Cerebral Palsy
MEDICAL MARIJUANA TREATMENT FOR CEREBRAL PALSY
The word “cerebral” means having to do with the brain. The word “palsy” means weakness or problems with body movement. Therefore, Cerebral Palsy is a group of disorders that affect movement and muscle tone or posture. It’s caused by damage that occurs to the immature, developing brain, most often before birth.
Cerebral Palsy (CP) is the most common cause of motor disabilities in childhood with signals of the disease appearing during infancy or preschool years, causing impaired movement associated with exaggerated reflexes, floppiness or spasticity of the limbs and trunk, posture defect, involuntary movements, unsteady gait, or could be a combination of these. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it affects at least 1.5 to 4 out of every 1,000 children worldwide.
SYMPTOMS OF CEREBRAL PALSY:
The symptoms of Cerebral Palsy are different and may vary depending on the person and depending on the part of the brain that is affected. The symptoms can range from mild to severe, and can become more severe or decrease in severity over time.
Some of the more common signs of CP are as follows:
Difficulty Walking
Trouble grasping objects
Delays in reaching motor skill milestones, such as rolling over, sitting up alone, or crawling
Variations in muscle tone, such as being too floppy or too stiff
Delays in speech development and difficulty speaking
Spasticity, or stiff muscles and exaggerated reflexes
Ataxia, or a lack of muscle coordination
Tremors or involuntary movements
Difficulty with sucking, chewing or eating
Excessive drooling and problems with swallowing
Delayed growth, resulting in a smaller size than would be expected
Bladder or bowl problems, including constipation and urinary incontinence
Neurological problems, such as seizures, intellectual disabilities and blindness
Mental health conditions, such as emotional disorders and behavioral problems
HOW IS CHEMOTHERAPY USED?
Sometimes, it treats cancer by itself, but most times it is used in combination with:
● Surgery: Cancerous tumors or tissue, or organs contaminated with cancerous cells are being removed.
● Radiation therapy: Invisible radioactive particles are used to kill cancer cells. It may be delivered by a special machine that bombards the particular parts of the body from the outside, or by putting radioactive material on, near, and even inside your body.
● Biological therapy: Living materials in the form of bacteria, vaccines, or antibodies are carefully introduced into the body to kill cancer cells.
CAUSES OF CEREBRAL PALSY
CP is caused by abnormal brain development or damage to the developing brain. It commonly occurs before a child is born, but can also occur at birth or during early infancy. In many cases, however, the cause is unknown. Many factors can lead to issues with brain development. These included:
Gene mutations
Maternal infections
Fetal stroke
Bleeding into the brain in the womb
Infant infections
Traumatic head injury
Lack of oxygen to the brain
RISK FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH CEREBRAL PALSY
Mental Health
Some infections or toxic exposures during pregnancies can significantly increase the risk for cerebral palsy in newborns. Inflammation triggered by infection or fever can damage the unborn baby’s developing brain. These infections include but are not limited to:
Cytomegalovirus
German measles (Rubella)
Herpes
Syphillis
Toxoplasmosis
Zika Virus Infection
Intrauterine infections
Exposure to toxins
Infant Health
Illnesses in a newborn baby can greatly increase the risk for cerebral palsy. These include but are not limited to:
Viral encephalitis
Severe or untreated jaundice
Bacterial meningitis
Bleeding into the brain
Factors of pregnancy and birth
These include:
Low birth weight
Multiple babies
Premature birth
Delivery complication
CEREBRAL PALSY AND MEDICAL MARIJUANA
Treating Pain with Medical Marijuana
While there is no guarantee that medical marijuana can treat the pain associated with cerebral palsy, more and more people are beginning to treat the symptom of pain by using Medical Marijuana. While some studies suggest the use of medical marijuana could be beneficial to those suffering from pain and in patients who are intolerant to opioid treatment.
Treating Speech Issues with Medical Marijuana
The relaxing qualities of Medical Marijuana may offer great advantages to those suffering from speech impairments due to Cerebral Palsy. Medical Marijuana could potentially help to relax the patient’s muscles, which may offer benefits when treating a patient suffering with stuttering, issues with their jaw or lips; such as tremors, and even tightness or muscle spasms. This relaxing effect may help improve speech.
Treating Seizures with Medical Marijuana
The effects of marijuana and its active components on seizures are well documented. Some forms of medical cannabis that contain CBD have been linked to reduction in certain seizure disorders, including epilepsy.
How to Get Medical Marijuana to Treat Cerebral Palsy Side Effects in Virginia
For patients who suffer from the side effects of Cerebral Palsy or have any other medical condition or symptom they feel could benefit from marijuana treatment we recommend scheduling an appointment with our marijuana doctor or one of his cannabis practitioners.
By getting your Virginia marijuana card you will get access to the state-licensed medical marijuana dispensaries which will allow patients to purchase marijuana and cannabis-infused products to treat their medical conditions. The products sold at the state marijuana dispensaries in Virginia have strict controls on what can be in the product.
Many of our patients like that they will know exactly what is in their medical cannabis products when they purchase natural and medicinal marijuana products from the dispensaries. They also appreciate that it gives them access to the same potency product anytime they need it as well as the added benefit of being able to have it hand delivered to their door.
Start the process of getting your Virginia Marijuana Card today be clicking on the “Schedule an Evaluation” button below. All payments are 100% refundable if you are not certified for medical marijuana treatment. All medical conditions are considered by our marijuana doctor and his team of providers so if you are interested in seeing if you could benefit then schedule your appointment to get approved today!
