Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a complex autoimmune condition that affects the brain and spinal cord, causing a wide range of symptoms that can vary between individuals. From pain and spasticity to vision problems and fatigue, MS can significantly impact a person’s day to day life.
At Curaleaf Clinic, we understand that managing MS and its associated symptoms is complex and highly individual, and we aim to support for those who are struggling to find relief.
The causes of multiple sclerosis are unknown, but it is understood as a complex interaction between a person’s genes and their environment. It is thought that people who have a family member with MS are more likely to develop it themselves. MS is also more common in females and those who live in northern latitudes. Since there is no clear explanation why MS occurs it is difficult to distinguish a direct cause and it is therefore most likely to be multifactorial.
The symptoms of MS will vary for each individual depending on which aspect of the nervous system their condition affects. Some symptoms of multiple sclerosis are commonly identified as:
Treatment for multiple sclerosis can be broken down into treatments to reduce active inflammation or reduce the likelihood of acute attacks and those used to treat associated symptoms of MS.
Specialist medications that aim to slow disease progression are known as immunosuppressant medications. Relapses are usually treated with a short course of corticosteroids. Symptomatic management is usually aimed to reduce the severity of symptoms such as spasticity, bladder dysfunction, and pain. Whereas relapses are treated with a short course of corticosteroids.
A medical cannabis product, Sativex® (nabiximols), is a licensed treatment for MS-related spasticity in the UK. In addition, other medicinal cannabis products can be considered by doctors on the GMC’s Specialist Register when first line therapies have not achieved adequate benefit in improving symptomatic management.
A multiple sclerosis diagnosis is normally made by a specialist doctor. Important diagnostic tests that are required include magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain and spinal cord to identify lesions where the body’s immune system has attacked the nervous system. To be formally diagnosed with MS it is necessary to demonstrate having more than one attack. As such the journey to a diagnosis may be prolonged for many individuals.
The most important test is an MRI of the brain and spinal cord, as this is the gold standard for detection of lesions where the body’s immune system has attacked the nervous system. Other tests may include blood tests to rule out alternative causes of symptoms or a lumbar puncture to examine the fluid that surround the spinal cord, called the cerebrospinal fluid.
Medical cannabis cannot cure or slow the progression of MS, but it can be prescribed to eligible patients struggling with associated treatment-resistant symptoms such as pain and spasticity. Nabiximols (Sativex®), a cannabis-derived oromucosal spray, have been approved on the NHS for treating spasticity in MS patients who haven’t responded to first-line therapies.
View our FAQ’s section and learn more about all the conditions that can be treatable with medical cannabis.
