CBD and Multiple Sclerosis
First off, what is Multiple Sclerosis (MS)?
MS is an autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system (CNS) that is paired with inflammation, demyelination (deterioration of the myelin sheath that covers our nerves), gliosis (change to our glial cells, making them larger than they are supposed to be), and the loss of neurons (nerve cells that transmit messages that help us to walk, eat, talk, etc.), which interferes with messages being sent from the brain to the spinal cord (1).
MS affects 400,000 people in the US (2.5 million people worldwide) targeting women 3x as much as men (1). This disease attacks our CNS system and causes lesions (think of it as like scarring) on our nerves, causing them to not function correctly and interfering with nerve impulses that are being sent.
The neurological symptoms associated with MS vary, ranging from numbness, tingling, vision impairment, focal impairment (limb weakness, paralysis, loss of muscle control, etc.), bladder and bowel incontinence, all the way down to cognitive dysfunction (memory, visual/auditory processing, motor functioning, etc.) (1). This disease is also characterized by neuropathic pain, tremors, and spasticity, all of which CBD can offer help with (more on this shortly). The problem with this disease is that it is a gradually progressing disease, oftentimes causing disability within 10-15 years (1).
Due to the nature of this disease, CBD is an excellent choice for supplementation when discussing MS, check this out.
Being that this neurodegenerative disease affects our CNS, what better agent to use as a potential treatment option than cannabinoid therapy. The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is the most abundant receptor system in the mammalian CNS (mainly CB1, some CB2) and being the cannabinoids like CBD and THC offer antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties that protect our neurons, cannabinoid therapy is quickly gaining popularity for a treatment option for MS patients (2, 3).
Cannabinoids like CBD have shown to help with muscle spasticity (abnormal and prolonged muscle contraction) and pain, both which were shown to improve patients’ quality of life (3). Cannabinoid therapy was also shown to improve sleep quality, which is a must when discussing overall health. Without sleep, the body can’t heal, and repair worn out cells. Proper sleep routines are a must!
It is also important to note that this autoimmune disease damages our CNS, initiates the release of superoxide radicals, increasing damage caused by free radicals (1). I like to mention this because through the antioxidant properties of CBD, CBD can reduce free radical damage to our CNS and help reduce lesions inflicted on our nerves themselves through these anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties (2).
It is also important to note that this disease involves the immune system, hence it is an autoimmune disease. Cannabinoid therapy is quickly gaining popularity as an alternative option to help with autoimmune conditions because the ECS modulates or controls immune response. Our immune cells have CB2 receptors, for which we can use these receptors to control immune response through cannabinoids like CBD. You may have heard me say this before, but the ECS works like a 2-way swinging door when it comes to our immune system. The ECS is what controls homeostasis, therefore CBD can help raise an immune system when it is down, but it can also lower an overactive immune system, which is seen in autoimmune diseases (4). This means that we can use CBD to activate CB2 receptors on immune cells and lower the body’s immune response, so it isn’t attacking itself (4). What a huge win for MS patients and those dealing with an autoimmune condition.
When we look at this disease process and the damage that it causes on a cellular level, medical researchers stated that cannabinoid therapy has peaked their interests, for which it is currently being studied as an alternative to improving the symptoms associated with MS. From down regulating immune response, to protecting our neurons from inflammation and pain, what more could we ask for?
The best part? Cannabinoid therapy utilizes natural plant compounds that typically come without the long list of negative side effects associated with pharmaceutical use. What an enormous win for patients around the world! Finally, something safe and effective that we can use to improve our health. One amazing plant created by The Most High. Cheers to cannabinoid medicine and to future applications that we can use to improve the health of humanity.
Bee-Well,
Brandon Farless
*This information is for educational purposes only and simply sharing information regarding these published medical journals. No medical advice or claims are being made.
References
- Tafti D, Ehsan M, Xixis KL. Multiple Sclerosis. [Updated 2022 Sep 7]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK499849/
- Atalay, S., Jarocka-Karpowicz, I., & Skrzydlewska, E. (2019). Antioxidative and Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Cannabidiol. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland), 9(1), 21. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox9010021
- Haddad, F., Dokmak, G., & Karaman, R. (2022). The Efficacy of Cannabis on Multiple Sclerosis-Related Symptoms. Life (Basel, Switzerland), 12(5), 682. https://doi.org/10.3390/life12050682
- Pandey, R., Mousawy, K., Nagarkatti, M., & Nagarkatti, P. (2009). Endocannabinoids and immune regulation. Pharmacological research, 60(2), 85–92. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phrs.2009.03.019
