women than men.
Multiple Sclerosis happens when your immune system mistakenly attacks your brain and nerves. It is not known what causes this, but research has shown that you might be more likely to get Multiple Sclerosis if:
There are different types of treatment for Multiple Sclerosis, ranging from diet and lifestyle changes to physiotherapy and activities to help your memory / cognitive function.
Medical treatments include oral steroids to reduce swelling, muscle relaxants to help relieve cramps, disease-modifying therapies to try to reduce the frequency and severity of relapses.
Medical cannabis, specifically the main cannabinoids, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), can help alleviate several symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis.
A 2018 review of multiple randomised controlled trials showed that medical cannabis can help reduce muscle spasticity, reduce pain, and aid sleep.
Muscle spasticity is helped due to the cannabinoids interacting with the endocannabinoid system, particularly CB1 receptors. These are concentrated in areas of the brain and spinal cord that control muscle movements. By binding to these receptors, THC and CBD can alter the signals that lead to muscle contraction and spasms.
Pain and sleep disturbance are common symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis. THC has both analgesic and sedative effects. THC helps with neuropathic (nerve) pain, which is a characteristic feature of damaged nerves in Multiple Sclerosis. CBD helps settle anxiety, thereby helping with sleep disorders linked with anxiety and stress.
Medical cannabis can also help with bladder dysfunction, for example urinary urgency or incontinence. Evidence suggests that the THC cannabinoid may reduce bladder over-activity and help patients better manage these symptoms.
As with other chronic illnesses, Multiple Sclerosis patients frequently suffer from anxiety and depression due to the impact of the disease on daily life. Medical cannabis, particularly CBD interacts with serotonin receptors in the brain, which can help stabilise mood and balance the emotional toll of such a progressive illness.
Suffering from a medical condition can be awful, the last thing you want to do is wait months for treatment.
Making sure you are seen and treated as soon as possible is one of our top priorities.
Start your journey to a better quality of life with CB1 Medical today.
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4.8 overall rating on Google
May 2024
Where do I start?! I have to admit I was very nervous, considering I have tried numerous treatments for my fibromyalgia and EDS and had a medical prescription 3 pages long and really complex medical issues. I was in an awfully high level of pain, even with all that.
Every single staff member from reception, nurses, pharmacy and my lovely Dr Vanessa Hutchinson have been consistently friendly, professional, helpful and incredibly fast in progressing me from initial online enquiry to receiving my prescription (just under 2 weeks and we had the Easter 4 day break in-between!).
In this very short time, my pain levels have reduced significantly (as have my other medications!). I cannot recommend this clinic enough. Thanks CB1 MEDICAL 🙂
March 2024
Staff really nice, and keep in touch to monitor my progress and any questions I may have. I feel very comfortable talking about my situation as no judgement or negative feedback. I feel like my life, health and symptoms are being taken seriously but with care.
Follow up appointment over the telephone was relaxed, no rushing, he answered all the questions about my medication and progress without prejudice, sarcasm and was so easy and a breath of fresh air. I can say that if you are thinking of treatment and support like nowhere else then you will be in very caring and professional hands that really do make you feel that you are important and heard with respect and understanding. 5 stars are not enough.
October 2024
My life has been transformed since starting medical cannabis with CB1 Medical.
Dr Richard Pertwee was friendly and so knowledgeable. The relief I’ve experienced has been nothing short of miraculous. The quality of life I now have is something I never thought possible, started to smell the roses eg I’m incredibly grateful to you all.
Highly recommend it to anyone who is struggling or has ineffective medication.
April 2024
I know when you pay for an appointment, you expect a different service, but honestly, this is beyond what I expected. The appointments were scheduled quickly, and happened within days, mostly late evenings to fit around my work. The doctors listen and I didn’t feel like I was being judged as just a junkie after pain meds. That’s how I feel in an NHS appointment.
The meds were delivered quickly and I got to using them right away. In the last 11 days, I’ve used painkillers once, and only paracetamol. This is down from multiple painkillers multiple times every single day. And I sleep so much better as well.
