Parkinson's Disease
Parkinson's Disease (PD, or Parkinson's) can be a devastating, progressive condition. Medication remedies, which aren't always completely successful, have their own side effects.
The main features of this condition are:
A tremor of the hands when at rest, sometimes a "pill-rolling" motion
Slowed movements, especially with walking
Rigidity of the muscles, which can be painful
Loss of automatic or unconscious movements like blinking, smiling, or moving your arms as you walk
Changes in speech, like monotone or slurring
Writing may become difficult and very small
Loss of posture and balance
CBD Research In PD
The studies on the effects of CBD on Parkinson's disease are rather limit in size and scope. One of those studies reviewed small groups of Parkinson's patients in three main areas:
Psychosis in Parkinson's: CBD doses of 150 - 400 mg/day in six Parkinson's patients with psychosis markedly reduced the psychotic symptoms without any adverse effects on motor function.
REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD): This is also known as dream-enacting disorder, in which the muscles get rigid during sleep. Four PD patients with RBD had “prompt, substantial, and persistent reductions in frequency of the attacks. Given your description, I think this aspect could be very relevant to you in particular.
Wellbeing: Twenty-one patients were randomized to receive placebo, CBD 75 mg/day, and 300 mg/day, and then evaluated by motor and general symptoms score; and well-being and quality of life. Those taking 300 mg/day didn’t have improved motor scores, but they did have significant improvements in the well-being category.
So, as is the case in so many aspects of CBD, there's a lot of promise but much more research needs to be done.
Fortunately, PD is less common among African Americans than Latinos, Asians, or Whites, but that doesn't mean the disease doesn't affect African Americans at all. What should you do if you are a patient with PD suffering with some of the issues mentioned above? Should you try CBD? This is something you must discuss carefully with your primary care provider and/or your neurologist, if you are in the care of one. Feel free to refer them to this article if they need a little more information.