b'Medicine & Research Doctors NotesTheMSNewscolumnincludesanalysisfromBen Thrower, M.D., MS Focus senior medical advisor.Dr. Thrower draws from the top news stories of thequarter and explains what the news means to you,the person with MS. Christine Willis, MLIS, AHIP, theDirector of Knowledge Management and LearningResources at Shepherd Center in Atlanta, contributedto this story.Cannabinoid oral spray Dr. Thrower: ManyintheMScommunitysuermay help with spasticityfromspasticityfromtheirMS.SpasticitymaySativex,amouthspraythatgoesinones resultinpainfulmusclespasms,dicultywithcheeksandcontainstetrahydrocannabinol activitiesofdailyliving,andcontractures.Ourandcanabidiol,hasbeenapprovedinseveral rstlineofdefenseagainstspasticityremainsEuropeancountriesasanadd-ontherapyfor agreatstretchingprogram.Whenstretchingpatientswithmoderatetoseverespasticity. aloneisnotenough,wehavetraditionallyturnedtomedicationslikebaclofenandtizanidine.Astudy,ledbyresearchersatThomayers Thesemedicationsdoprovidereliefformany,HospitalNeurologyDepartment,inPrague, butcanalsobequitesedating.Inaddition,wasconductedintwophasesat14sitesinthe baclofenissometimesassociatedwithCzechRepublicandoneinAustriafor18-22 worseningofweakness.Whenusingoneofweeks.PhaseAsetbaselinesforparticipants thesemedications,wetypicallystartwithaandidentiedwashouts;PhaseBbeganthe lowdoseandthengraduallyincreaseuntiltheuseoftheplacebototesttheeectsofSativex. spasticity/spasmsareadequatelycontrolledPhaseBincluded106participants,the orweseeunacceptablesideeects.majorityofwhomwerefemaleandhad Thisstudylookedataddingacannabinoidexperiencedspasticityforanaverageof7.8 oralspraycontaininga1:1ratioofCBD/THCyears.Attheendofthestudytheaverage (Sativex)totheexistingantispasticitynumber of sprays for theTHC:CBD group medicationvs.increasingthedoseofthatwere7.3and8.5fortheplacebogroup. medication.AddingtheSativexprovedtobeTherewerenomajorsafetyconcerns moreeectivethanincreasingthedoseofidentiedinthemajorityofthosetreatedwith baclofenortizanidine.theTHC:CBDspray,andtheyhadclinically Manystatesnowhavesomelegislationrelevant improvements in their spasticity. regardingmedicalcannabis.TheselawsvaryThenumberofspraysperdayhavesuggested greatly,andallaretechnicallyinviolationofthataboutsevenspraysperdaymayhave federallaw.ManypeoplewithMSstillfacebenets. barriersinobtainingcannabinoidproductsThisstudywaspublishedintheInternational tomanagespasticityorcentralneuropathicJournal of Neuroscience. pain.TherapiessuchasSativexcouldoeranmsfocusmagazine.org 52'