Cannabis Strains That Can Help With Muscle Spasms

• Patients looking for a prescription for back spasms often find relief with medical cannabis, an all-natural solution with less addictive potential than traditional pharmaceutical options.
• Since patients respond to marijuana in different ways, a wide variety of strains (indica, sativa, hybrid, and CBD-forward strains) may help people with chronic pain unlock relief. When it comes to medical marijuana treatment, experimentation is key.

If you’re looking for a prescription for back spasms, muscle soreness, or chronic pain, your conventional providers will likely turn to two common medication types: muscle relaxers or opioids.

However, these medications can pose significant addiction potential for patients; opioids in particular represent a staggering majority of overdose deaths in the US.

In the face of dependence potential and significant side effects, many patients turn to all-natural solutions like medical cannabis. But when it comes to choosing a strain, it’s hard to predict how you’ll respond since cannabis has a different effect on everyone. Nevertheless, this guide is dedicated to helping you choose a strain as you experiment with medical cannabis for muscle spasms. Let’s dive in.

Muscle Spasms: Potential Causes

A number of medical conditions and experiences can lead to muscle spasms. A non-exhaustive list includes:

• Stress: Stress can impact our bodies in a variety of physical ways. Responses to post-traumatic stress and short-term stress (e.g., job-related stress) alike can lead to physical manifestations that impact our daily lives and functioning.
• Chronic illnesses or pain: For people living with chronic illnesses or pain, spasms may be an everyday reality. Whether you’re dealing with residual pain after an injury or constant discomfort as a result of an illness, pain can keep you from living a fulfilling life.
• Exercise recovery: Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is one of the most common physical ramifications of intensive exercise, and spasms are just one potential symptom of DOMS.

Marijuana Strains: An Introduction

Let’s dig deeper into marijuana strains, an important topic for anyone considering using medical marijuana as a treatment for muscle spasms, soreness, or pain.

What is a Strain?

Simply put, a strain is a type of marijuana. Strains are subtypes of the Cannabis sativa plant, and they’re cultivated by marijuana growers for their specific cannabinoid combinations and concentrations.

What does that mean for people using medical marijuana?

• Each strain has a unique chemical profile. Strains feature one-of-a-kind combinations of cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids, and other compounds that set them apart from each other.
• Strains produce unique effects. Since they have discrete chemical compositions, they produce different responses in patients.
• Some strains are more effective than others for certain conditions—and certain patients. Since everyone responds differently to marijuana, one patient may find relief from a strain that doesn’t produce meaningful results for another patient.

The existence of multiple strains is just one reason why patients respond so differently to cannabis. However, it also means that patients can personally tailor their experiences (unlike with pharmaceuticals) by choosing the strain that works best for them.

Indica vs. Sativa vs. Hybrid

Strains are sorted into one of three categories:

• Indica: Patients generally report that indica strains make them feel relaxed, drowsy, and calm. For this reason, Indica strains are a favorite among patients looking for mood stability, sleep support, and pain relief.
• Sativa: Sativa strains can produce markedly different effects than Indica strains. Patients mostly consider sativas to generate creative and complex thoughts (or even extroverted tendencies).
• Hybrid: Hybrid strains are cultivated from a combination of indica and sativa plants, and they can offer the best of both categories. Hybrids can also be sativa- or indica-dominant, or they can offer more of an even split in terms of effects.

Strains and Intoxication: THC vs. CBD

Strains also feature different levels of THC and CBD, two major cannabinoids that shape users’ experiences.

• THC produces a high—an intoxicated feeling that’s widely associated with marijuana use.
• CBD is non-intoxicating. Patients using CBD-forward products with a negligible amount of THC are highly unlikely to notice any psychoactive effects.

However, both THC- and CBD-forward strains can be categorized as indica, sativa, or hybrid strains. The difference is in the cannabinoid content, not the strain type.

Strains for Muscle Spasms

With all of the above in mind, let’s outline some patient favorites in each category to help you choose an ideal strain for muscle spasms.

Indica Strains

While Indica strains often offer a relaxing experience, this isn’t the case for every user. However, if you’ve determined that indicas provide the effects you’re looking for, consider the following strains as you experiment:

• Purple Punch
• Granddaddy Purple
• Ice Cream Cake
• Mendo Breath
• Bubba Kush
• LA Confidential
• Slurricane
• Blue Cheese

Sativa Strains

Many patients report that sativa strains help them:

• Unlock creative and complex thoughts
• Engage in activities and hobbies
• Participate more actively in social situations

But this doesn’t mean sativas aren’t useful for muscle spasms or chronic pain relief. As mentioned earlier, everyone responds to marijuana strains differently, and you might find relief from a Sativa strain.

