Parkinson’s Disease

Parkinson’s disease is a chronic, degenerative neurological disorder that affects one in 100 people over age 60. While the average age at onset is 60, some people are diagnosed at 40 or younger. There is no objective test, or biomarker, for Parkinson’s disease, so the rate of misdiagnosis can be relatively high, especially when the diagnosis is made by a non-specialist. Estimates of the number of people living with the disease therefore vary, but recent research indicates that at least one million people in the United States, and more than five million worldwide, have Parkinson’s disease.

Parkinson’s disease was first characterized extensively by an English doctor, James Parkinson, in 1817. Today, we understand Parkinson’s disease to be a disorder of the central nervous system that results from the loss of cells in various parts of the brain, including a region called the substantia nigra. The substantia nigra cells produce dopamine, a chemical messenger responsible for transmitting signals within the brain that allow for coordination of movement. Loss of dopamine causes neurons to fire without normal control, leaving patients less able to direct or control their movement. Parkinson’s disease is one of several diseases categorized by clinicians as movement disorders.

Thank you, Michael J. Fox for that description! As you can guess there is endless info about PD on the internet. Because it varies so much from person to person and of course in the different stages, treatment can be a rather dynamic issue. The goal is to manage symptoms as there is no cure at this time. Researchers of cannabis however, have discovered that not only is it neuroprotective (possibly able to slow the progression of PD), but has properties that help many with their tremors, rigidity and stiffness. Many of you have seen this video………..

Hard to dismiss the potential here?? Right?!?!?!? I want to also include a page from project cbd (one of my favorites) for you to research and discover on your own. As you can see – the information is overwhelming. I also read up on what the National Parkinson Foundation had to say and it was a bit reserved. The research and the information have not caught up to the anecdotal stories, but there ARE scientist and doctors working on it! I noticed that the NPF cautioned patients about using Cannabis primarily because of its ‘effect on thinking’. Not really the case with CBD oil, as it is not psychoactive. If a person DID respond to THC however, I guess they would just have to decide for themselves whether or not they needed a break from the exhaustive tremors or not. Can we really say that the long term effects of L-Dopa is better than that of CBD??

Eloise Theisen, RN gave a great lecture about treating Neurological Conditions with cannabis. Her recommendations regarding PD, included that stiffness and rigidity generally responded well to CBD and tremors were more responsive to THC/ THCa. She presented 2 case studies. First, a 75 yo female that was on L Dopa but complained of stiffness and fatigue. They gradually incorporated 10 mg CBD (20:1 ratio) twice a day and had much improvement in energy and stiffness. The second was a 71 yo male with a flat affect and arm tremor. He responded to a THCa (precursor to THC) patch, reporting an 80% reduction in tremor. These are great stories, however there is no cookbook recipe to using cannabis. Success usually comes with working with a professional like Eloise and making gradual adjustments to the treatment plan. No two patients are the same. Of note, THCa is not generally psychoactive however some people report that colors appear brighter. I can only hope that we continue to learn better ways of managing PD through cannabis.

This page is dedicated to my dad. Thank you for taking care of your body and soul. Thank you for your willingness to go down the road less traveled!!!