CBD Oil For Ataxia

Ataxia is a very disturbing condition, which unfortunately has no cure. CBD has shown to have some anti-inflammation properties that help to deal with some symptoms of ataxia. So how can CBD help ataxia sufferers? Read on and find out.

What is CBD oil?

CBD oil is made by extracting CBD from the cannabis plant, then diluting it with a carrier oil like coconut or hemp seed oil. CBD stands for cannabidiol. It is the second most prevalent of the active ingredients of cannabis (marijuana). While CBD is an essential component of medical marijuana, it is derived directly from the hemp plant, which is a cousin of the marijuana plant.

While CBD is a component of marijuana, by itself it does not cause a “high” effect, because it is non psychoactive, as for example THC. Of course, there are some minor side effects of CBD, such as: drowsiness, feeling dizzy or lightheaded, drop in blood pressure, diarrhea, stomach pain, change in appetite and weight. You should also remember that CBD can interact with prescription medication, so I definitely recommend you to consult with your doctor before starting taking CBD. Also, please try to avoid eating grapefruit or consuming any other grapefruit products as they may also influence the work and efficiency of CBD and bring you some unwanted side effects.

What is ataxia? Can it be cured?

Ataxia is a lack of muscle control or coordination of voluntary movements, such as walking or picking up objects. A sign of an underlying condition, ataxia can affect various movements and create difficulties with speech, eye movement and swallowing. Treatment for ataxia depends on the cause. Adaptive devices, such as walkers or canes, might help you maintain your independence. Physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy and regular aerobic exercise also might help. Ataxia can develop over time or come on suddenly. A sign of a number of neurological disorders, ataxia can cause: poor coordination; unsteady walk and a tendency to stumble; difficulty with fine motor tasks, such as eating, writing/ buttoning a shirt; change in speech; involuntary back-and-forth eye movements (nystagmus) and difficulty swallowing.

The causes of this condition include: head trauma; damage to brain or spinal cord from a blow to the head, such as might occur in a car accident, can cause acute cerebellar ataxia, which comes on suddenly; Stroke: either a blockage or bleeding in the brain can cause ataxia; cerebral palsy, which a general term for a group of disorders caused by damage to a child’s brain during early development — before, during or shortly after birth — that affects the child’s ability to coordinate body movements. Other causes are also: autoimmune diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, sarcoidosis, celiac disease; infections, as ataxia can be an uncommon complication of chickenpox and other viral infections such as HIV or Lyme disease; paraneoplastic syndromes, but these are very rare. Also it is good to know that abnormalities in the brain and toxic reaction to some medications can also cause ataxia.

Unfortunately, ataxia has no cure. There is no treatment that will help to completely cure this condition. But there are medications that help to deal with the symptoms that aim of treatment of ataxia is to improve the quality of life though patient education and provision of aids and devices to maintain self sufficiency and independence for as long as possible.

Does CBD oil help with ataxia?

Studies show that cannabis contains valuable neuroprotective antioxidants. When taken with other vitamins, cannabis may effectively slow down the progression of Friedreich’s ataxia. Topical application or oral consumption of cannabis is widely used to help manage several muscle-related ailments. Patients with Friedreich’s ataxia may rely on cannabis to treat localized pain and loosen up tight muscles especially those in the spine. Cannabis is proven scientifically effective at treating pain caused by a variety of different factors. For patients struggling with pain caused by spinocerebellar ataxia, cannabis offers a safer way to manage pain without resorting to opioids. Neurological damage and diseases may be challenging to cure completely, but cannabis has been shown to have neuroprotective properties. It also reduces inflammation and helps regenerate brain cells, which may benefit patients of ataxia especially in slowing down the progression of the disease.

Inside CBD oil for movement disorders

Several epileptic disorders have been initially interpreted as possible movement disorders. This is the case of facio-brachial dystonic seizures that have been described in the movement disorders and epilepsy literature. Myoclonic abnormal movements could be initially diagnosed as movement disorders and the etiology may be epileptic in nature as well. In fact, antiepileptic medications are used for different movement disorders. Therefore, there is an overlap of manifestations of movement disorders and epilepsy conditions. The compounds CBD and THC have already been studied by scientists on animals and are currently under research in humans. Due to the lack of research on this topic, there is no strong evidence that support these new therapies as effective for adult patients with epilepsy. On the other hand, in the pediatric population, there is some evidence of improvement of the seizure frequency in patients with Dravet and Lennox Gastaut syndromes that took CBD.

The American Epilepsy Society is committed to supporting research in this field, and given the uncertainty of the available knowledge, it “urges all people touched by epilepsy to consult with an epilepsy specialist to explore the existing treatment options, so that they can make informed decisions with their specialist that weighs the risks and benefits of the different treatment options”. Currently there is a great interest in the professional community to explore these new possible treatments, and new CBD compounds are being studied. CBD may show better results than expected as it has been proven in pediatric patients, however you should keep in mind that CBD still needs to be more researched and there are more studies that have to be held in order to prove CBD’s efficiency and health benefits for human body. That’s why before starting taking CBD, you have to consult with your doctor to see if CBD does not influence your health condition in a bad way.

Is there any research around CBD and ataxia?

The research on this topic is quite limited. The study that was publishes in US National Library of Medicine stated that there is growing interest in the therapeutic potential of marijuana (cannabis) and cannabinoid-based chemicals within the medical community and particularly for neurologic conditions. This interest is driven both by changes in the legal status of cannabis in many areas and increasing research into the roles of endocannabinoids within the central nervous system and their potential as symptomatic and/or neuroprotective therapies. We review basic science, preclinical and clinical studies on the therapeutic potential of cannabinoids specifically as it relates to movement disorders.

Another study that was published in 2016 stated that CBD alone was also effective in improving motor deficits, potentially via an action on peroxisome and in this regard, CBD has recently been awarded orphan drug status for the severe childhood epilepsy Dravet syndrome, but it is still under trials.

CBD oil for ataxia: final verdict

In my opinion, CBD is a great dietary supplement that definitely has some health benefits. Ataxia is a very complex condition and you should not treat CBD as a cure for this or the main treatment. If you are new to CBD, you should definitely ask you doctor before starting taking CBD in order to avoid any worsening of your health condition. Moreover, if you already take other medications, it is known that CBD can interact with some medicine, so you should definitely consult with your doctor. Of course, in treating such complex condition, CBD can not be a solution, but it can definitely help with relieving some pain or inflammation, which will definitely help you to deal with ataxia much better and easier.

Now it’s your turn

If you used CBD for ataxia and noticed some improvements, please feel free to share your experience via comments! That will definitely be helpful for others. The internet is a great place to share your own experiences and knowledge. With this website we want to make a platform, where people can share their stories in order to help others from their thoughts and opinions. Here we want to create a free forum, where every opinion will be heard. If you feel like you have any relevant stories or experiences with CBD and how it helped you with fighting your cellulite, please feel free to share that and write a comment below. It will be very appreciated. Moreover, if you have any arising questions about CBD, please also comment them down below, so we can immediately answer and hopefully clear everything up for you!