Which CBD Oil is best for Parkinson’s Disease?
Cannabidiol is an organically occurring cannabinoid found in the Cannabis Sativa or hemp plant. The plant Cannabis has over a hundred cannabinoids identified by researchers, however, only a few have been rigorously studied and researched.
CBD or Cannabidiol is at the forefront right now, contributing to the growing CBD/Hemp global industry worldwide, with leading sales especially in the US.
While research is still underway on the therapeutic benefits of this wonderful compound, people still remain skeptical of the legality of CBD. A lot of rumors circulate the air, many misconceptions are voiced and shared but we’re here to clear the air and bust all the myths surround the compound.
The first and the biggest one being, CBD, like weed marijuana, and hash, will get you high.
The truth?
CBD will not get you high. It isn’t chemically possible for it to do.
Yes! You heard us.
Unlike THC, its close cousin CBD is not psychoactive. The euphoric high and the feeling of bliss users experience after the recreational use of marijuana, weed, hashish, ganja or charas is absent while using CBD. THC is the only psychoactive cannabinoid found in the merry plant of mary jane.
In this article, we’ll be going through how CBD effective CBD is in treating Parkinson’s and determine whether it is even effective or not. We will try our best to paint an informative picture considering all aspects so fasten your seatbelts and read on!
Table of Contents
What is Parkinson’s Disease?
The term Parkinson’s was first coined by the British Doctor James Parkinson. He was successful in identifying its major symptoms and name it ” the shaking palsy’ which was published in a book entitled “An Essay on The Shaking Palsy.“
It is often called idiopathic parkinsonism. Idiopathic implying that the cause of the disease is unknown. If we take a look at how many people are affected by this disease, we can see a clear increase in the number of patients per year throughout the world.
It is estimated that around 1 in 500 people are affected by Parkinson’s disease. Researchers estimate that by 2030, the number of people over the age of 50, diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 15 of the most populous countries worldwide will double to reach a staggering 8.7 million.
Parkinson’s disease (Parkinsonism) is a slow neurodegenerative disease of the brain that leads to progressive difficulty with coordination and balance.
The symptoms of Parkinson’s disease slowly develop over time without you even realizing it. It is characterized by the damaging or death of the nerve cells in a specific area of the brain that is responsible for producing dopamine, also called the substantial nigra. Dopamine is a hormone that is responsible for body movements. Therefore, a person has significant difficulty in coordination and control of body movements if cells in this area get damaged or die out.
Does CBD oil help with Parkinson’s?
CBD Oil may help individuals showing symptoms of Parkinson’s. Since research is limited, much cannot be said. Let’s take a look at what symptoms can be handled by Cannabidiol.
Pain
Pain, is a common characteristic of Parkinson’s disease, is often managed through heavy pain-killing medicines that eventually stir up problems of their own in the future, including the high-level of irreversible damage that they cause to the kidneys.
CBD oil, on the other hand, as a natural herbaceous solution, has anti-inflammatory properties and has been found helpful in treating pain. Animal-based research models indicated that CBD Oil was more than effective in reducing pain, symptoms of distress, and inflammation.
Since research on the compound is very limited, any conclusive claims cannot be made at this stage. A study, however, suggested that the use of both medical marijuana and CBD combined provided relief from pain to human test subjects as well.
All we can do is wait for the clinical history of treatment to be widely available so consumers can understand what all the hype about CBD Oil is. For the meanwhile, we will have to make do with the case histories of patients of medical marijuana in countries where weed and marijuana is legal for medical purposes.
Tremors
Healthcare professionals across the globe consider tremors to be the key characteristic of Parkinson’s disease. Tremors usually involve persistent twitching or shaking of hands. Movement disorders and motor symptoms are also accompanied by tremors.
As we’ve already told you research is limited in this space but however, according to an old and small study, researchers were fo the view that CBD Oil may be helpful in relaxing and easing the rapid muscle movements associated with Parkinson’s disease.
Other than that, CBD Oil has been used to create an FDA approved drug for controlling seizures of epilepsy after a high-profile case resorted to the compound for controlling her seizures. It is thus believed that CBD Oil can be a possible cure for tremors as well.
