On the occasion of World MS Day, a patient shares her experience with the potential benefits of cannabis therapy. With increasing research, it is a promising option for alleviating her nerve pain and spasms.

The Grünhorn Group is raising awareness about cannabis therapy for MS on May 30 with a podcast on MS, a joint raffle with the chronic illness community Kämpferherzen, and press activities.

The event coincides with the annual World MS Day of the MS International Federation (MSIF). Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory disease of the central nervous system that usually begins in early adulthood. In Germany, about 280,000 patients are diagnosed with MS.

Cannabis medications can help with some symptoms and were initially approved in Germany only for MS and spasms, as their effectiveness for these indications was demonstrated early on: One study found that cannabis extract improved mobility. Another survey reported that a cannabis-based mouth spray reduced spasticity in MS patients who did not respond to other treatments. Research also showed that cannabinoids could help relieve pain in MS patients.

"I was looking for something that would make my life easier."

An MS patient who has benefited from cannabis therapy is Julia Wirthmann, living near Aschaffenburg. She received her diagnosis in the spring of 2023: "It started at night when I wanted to get up and couldn't – we went straight to the hospital," says the mother of three. She recognized the warning signs, as her sister and mother also have MS. Julia Wirthmann can no longer work as a nurse because she can't walk more than ten meters at a time.

"The quality of life suffers enormously when you can't work, become dependent on social welfare, and feel like an old woman at my age," she says. Her symptoms include nerve pain and muscle spasms, which Julia Wirthmann tried to combat with occupational therapy, physical therapy, and various medications: "The medications couldn't fully restore my quality of life and had strong side effects," she says. "I was looking for something that would make my life easier."

The 36-year-old was critical of cannabis until her diagnosis and search for relief: "I associated it with wanting to switch off and become dumb,she says. Many doctors have similar prejudices. The path to a cannabis prescription was therefore difficult. A neurologist recommended cannabis as "the ultimate for MS symptoms,," but the effort to prescribe it was too great with about 200 available strains and restrictive regulations: "Now that cannabis is legal, the doctor no longer needs to issue a narcotic prescription, making it much easier. I can also support her in finding the right strain by using a digital flower finder, thus countering her arguments," says Wirthmann. She gets her medical cannabis from a cannabis pharmacy and inhales it daily, in addition to immunosuppressive therapy. "I tried different strains for almost a year to find the one that helps me the most," she says. "Now I'm optimally adjusted. It completely takes away the nerve pain in my leg! I still have spasms, but I hope to reduce further symptoms. I urge all affected not to be discouraged!"

Medical Experts Appreciate Therapeutic Option in Symptomatic Treatment

Leipzig neurologist Dr. Sven Ehrlich, chairman of the German Multiple Sclerosis Society in Saxony (DSMG), has experience treating MS symptoms:"Cannabis has been used as a medicinal plant for thousands of years. In MS therapy, it has proven to be an effective add-on therapy in reducing muscle spasticity and pain,," he says. The endocannabinoid system plays a role in modulating these symptoms, and cannabinoids can provide relief. The active ingredients in cannabis, THC, CBD, and terpenes, interact with the body's endocannabinoid system, which regulates pain and muscle control. By activating certain receptors, cannabis can reduce muscle tension and relieve pain, leading to a better quality of life. However, according to Dr. Ehrlich, some MS patients are still not adequately treated because there is insufficient evidence for their indication. It is important to gain more experience and control the positive effect in studies to facilitate the use of medical cannabis. "Legalization has generated interest in the media and society. Many patients were not aware that medical cannabis has been a therapy option for years. It is important to understand that it is an add-on therapy that helps improve quality of life by reducing pain and spasms," says Dr. Ehrlich.

For Julia Wirthmann, this means hope for a more active life with her children. For the future, she also hopes for more openness from doctors to make it easier for other patients to obtain a cannabis prescription: "People like me suffer from the stigma of being a 'stoner.' I hope others will have an easier time getting a prescription to try cannabis for themselves. " As the next step in her personal medical journey, Julia Wirthmann now hopes for health insurance coverage for medical cannabis.

A podcast with Dr. Nadine Herwig (Grünhorn Academy) and MS patient Julia Wirthmann will be available from May 30, 2024, on Grünhorn Academy Podcast | Podcast on Spotify More information on Cannabis & MS can be found at the Grünhorn Academy!!

^Sources::

^{A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel group study of THC/CBD spray in peripheral neuropathic pain treatment (2014 by M Serpell 1, S Ratcliffe, J Hovorka, M Schofield, L Taylor, H Lauder, E Ehler)}

^{Cannabinoids for treatment of spasticity and other symptoms related to multiple sclerosis (CAMS study): multicentre randomised placebo-controlled trial (2003, by John Zajicek 1, Patrick Fox, Hilary Sanders, David Wright, Jane Vickery, Andrew Nunn, Alan Thompson; UK MS Research Group)}

^{A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study of Sativex, in subjects with symptoms of spasticity due to multiple sclerosis (2010 by C Collin 1, E Ehler, G Waberzinek, Z Alsindi, P Davies, K Powell, W Notcutt, C O’Leary, S Ratcliffe, I Nováková, O Zapletalova, J Piková, Z Ambler)}

^{Randomized, controlled trial of cannabis-based medicine in central pain in multiple sclerosis (2005 by David J Rog 1, Turo J Nurmikko, Tim Friede, Carolyn A Young)}