CBD for Essential Tremor: A Natural Treatment

We have already talked about the healing properties of CBD when treating Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s Disease, and substance withdrawal. But how are these conditions related to essential tremor and where does CBD come in?

It turns out that essential tremor could either be passed genetically from afflicted family members or could be a side-effect of these above-mentioned conditions.

As there has been medical proof that CBD can effectively treat Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s Disease, and substance withdrawal, one can only hope that this will also be the case when it comes to essential tremors. In this article, we will look at the relationship between CBD and essential tremor.

CBD is a cannabinoid derived from the cannabis plant that has no psychotropic effect, also known as hemp. It does not cause the symptoms of dizziness or euphoria otherways associated with cannabis use. It has many therapeutic properties, low toxicity, and its minimum, or in some cases none, side effects.

What exactly is essential tremor?

Essential tremors usually occur in the hands, presenting in up and down movements. However, they can also affect the arms, head, face, and larynx (voice box), which results in a shaky voice. People with essential tremors may remain undiagnosed for a longer time, as at first, the symptoms are rather discreet and can be easily mistaken with ordinary tremors. Ordinary tremor affects most people and is considered normal, especially after the use of caffeine and cigarettes.

Tremors can range from minor to severe. Minor tremors may not affect your everyday life, but some severe cases can seriously interfere with a person’s daily activities.

As mentioned before, tremors can occur in different body parts, therefore the symptoms can vary. The most common symptoms of essential tremor go as follows:

Essential tremor usually affects people over the age of 40. Nonetheless, genetics also play a crucial role when it comes to this condition, as essential tremor can also be inherited. If essential tremor runs in the family, it is referred to as “ familial tremor”. Parents who have developed this condition carry a 50% chance of passing it to their children.

Conventional treatment of essential tremor

There is no known cure for essential tremor, however, doctors offer several treatments to keep the condition at bay. These include anti-seizure drugs, brain surgery, also known as deep brain stimulation (DBS) and ultrasound MRI treatment, aiming to destroy tissue in the thalamus.

All these treatments have proven some success, however, they are quite invasive and expensive.

Related article: The Endocannabinoid System

CBD and essential tremor — an alternative treatment

CBD oil for essential tremor can provide an alternative and less invasive treatment of this condition. Medical research has already extensively looked into cannabinoids and their ability to relax the muscles and calm seizure-like behavior.

Perhaps the most powerful property of CBD is its direct connection to the endocannabinoid system (ECS). ECS and its endocannabinoid receptors are the main regulators of our bodily functions such as pain, hunger, emotions, etc., which also means that when there is an internal issue, it is up to that system to initiate the healing process. Consuming CBD increases the production of endocannabinoids in the body, which enhances the healing process.

When using CBD oil for essential tremor the cannabinoids in the oil can target and regulate the ESC receptors responsible for the muscle movement. These are located in both the brain and throughout the body. By regulating these receptors CBD oil enables relaxation, reduces inflammation, and ease symptoms of tremors. There have been studies that confirm these interactions and confirm that CBD can effectively act as a neuroprotectant.

The already existing research has sparked a lot of interest recently and CBD may be on its way of becoming an official treatment for essential tremor.

This is because The University of California in San Diego Research has officially started a trial on the effects of CBD and THC on essential tremor. The trial has been FDA approved and is expected to release the result as the end of 2019. The lead investigator of this clinical trial, Dr. Fatta Nahab is very passionate about finding an adequate treatment for essential tremor in the face of CBD. She shared her opinion by saying: “Essential tremor is 10 times more common than Parkinson’s and yet nobody really knows about essential tremor. That we’re finally getting to a potential therapeutic option in an area that is untapped is a big deal.”

Related article: CDD dosage guide

CBD for essential tremor: Dosage and Use

There are two ways to take CBD for essential tremor. As everyone’s reaction to CBD is different, we encourage people to experiment unit they find the one that gives them the best essential tremor relief.

When it comes to dosage, there is no one-size-fits-all method. As mentioned before, everyone’s reaction to CBD is different, so you have to listen to your body and take notice of improvement.

We always recommend a step-up approach, described in the book “CBD: A Patient’s Guide To Medical Cannabis” by Leonard Leinow. This approach suggests to start low, such as 1 drop, 3 times a day, and gradually increase the dosage every 3 days, until you reach 3 drops, 3 times a day. On average, 25mg a pay is a sufficient amount for someone with non-severe symptoms.

Success Stories

There are many testimonials online regarding the effectiveness of CBD over essential tremor. A CBD shop recently published the story of a customer, expressing their gratitude and revealing the positive effect CBD products have had on her condition. The woman claims her struggles with essential tremor and porphyria have been eliminated thanks to CBD products.

Conclusion

CBD for essential tremor can be effective. The “twitching” motions can be greatly reduced, resulting in normal daily activities. Whether the oil is taken orally, or an e-liquid is vaped, there is evidence that CBD works well for a large number of people. As much safer and inexpensive (in comparison to other drug treatments and surgery), it is an effective way to improve day-to-day life.

Essential tremor does not always need treatment. If the condition isn’t seriously impacting your life regularly, then alternative action might be all that is required to manage the symptoms.

References

1. Gloss D und Vickrey B. „Cannabinoids for epilepsy.“ PubMed Cochrane Database Syst Rev. (2014) [↩]
2. Joseph Maroon and Jeff Bost. „Review of the neurological benefits of phytocannabinoids“ Surgical Neurology International(2018) [↩]
3. Fatta B Nahab „Trial of Cannabis for Essential Tremor“ Clinical Trials (2019) [↩]
4. Leinow,, L. and Birnbaum, J. (2017). CBD: A Patient’s Guide to Medicinal Cannabis. North Atlantic Books. [↩]

Originally published at https://hemppedia.org on July 2, 2019.