Psychosis
Psychosis is also something that can accompany Parkinson’s disease. Not only can it cause hallucinations, delusions, and delirium but can also lead to further complications down the lane. This however is more common among individuals who happen to be in their later stages of the disease.
In fact, according to research up to 50 percent of people with Parkinson’s disease experience or develop this complication and experience psychotic symptoms.
While there are existing medications prescribed by doctors available in the market to treat Parkinson’s psychosis, individuals have wondered if there would be a natural substitute to it.
Sadly, research is limited. But however, according to a small study published in 2009, researchers identified that CBD Oil did actually reduce the severity of the symptoms associated with Parkinson’s disease and the psychotic symptoms related to it.
Sleep
Insomnia and disruption of sleep are a matter of serious concern for people with Parkinson’s disease. Scary nightmares, uncontrolled movement while sleeping, and strange unclear dreams often keep people with Parkinson’s awake at night.
Research and Studies indicate that both Cannabis and CBD Oil alone can assist with better and improved sleep. It might also help with relaxing the movements while the patient sleeps.
How helpful is CBD Oil in preventing Parkinson’s Disease?
Research into this subject has outlined that CBD Oil may, in fact, be able to actually suppress or prevent the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease however the thing to be noted here that most of the research conducted has been done utilizing animal-based research models and it will be a while before human experiments are conducted.
According to another research, researchers were of the view that once in Parkinson’s disease initiates, CBD Oil can essentially do nothing once Parkinson’s sets in.
Studies that utilized human-based models also did not provide any conclusive results either. Since research is still limited and underway, it will take a little time before we can draw conclusive statements.
An important factor that needs to be kept in mind is that by the time symptoms of Parkinson’s start to appear, more than 60 percent damage has already been done. Clinical trials that involved the administration of CBD Oil were only conducted on individuals who had been already diagnosed with Parkinson’s.
Therefore it is nearly impossible to tell who will develop Parkinson’s and who will not. Humans have limitations in terms of preventive strategies and measures so there is no way you can stop or cure Parkinson’s disease as of now.
What strain of CBD is best for Parkinson’s?
There are a lot of cannabis strains that can come in handy while treating and individual with CBD oil. Let us take a brief look at what strains have been identified as the best ones keeping in mind the disorder under study here.
Hemp
Hemp-derived CBD is the most effective as hemp is high in CBD concentration as compared to THC. Moreover, patients do not require any prescription to get a hemp-derived CBD product as it contains less than 0.3% THC and is legal for consumption in the US.
Strains High in CBD
Do not confuse it with hemp strains only. Many other cannabis strains come in a higher concentration of CBD other than hemp. Strains that are high in CBD may come from both hemp and marijuana.
What oil is good for Parkinson’s?
Here we have outlined 3 cannabidiol products for you, that will help in managing the disease PD. After careful and rigorous analysis of the hundreds of companies out there, we’re bringing you an exclusive insight into the best products for Parkinson’s.
- CBD Oil by CBDfx
- Spruce CBD
- Royal CBD
What is the best medication for Parkinson’s disease?
If we talk about the most commonly prescribed Parkinson’s medication, you will come to know that it’s Levodopa aka L-dopa. By its chemical structure, it as amantadine and is most commonly used to treat tremors in patients with Parkinson’s.
Not only is it perfect for monitoring the symptoms of the condition, especially slow movements, joint stiffness, etc.
Cannabidiol Products for Parkinson’s
CBD Oils & Tinctures
CBD Oil and Cannabidiol Tinctures are by far, one of the most sought after CBD products available on the market right now. It wouldn’t be wrong to call them hot selling CBD products.
The names itself signify that these are liquid products. CBD Oil or tincture can be swallowed, ingested, or administered through an oral placebo usually sublingually (placing CBD Oil or CBD Tincture under the tongue for a minute to let it absorb). This paves way for CBD effects to kick in a lot faster.
Taking CBD through Oils and Tinctures is considered one of the best methods of CBD consumption.
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You absorb 20-30% of the total CBD you consumer, which is not bad considering the percentage is only 6 when it comes to ingesting CBD through some edible. This way, not only does an individual experience or feel CBD coursing through their veins almost immediately, but is also effective in terms of the amount and concentration of CBD absorbed.
