Does Weed Help With Cramps?

Everyone has probably felt a sudden, painful muscle contraction at a particular moment in their lives. Such contractions, or cramps, are not harmful to your health. However, they may be highly discomforting, especially if they reoccur pretty often. The causes of spasms are diverse, ranging from athletic exercise to periodic pain associated with menstruation in women.

What Are Cramps?

Cramps are sudden, involuntary muscle contractions or excessive shortening. As soon as you experience spasms, you might feel that your muscle gets paralyzed. The spasming causes considerable pain, while menstrual spasms are couch-locking for many women. Thus, medical professionals are constantly searching for effective medications that can block or at least minimize the impact of spasms on people's well-being and daily performance.

The most widespread remedy for cramps is a complex of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen. Their positive effect is associated with the blockage of prostaglandins – the hormones causing muscular contractions.
Still, not everyone favors pharmacological treatments and searches for more natural ways of minimizing the discomfort of spasming. Can weed help with this condition? Does weed help with period spasms? 

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“Cannabinoids work to reduce inflamed membranes, which is why it is so effective for menstrual cramps.”

In this article, we will examine the existing clinical evidence to show you how cannabis can deliver a relief alternative to NSAIDs.

DISCLAIMER: This article isn't intended for use as an instruction for self-medicating; it's only a compilation of clinical evidence and published facts about the impact of cannabis on cramps. Always consult your physician before using weed to treat spasms!

Most Common Types of Cramps

Smasms are a painful and often debilitating condition many people experience at some point in their lives. Some cramps are usually brief and sudden. However, the intensity of spasms is individually determined. Some people are highly intolerant to spasming-associated pain and spend several days on a couch trying to live through this period with minimal damage.

While spasms can occur in various parts of the body, the most common types of cramps are:

• Skeletal muscle cramps
• Menstrual cramps
• Gastrointestinal cramps
• Restless leg cramps

Muscles Cramps

These are the most common type of spasming and are often caused by dehydration, overuse of a muscle, or a lack of essential minerals like potassium or magnesium. Certain medical conditions such as peripheral artery disease or kidney failure can also give rise to them.

Skeletal muscle spasms can be excruciating and can occur in any muscle in the body. They often happen suddenly and abruptly, and range from mild discomfort to severe pain. The most common symptom of a skeletal muscle cramp is a sudden and intense contraction of the affected muscle. 

It can cause a visible bulge in the muscle that leads to torturous pain. Individuals may also experience a feeling of tightness or stiffness in the affected muscles and may find it hard to move or use them ordinarily.

Skeletal muscle cramps can last from a few seconds to several minutes and may occur repeatedly for several hours or days. Fortunately, there are several ways to prevent and treat skeletal muscle spasming. 

There is some scientific evidence to suggest that medical cannabis may be an effective treatment for skeletal muscle cramps.

One study published in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management found that cannabis was effective in reducing muscle spasms and improving mobility in patients with multiple sclerosis.

Another study published in the European Journal of Pain found that cannabis-based medication was impactful in reducing chronic pain associated with a variety of conditions, including skeletal muscle spasms.

Many individuals report that cannabis helps reduce muscle tension and ache, and can improve overall mobility and function.

They all cause significant muscle relaxation and help you feel relief quickly due to the release of dopamine:

1. Strawberry Glue
2. LemonAde
3. Jelly Breath
4. Midnight
5. Berry OG
6. Strawberry Cheesecake

Gastrointestinal Cramps

Gastrointestinal cramps are caused by contractions of the muscles in the digestive system, leading to discomfort, pain, and bloating.

CBD for cramps has been found to have anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving effects, which may help alleviate gastrointestinal spasming. Cannabis may also help regulate gut motility and reduce inflammation in the gut, which can contribute to the development of gastrointestinal cramps.

Restless Leg Cramps

Restless leg spasms are a neurological condition characterized by an uncontrollable urge to move the legs, often accompanied by discomfort and pain.

Medical cannabis may be effective in reducing the severity and frequency of restless leg spasms.

Cannabis has been shown to have muscle-relaxant properties, which can help alleviate involuntary muscle movements, characteristic of restless leg spasming. Moreover, cannabis may help improve sleep quality disrupted by restless leg cramps.

Menstrual Cramps

Menstrual spasms are a common symptom experienced by women. These cramps are typically felt in the lower abdomen and range from mild discomfort to severe pain.

Other symptoms of menstrual spasming can include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, and fatigue. 

In some cases, individuals may also experience pain in the lower back or thighs. Menstrual cramps are caused by the contraction of the uterus as it sheds its lining during menstruation.

Does Weed Help Period Cramps?

Cannabis contains compounds called cannabinoids, which interact with the endocannabinoid system to produce a range of effects. The two main cannabinoids in cannabis are tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). 

THC is the compound responsible for the psychoactive effects of cannabis, while CBD does not produce psychoactive effects and has been shown to have potential therapeutic benefits.

The cannabinoids contained in marijuana are known for their anti-inflammatory and spasmolytic effects, which help your uterus relax and experience less pain from spasms. Thus, taking into account the generalized painkilling effect of weed, the consumption of cannabis for women can relieve cramps-related pain as well.

• Kogan and Sexton reported the presence of conclusive and substantial evidence for cannabis's efficiency for pain treatment in adults (as per the National Academy of Sciences' 2017 statement).
• Hasnie (2019) found cannabis for menstrual pain effective. It provides relief, among other therapeutic effects (depression relief, skin rejuvenation, improved sleep, lowered blood sugar, etc.)
• Mercurio et al. confirmed that marijuana is a viable substitute for prescription medications, such as opioids and analgesics.

