Can CBD Help Treat Parkinson’s Disease?

Parkinson’s disease is a degenerative neurological disease that primarily impacts movement. Parkinson’s symptoms include tremors, muscle rigidity, slowing of movement, impaired balance, changes to speech patterns, and other effects. It can be a challenging condition to live with and typically worsens over time. While there is no cure for Parkinson’s, finding effective ways to manage the condition is essential for maintaining quality of life.

What Causes Parkinson’s Disease?

While it is clear that Parkinson’s disease involves the death of certain neurons in the brain, and decreased dopamine production, the causes of Parkinson’s disease are not well-understood. However, there is some evidence for both genetic and environmental causes of Parkinson’s.

How Is Parkinson’s Disease Treated?

While there is no cure for Parkinson’s disease, some medications and lifestyle interventions can be helpful in treating the condition. Lifestyle interventions may include stretching and other forms of exercise. A number of medications are also prescribed for Parkinson’s, including carbidopa-levodopa, various dopamine agonists, COMT inhibitors, and MAO B inhibitors, among others. Medications may have side effects, and tend to grow less effective over time.

Can CBD Be Used To Treat Parkinson’s Disease?

Parkinson’s symptoms can be debilitating, and consequently, many people are interested in finding alternative treatments for the illness. Because it is a complex disease with a variety of different effects, individuals may seek treatment for either particular manifestations of Parkinson’s disease, or for the disease in its entirety.

There has thus far been extremely limited study of the effect of CBD on individuals suffering from Parkinson’s disease. While there is no evidence that CBD slows the progression of the disease, some studies have suggested benefits from CBD for certain dimensions of the disease — for instance, in treating psychosis, sleep and pain, and potentially in overall quality of life. There is little evidence that CBD improves tremors, however, and it may in fact worsen them.

Ultimately, far more research is needed to determine whether CBD can play a valuable role in treating Parkinson’s disease. Individuals suffering from the disease are advised to consult with a medical professional before using CBD as a treatment.