Creams & Lotions
CBD products are coming in all sorts of products. The inclusivity of CBD in every other day to day product is proof of how this Cannabinoid is a hot favorite among marketers as well. Creams and Lotions allow for exposure to the compound where it can seep in the skin to the veins slowly and where effects can be felt for over 6 hours after application.
Children, teens, and adults suffering from various skin diseases such as dryness, eczema, and acne should pay heed to CBD because it can solve a lot of hormonal and environment-triggered skin diseases for them.
In the case of people with Parkinson’s, CBD infused creams, lotions, and gels may be helpful in treating pain, motor symptoms, and stiffness in joints and hands.
Edibles:
In the edible section, CBD is available in cookies, chocolates, gummies, capsules, and sweet variants. Gummies are also one popular way of fo consuming CBD because the amount of CBD that you’re taking in is fairly easy to monitor this way and they provide for a sweet and sour tasty alternative for people who do not care much for the natural Hemp flavor. They’re also a great option if you’re looking to get a discreet dose of CBD delivered to your system.
There is one catch with edibles though. The dosage is not accurately specified as in the case of other CBD-infused products on the products on the shelves and as mentioned earlier, the bioavailability in this form of consumption is very low (6%).
Pills
The best method to consume CBD is through a vaporizer if you have access to one (discussed below). The second best method is to take CBD by oral administration under the tongue. These two methods, as ranked are the best ways of consuming CBD.
However, we understand that these options might not be suitable for someone suffering from extreme symptoms of Parkinson’s where the tremors are really bad.
In such cases, we recommend using CBD Pills or capsules to ensure you took the right dosage and without all the hassle involved in other forms of CBD consumption.
Be advised, that it may take a while before CBD starts to exhibits its effects since CBD taken through ingestion has to be digested first, and that is how it is included in the bloodstream. We’re sure you’re aware, the process of digestion varies according to the metabolisms of different individuals so we can’t pinpoint a time for you but it usually takes around at least forty-five minutes (the lowest time) up to more than ninety minutes to exhibit its effects.
Vaporizer
Vaporizing CBD and then inhaling it is by far the best method to consume CBD.
CBD that is absorbed through the lungs gets instant and direct access to the bloodstream. This renders CBD to be absorbed quickly into the bloodstream within a matter of minutes providing you with the relief you were searching for. This method, being the highest bioavailable delivery method (50-60%), is also extremely popular among vape users.
Moreover, there are plentiful flavors that are unavailable in other forms of consumption. This makes Cannabidiol e-juices a very favorable choice among consumers looking for a variety of flavors. New and improved flavors are being added with each passing day to accommodate different target audiences.
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There is one catch though. If you don’t already own a vaporizer you will have to get one for yourself before you can start pumping your bloodstream with a steady supply of Cannabidiol.
P.S: Vaping may lead to damage in the lung tissue or accelerate symptoms of cough or sore throat and we do not encourage non-smokers to try using this method without expert opinion and supervision.
Are There Any Side Effects of Using CBD Oil?
Where Cannabidiol aims to improve the quality of life, are there any side effects associated with it?
If we analyze the side effects of CBD in the studies conducted, we can fairly conclude that almost all the individuals tested tolerated Cannabidiol products well. Not only did it rarely cause any side effects, the ones that appeared were also very mild in nature and case-specific.
Bear in mind, however, that, CBD Oil may and can interact with some specific medications (if you are on any). This is why we always recommend consulting a healthcare professional or your family doctor before you use CBD.
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Concluding Thoughts:
CBD, as a whole, as been improving the quality of life for people with physical and mental illnesses for quite some time now, as reported by users. This, of course, includes people with Parkinson’s disease and other patients that have abnormal motor symptoms.
With no known side effects and a solid fan base, we believe CBD oil and other CBD products are not just reserved for medical marijuana patients only now but may be used by the common man to improve their quality of life and tackle pain and disease.
Lastly, we would wish the very best for all those people who are tempted to try CBD after this article. May you be successful in what you’re trying to achieve.
