Muscle spasm is pretty harmless – yet painful – and passes quickly. However, they may be a severe problem and have a much more effect on other people.
Muscle spasms are a significant challenge for these people, not only because of the discomfort they inflict, but they make the affected muscle nonfunctional before the spasm passes.
As an alternative to prescription medication, CBD shows a great deal of promise.
CBD eases the effects of muscular spasms to enhance everyday function. It is non-toxic, healthy, and can act as an efficient pain reliever. Read on to find out more about CBD for muscle spasms.
What Is a Muscle Cramp?
At least after a long time, everyone will feel muscle spasms. Nonetheless, they require medical attention if muscle spasms are chronic and devastating.
Such cramps lead to intense discomfort and stress in muscles that interfere with daily life. Seniors, overweight individuals, and athletes have a higher risk of having muscle spasms.
Chronic muscle spasms arise due to disorders in neurology. Conditions such as multiple sclerosis and lateral amyotrophic sclerosis disrupt the coordination between your brain and specific muscles. The muscles are then continually under pressure, causing spasms.
Some patients have muscle spasms due to the medications they take. Asthma, blood pressure, cholesterol, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s drugs may trigger muscle spasms. CBD eases pain and inflammation so that you feel better.
What Causes Muscle Spasms?
There are numerous causes of muscle spasm, which depend on both the body’s part and the environment. A variety of triggers for muscle spasms are as follows:
Dehydration: The muscles require oxygen, potassium, magnesium, glucose, calcium and sodium to function properly. An irregular intake can cause muscle spasm.
Muscle overuse: The principal cause for muscle spasm is the form we will experience at some stage of our lives. It can be brought on by exercise or even by a routine, like mowing the lawn.
Night leg cramps / Restless Leg Syndrome: Such leg spasms typically occur at night, causing sleep disruption. This form is more popular with age.
Chronic pain: if chronic pain exists in a broad muscle group such as back or neck, neck spasms, and back spasms can occur. It can be caused by an injury or by arthritic spinal changes.
Underlying conditions: Diabetes, obesity, kidney failure, and many others.
Nervous System disorders: Certain disorders of the nervous system may cause muscle spasms, including multiple sclerosis and spinal cord injuries.
Muscle Spasm Treatment
The secret to dealing with muscle spasms is prevention. There are some measures to make sure that you stay free of spasm.
One should stay hydrated and ensure that muscles are prepared for an exercise during a warm-up. These habits are not only relevant to people interested in training, but also heavy labor, including lawn mowing.
When spasms occur in a large muscle, such as the calf, you can initially treat them by massaging the affected muscle or stretching it out.
For example, place your weight on the right leg and twist your knee slightly. If you can’t stand, sit with your leg extended, on a chair or the floor. Attempt to lift the top of your foot straight to your ear – this is a big stretch.
Heat or cold is perfect home therapy. Use a warm towel or heating pad on rigid or stressed muscles. It may also be beneficial to take a warm bath or add a stream of warm water to the tight muscle. Alternatively, you should rub the compressed tissue with ice to alleviate pain.
Beyond this, treatment would focus on treating the underlying cause of the spasms. Anti-inflammatory and muscular relaxants can relieve pain on strained muscles.
Apart from taking complex vitamin B supplements, alternative drugs can help to prevent spasms. Thankfully, CBD oil is also an alternative treatment for muscle spasms.
CBD Oil for Muscle Spasms
The safest muscle relaxants for human use are widely believed to be CBD oil. CBD’s unique chemical properties make it one of the most effective solutions to various muscle conditions.
CBD has the same benefits as other relaxing muscles. It alleviates tension and decreases pain in the area.
CBD interacts with the endocannabinoid (ECS) system of the body that is responsible for homeostasis. When CBD reaches the bloodstream, it influences how our nervous systems and immune systems work. CBD can help reduce your feelings of pain and decrease muscle inflammation
Inflammation is a way of protecting the body from any perceived threat by the immune system. Spasms are mostly an inflammatory reaction. The inflamed muscle is irritated and angry, and that spasm to make you know there’s a problem.
Researchers have described CBD as interacting with CB2 receptors – part of the ECS – and playing a pivotal role in regulating inflammation. You can reduce inflammation by increasing the CBD intake and thus help relieve spasms.
CBD can also help with spasms through the reduction of pain. The CB1 receptor also interacts with the ECS. Here CBD increases the quantity of an anandamide endocannabinoid that can reduce the sensation. It could help reduce your pain further if you use a topical, like CBD Muscle Balm, directly to the affected muscle.
One of the most significant reasons for using CBD for muscle spasms is that it can help alleviate symptoms from sudden cramps to convulsions.
Is There Evidence That CBD Works for Muscle Cramps?
Recent clinical findings have shown that the use of oral cannabis extracts has benefited patients affected by multiple sclerosis. Patients were seen with double the placebo rate of improved muscle cramps. In a 500-subject study, more than one month of cannabis therapy resulted in a 20 percent improvement in muscle spasticity.
The Journal of Psychopharmacology published a study in 2014 where participants ingested 300 mg of cannabidiol (CBD) every day. There was an improvement in the quality of life and health for those involved in the research.
That’s important because CBD is a non-psychoactive drug, so those struggling with muscle spasms and don’t want to feel high will get relief without risking the feeling. Cannabis may have the desired effect when smoked, ingested as an enriched food, or applied topically.
Tips When Using CBD for Muscle Spasms
1. Consult Your Doctor
if you want to try cannabis for pain relief, talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of using it as a pain treatment. It is better to tell your doctor of your inexperience if you’re new to cannabis for muscle spasms.
Your doctor will give you the right dose, which is ideal for your ideal condition and the whole load, which is suitable for your type of pain. A doctor may recommend a high exposure to CBD or recommend strains that are not too strong for beginners.
If you are taking painkillers, you should not stop taking the prescribed medication. Only your doctor will let you know if you need to change your current medication and tell you the right dose.
2. Moderate Use
Always remember that not all cannabis strains contain the same cannabinoid compounds and therefore vary in intensity and effect on pain.
Be very careful with the dosage. If you use a strain and are newly aware of its effects, divide it in half before taking the full dose to avoid side effects. Remember to take only moderate amounts before taking higher dosages.
3. Treat Underlying Conditions First
Some muscle pains and other forms of pain results from a medical disorder of a specific nature. Muscle pain or back pain, for example, may be due to a slipped disk or spinal alignment issue. Before proceeding with cannabis for muscle pain, you must consider dealing with these problems first.
Speak to the doctor about this as much as possible when you start taking cannabis for pain. Remember that if you ignore the real cause of your pain, you can only aggravate the problem.
4. Choose the Right Strain for You
You would be surprised to know about the different varieties when you visit a cannabis dispensary. The cannabis strains for pain are too many.
There will be a strain on your condition. Your doctor would typically prescribe the correct medical strain and dosage if you have been treated for muscle pain.
Conclusion
Thousands of people have switched from prescription to CBD oil for muscle spasms. Bear in mind that while some strains effectively relieve pain in some people, this may not always be the case.
Some will give you the best variety to help you with pain, and others may not. If you are thinking of using it for your condition, do your research and be sure to use a high-quality product.