Using Medical Marijuana to Reduce Myoclonic Twitches

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Using Medical Marijuana to Reduce Myoclonic Twitches

Myoclonic twitches can seriously get in the way of everyday living. They make it hard to complete daily tasks and can make you feel self-conscious. So, many patients want to know all their treatment options for reducing the intensity and frequency of their myoclonus.

Some patients try medical marijuana when other options don’t do the trick, as it has tons of advantages that typical treatments don’t.

What Is Myoclonus?

Severe myoclonus appears due to all sorts of health problems, including nervous system disorders and infections. When myoclonus happens, your muscles suddenly jerk involuntarily. It can affect one muscle or a group of them.

Although myoclonus happens to everyone now and then, it becomes a significant problem when it interferes with functioning. We all get myoclonic twitches like hiccups, spasms and sleep starts. But, they happen very frequently and intensely for some folks, making them a disorder instead of an annoying occurrence.

What Causes Myoclonus?

Myoclonus has numerous potential causes. Some of them are treatable, but others aren’t. If you have a treatable condition that causes your twitches, your doctor can address it to reduce your myoclonus. But, some kinds of myoclonus have an unknown cause or no cure, so your doctor will focus on relieving your symptoms.

Doctors don’t entirely understand how myoclonus happens in your brain. It is definitely caused by a disturbance or injury to the peripheral nerves or central nervous system, but they aren’t sure whether it comes from a chemical imbalance, an overexcitability of movement-related brain areas or another factor.

Treating Myoclonus With Standard Medication

The kind of treatment your doctor will recommend depends on where your myoclonus comes from. However, some approaches are more common than others, including:

  • Anticonvulsants: Physicians usually use these drugs for epilepsy, but they can work for myoclonus to reduce the muscle jerks, as well.
  • Tranquilizers: Many folks with myoclonus take clonazepam, a tranquilizer drug. Other types of tranquilizers include medications used for anxiety and panic attacks.
  • Botox: While we often associate Botox with celebrities who want to perk up their faces, some folks with movement and muscle disorders can use it to reduce their symptoms. When myoclonus affects a single area, Botox sometimes works to minimize twitches.

In many cases, doctors must try multiple approaches to figure out what works best each patient. Sometimes they’ll result to prescribing numerous drugs to manage your symptoms properly. Whether on their own or combined with other treatments, myoclonus drugs often cause harsh side effects.

Medical Marijuana Treatment for Myoclonic Twitches

While standard myoclonus treatment options tend to be unreliable and have harsh side effects, medical marijuana can work just as effectively with safer side effects. In fact, marijuana medicine will often work even better than standard treatments! Check out how medicinal cannabis can benefit myoclonus patients:

  • Versatile: Many patients have to take a cocktail of drugs to address all the potential reasons behind their symptoms. Meanwhile, medical marijuana affects many parts of the brain, including serotonin balance and neuron excitability, and can cover more than one possible cause at once.
  • Safe: Medicinal cannabis’ side effects cause much less harm than other medications. For instance, while you can build a tolerance to clonazepam that can become an addiction, medical marijuana doesn’t cause addiction at all.
  • Effective: Marijuana has a great track record of helping people with muscle spasms and seizures. Researchers have conducted numerous studies that prove cannabis is effective in treating these symptoms.

Get Professional Help

To get help with your medical marijuana treatment, talk to the experts. Visit a marijuana-certified medical practice or a licensed dispensary near you today.

Information About Medical Marijuana and Myoclonus