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Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) or Lou Gehrig’s disease is a
neurodegenerative disease that affects the neurons progressively in your
brain and spinal cord. ALS is often called Lou Gehrig's disease, after the baseball player who was diagnosed with it. These neurons are responsible for sending
messages from your brain and spinal cord and voluntary muscles, like the
muscles in your arms and legs.
ALS often begins with muscle twitching and weakness in a limb, or slurred speech. Eventually, ALS affects control of the muscles needed to move, speak, eat and breathe. There is no cure for this fatal disease. There are two types of ALS, sporadic and familial. The most common
form of the disease accounts for 90% to 95% of all the cases in America.
Anyone can be affected by this type of ALS. Familial ALS is estimated
to be 5% to 10% of cases in the US, and this type of disease can be
inherited.
Medical cannabis can improve an ALS patient’s quality of life. Many
of the symptoms that ALS patients experience, such as muscle spasticity,
are approved for medical cannabis treatment. The muscle stiffness or
spasticity caused by ALS interferes with your daily life. Research has
shown that medical cannabis can help with muscle spasticity and make it
easier to live your life.
One of the symptoms associated with ALS is chronic pain, this can make
living with the disorder overwhelming. Painkillers might work, but they
can hurt your liver and have addictive properties.
Medical cannabis enhances the cannabinoids in your body that relieve pain. ALS patients
can also experience a reduced appetite. Many people joke about medical cannabis, causing the munchies. However, it can provide patients the
desire to eat. When cannabis is combined with cognitive behavior
therapy, medical cannabis can help people with eating disorders have a
healthier outlook on food.