Moreover, women are more accepting of this treatment method in the USA. Clinical research supports this assumption as well:

• Alton et al. studied a sample of U.S. female respondents and found that many of them would consider using (or are currently using) cannabis to manage gynecological conditions.

• The 2021 survey of Han et al. showed that many women use cannabis for gynecological conditions and those who haven't tried cannabis for cramps management are willing to do so.

Given this clinical evidence of marijuana's effect on spasming, you might consider adding weed-containing medications to your arsenal for managing menstrual or sports spasms. But before you do this, make sure to study all the pros and cons of using cannabis, and especially CBD oil for menstrual cramps.

PROS

• Positive effect on inflammation
• Healthier skin and PMS acne prevention
• Better mood
• Reduced tenderness of breasts, lower back, and abdomen
• Muscle relaxation reduces the intensity of cramps

CONS

• There is always a risk of overdosage and unwanted psychoactive side effects. 
• Many products are mislabeled, which can lead to an overdose
• Cannabis abuse can affect female reproductive function negatively.

Read Also: How To Buy Recreational Marijuana

Top 7 Strains of Cannabis for Menstrual Cramps

Experts recommend using CBD-rich strains for menstrual cramps to alleviate the pain and discomfort coming with menstrual spasming. Here is a list of weed strains suitable to manage menstrual cramps.

Midnight

The Midnight strain is the most CBD-rich choice among those available on the market today. It has 10.98-11.5% of CBD, which makes its effect mostly relaxing. Its CBD-THC ratio is roughly 1:1, which is quite rare. The strain is grown in Israel and labeled as a hybrid product, though its dominant strain is Sativa.

Berry OG

Berry OG offers up to 0.96% of CBD, thus being suitable for those who want to relax and have a good night's sleep, exhausted by cramps and pain. Its strong relaxation effect makes it a good match for evening weed consumption. Medical smokers report its strong impact on physical pain.

Strawberry Cheesecake

Strawberry Cheesecake strain is a favorite among those who lean for the relaxing effect. The CBD concentration is 1.16-1.48%, which is relatively high. Women also love the strain for its sweetness, dessert flavor, and pleasant taste. You'll enjoy the combination of fruity and creamy shades in its flavor. However, the strain is not recommended for inexperienced users as it possesses a solid sedating effect and can be really couch-locking.

Strawberry Glue

The Strawberry Glue strain is also an excellent choice for females as it contains sweet strawberry flavors and is very pleasant for consumption. This strain is specifically recommended for pain, inflammation, and muscle spasm treatment because of its balanced, calming effect.

LemonAde

The 0.45-0.3% CBD concentration in LemonAde strain gives the users a significant inflammation and pain management effect while at the same time not affecting their daily activities. Its impact of relaxing for the body and stress-clearing, though without a knock-out effect. The citrus flavor also attracts many weed connoisseurs.

Jelly Breath

The Jelly Breath strain comes with up to 1% CBD concentration, thus giving a pronounced soothing effect for the users. Consumers claim that this choice is ideal for those wishing to ease the tension and minimize pain and cramps.

Sherblato

The sweet taste and 0.8% CBD contained in Sherblato make it a top pick among users seeking stress minimization, pain relief, and cramps alleviation. It's also good for fighting depression as its major effect is an elevated mind, boosted creativity, and better focus.

Possible Risks of Marijuana and Menstrual Cramps

Marijuana and menstrual spasms have become closely associated as weed can bring quick, tangible relief for this condition. However, it is strongly recommended not to self-medicate as intense, prolonged spasming may be a sign of a severe illness, or you may be too susceptible to weed components, thus not achieving the desired therapeutic effect. Here is what Joseph Rosado, MD, recommends:

“Definitely. I manage a lot of patients with pelvic pain, and I provide different modes of administration. One is using the topical patch. Applying the patch and cutting the patch - because it comes in a rectangular form - in half and putting one half on one inguinal area of the groin and one on the other inguinal area of the groin because you've got the femoral arteries and veins there and it's absorbed through the skin and makes its way into the bloodstream and then addresses the pain. Also, applying it directly over or just above the pubic bone, which is the bone found between your belly button and your pelvis - a good place to apply the topical patch. Other things that we recommend are utilizing a capsule or a gel cap and inserting it intravaginally. The glycerin capsule dissolves, and the oils are absorbed intravaginally, which will help with the cramping. There are certain states in the United States that have tampons that have been infused with cannabis, so inserting the tampon during their menstrual cycle helps also with the cramps. So those are different modes of administration to manage cramping and cramp pain.”

Other risks of marijuana use include:

• Regular weed consumption affects female reproductive health.
• There are numerous precautions for women, including pregnancy, breastfeeding, or other issues they should consider.
• Medical marijuana labeling is not always precise, with numerous products containing higher cannabinoid doses.
• Marijuana use may affect your ability to drive a car and perform daily work routines. Thus, you should not use this method of fighting cramps daily

Thus, despite the proven efficiency of weed for muscular contractions and menstrual pain, you need to seek a medical professional's consultation first to develop an individual treatment plan and dosage to achieve the intended effect.

Conclusion

Some recent cannabis research confirms the well-established effectiveness of marijuana in alleviating spasms such as menstrual and sport-related cramps. However, it is essential to note that self-medication with marijuana can result in adverse effects, as it is a psychoactive substance that may not be suitable for everyone. 

To ensure safe and effective treatment, we strongly recommend consulting a physician to develop an individual treatment plan and dosage. By doing so, you can minimize the risks of unwanted side effects and achieve the intended benefits of cannabis therapy.