If this is the case, consider favorites like:

• Jack Herer
• Sour Diesel
• Silver Haze
• Tangie
• Cafe Racer
• Gorilla Glue
• Pineapple Express
• Lemon Haze

Hybrid Strains

Hybrids can offer the best of both for patients looking for a strain that’s equally calming and energizing. Hybrids are also an excellent starting point for newcomers to cannabis, as they can provide a well-rounded experience and a comfortable jumping-off point for further experimentation.

That said, consider some of these hybrid go-to’s on your next dispensaries or pharmacy visit:

• Girl Scout Cookie
• OG Kush
• Cherry Pie
• White Widow
• Blue Dream
• Wedding Cake
• Gelato
• Apple Fritter

Low THC Strains

If you’re not looking for an intoxicating experience, consider a CBD-forward product like:

• Suzy Q
• Harle-Tsu
• Elektra
• Sour Space Candy
• Cherry Wine
• ACDC
• Lifter
• Charlotte’s Web
• Remedy

Since most CBD products fall under the umbrella of hemp (a federally legal, low-THC product available for sale across the US per the 2018 Farm Bill), many are legal for patients looking to try medical cannabis without a prescription.

Finding the Right Strain: Tips from the Pros

As you explore various strains, a few tips can help you hone your product choice to find what works best for your spasm relief:

• Document everything: Writing down which strain you try, the administration method (e.g., smoking, edibles, or topicals), your dose, and the effects you experience can help you identify trends and find the products that produce the best possible results consistently.
• Gather repeat data: Unless you have a markedly negative experience using a product, consider trying a specific strain, dose, and method more than once to gather a wide variety of data. Repeating your experiments will help you identify commonalities across products independently of outside influences that might impact your experience.
• Talk to the professionals: Seeking product recommendations from your medical marijuana doctor or budtender (the person working behind the counter at your dispensaries or pharmacy) can help you proceed in the right direction each time you try a new product. These professionals are well-versed in the products available on today’s market, and they can help you choose strains and methods that have worked well for other patients with similar goals.

Understanding the Best Cannabis Strain for Muscle Spasms

Choosing cannabis strains for muscle spasms is personal, as reactions to each strain can vary widely. Typically, Indica-dominant strains are sought after for their potent relaxing capabilities that aid in easing muscle tension and reducing spasm occurrences.

Recommended Indica Strains

To begin your exploration, consider trying some well-regarded indica strains known for their effectiveness in muscular relaxation:

• Purple Punch – Known for its soothing effects and ability to induce relaxation.
• Granddaddy Purple – Often used for pain relief and muscle relaxation.
• Bubba Kush – Renowned for its heavy tranquilizing properties.

Experimentation and Consultation

Finding the perfect strain requires a bit of experimentation. Start with small dosages of a recommended strain to monitor its effectiveness on your spasms. It’s also crucial to engage with healthcare practitioners who understand cannabis use for medical purposes.

They can provide tailored advice and guide you toward the best choices based on your health needs and the specific characteristics of your muscle spasms. By taking a personalized approach and leveraging professional advice, you can identify the most suitable cannabis strain to help manage and alleviate your muscle spasms effectively.

Best Strain for Muscle Relaxation

People say cannabis indica strains help their muscles relax and their brains slow down. Sedating. Many find that indica strains make them sleepy, which may be a good thing for people with insomnia. Pain-relieving.

TeleLeaf: Unlocking Natural Relief with Medical Cannabis

Medical cannabis is highly effective for patients dealing with chronic pain, muscle spasms, and soreness, and marijuana has a much lower addiction potential and side effect profile than many pharmaceutical medications.

If you’re ready to learn more about medical cannabis or incorporate marijuana into your treatment regimen, the team at TeleLeaf is here to help. Our providers are experts on the legislation in your state, the medical impacts of cannabis, and the products that can help you uncover revolutionary relief.

Schedule your first appointment and start exploring the potential of medical marijuana today.

Sources: 

US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Drug Overdose Epidemic: Behind the Numbers
https://www.cdc.gov/

Healthline. What Is Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) and What Can You Do About It?
https://www.healthline.com/health/doms