CBD for Essential Tremor

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 tremor. 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 otherwise associated with cannabis use. It has many therapeutic properties, low toxicity, and its minimum, or in some cases none, side effects.

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:

• Noticeable shakiness in the hands or arms when writing, holding thing or using your hands in general;
• Involuntary movements of the head and neck such as shaking in an up-and-down or side-to-side motion;
• Twitchy eyelids;
• Tremors in the tongue or voice box make a person’s voice sound shaky when speaking;
• Abnormal walking or loss of balance are common for tremors in a person’s core, legs, and feet;

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.

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 behavior¹.

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.

Related article: The Endocannabinoid System

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, reduce inflammation, and ease symptoms of tremors. There have been studies that confirm these interactions and confirm that CBD can effectively act as a neuroprotectant².

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 tremor³. 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.”

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.

• Sublingual
  CBD oil comes in small bottles with a dropper. A couple of drops are put under the tongue and then the oil is absorbed into the body.
• Vaping CBD E-Liquids
  A faster way to feel the relief and perhaps one of the most popular natural remedies for essential tremor is to vape CBD E-liquids. The vapor enters the lungs and speedily reaches the bloodstream, providing a calming (not psychoactive) effect

When it comes to dosing CBD, 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 Leinow⁴. This approach suggest 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.

Related article: CBD dosage guide

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 a much safer and inexpensive (in comparison to other drug treatment 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 und 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. [↩]