Neck, joint and shoulder pain are common among wheelchair users. It’s unsurprising when considering that most of these aches and pains are caused by incorrect posture or overuse of the upper extremities. Although this is a significant problem, it can be largely alleviated.
For wheelchair user, potential causes of pain could be the overuse of arms and shoulders when pushing a manual chair, thrusting the neck forwards or lack of lumbar support. While there are ways to prevent pain, such as using good posture, sometimes the pain is inevitable.
Then, relieving the pain and stiffness becomes essential. Cannabis, specifically the CBD element found in cannabis, can assist. Patricia Taylor from Life Retreat shares some insights.
“There is a growing amount of evidence that proves that cannabis oil can help alleviate symptoms of certain diseases, including muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, autism, insomnia and depression. Cannabis oil calms and relaxes the mind and body,” she says.
“It can reduce your levels of acidity and muscle spasms. It enables you to get a better night’s sleep. It relieves your throat and stomach muscles, which allows you to eat and digest your food more efficiently. Sleep and nutrition are two of the essential things in our journey to living pain free,” Patricia adds.
The oil is often also used therapeutically. There are different ways to use CBD. Patricia explains: “The various options are to use a drop of tincture twice a day or to rub cramp cream onto painful and stiff areas twice a day. The healing benefits of both of these are enhanced by rolling the pain-ease or stress-ease roll-ease onto your temples.”
While CBD can assist with pain relief, it is not the cure or an alternative to prescribed medicine.
