Astounding Facts About Using Cannabis For Arnold Chiari Malformation Treatment

Arnold-Chiari malformation is more commonly known as Chiari II and affects almost 1 in every 1000 births with no particular predominance of gender. However, some experts believe that women get affected more often. The said condition involved structural defects of the central nervous system that take place during fetal development due to certain factors.

Research reveals several facts that suggest that Cannabis and Arnold-Chiari malformations treatment make a harmonious link. Medical cannabis finds its way to several areas of the health care arena. Through its direct interactions with the endocannabinoid system, it improves several functions of the body to reduce the intensity of the symptoms substantially. This write-up closely analyses the application of cannabis products for patients suffering from Arnold-Chiari malformation.

What is Arnold-Chiari Malformation?

Arnold-Chiari malformation is one of the types of Chiari Malformation. It refers to a condition involving the deformity of the hindbrain and the posterior fossa. The regions include pons, medulla oblongata, and cerebellum. This is basically the base of The skull and resides in one of the most critical parts of the brain, i.e., the cerebellum that controls the balance of your body. Generally, an opening in the skull lets the spinal cord pass through.

Mostly the condition develops during fetal development; however, in rare cases, the cause might be a traumatic event such as an injury. The resultant malformation exerts pressure on the brain, which ultimately pressurizes the cerebellum, blocking the flow of cerebrospinal fluid.

What are the Causes of Arnold-Chiari Malformation

Research explains the causes of Chiari Malformation as the defective formation of the brain and spinal cord. The structural defects arise during the fetal development of the baby and lead to Chiari Malformation. This distortion in fetal development is somehow related to poor diet during pregnancy that lacks substantially important nutrients crucial to the proper development of the fetus or genetic mutations. Right at the bottom of the skull, the indented part is a bony area that fails to develop properly and is abnormally small.

This further leads to pressure on the cerebellum, which ultimately ends up in a condition of blockage of the cerebrospinal fluid, the fluid surrounding and protecting the brain and spinal cord. This condition may also be caused due to a traumatic event like an injury or adverse infection leading to excessive loss of cerebrospinal fluid.

Talking about the Arnold-Chiari Malformation or Chiari Malformation Type II, it finds its association with a Spina Bifida called myelomeningocele. In this condition, the cerebellum interferes with the normal course of cerebrospinal fluid flow and thus hinders its functions of surrounding and protecting the spinal cord and brain.

That is when your nervous system experiences impaired nerve impulses and signals traveling from the brain to various parts of your body. This impaired cerebrospinal fluid circulation causes several negative impacts. Patients may experience various neurological signs and symptoms typically associated with this blocked flow.

Signs and Symptoms Associated with Arnold-Chiari Malformation 

The diagnosis of Arnold-Chiari Malformation is practically possible even during pregnancy through an ultrasound. The case may or may not be diagnosed during pregnancy as, in many cases, the child’s condition gets diagnosed after birth. Symptoms of Type I and II significantly vary due to the structural differences of the defects of both conditions. Arnold-Chiari Malformation or Chiari Malformation Type II is typically characterized by a substantially larger tissue matter extending into the spinal canal. In contrast, in the case of Type I, this amount is pretty smaller.

The symptoms are easier to understand if one is well-acquainted with the symptoms of myelomeningocele, a typical form of Spina Bifida, and involves improper or incomplete closure of the backbone. The symptoms are closely related to each other as Arnold-Chiari Malformation generally accompanies myelomeningocele. Patients are likely to develop the following symptoms during Arnold-Chiari Malformation:

• An apparent change can be observed in the breathing pattern of the patient.
• Gagging is a typical condition related to problems with swallowing food or water. The patient might feel problems while swallowing.
• Fast Eye movements
• Fatigue and weakness in various parts of the body, typically in the limbs.
• Hydrocephalus is another condition generally accompanied by Arnold-Chiari Malformation. The children having this condition have hydrocephalus most of the time.
•  Weaker nerve impulses lead to other conditions such as weakness in the functions of the vocal cord, throat, epiglottis, and tongue.

What Are The Risk Factors For Arnold-Chiari Malformation?

Arnold-Chiari Malformation is a rarely occurring disease that affects 1 in every 1000 children born. Some experts believe that the condition may be hereditary in some cases and occur due to genetic factors. However, these Aspects still need more research.

Studies from NINDS suggest that women are more likely to develop Arnold-Chiari malformation than men, implying that gender may also affect your risk of developing the said condition. [1]

Several bone abnormalities, neurological disorders, and hereditary medical conditions increase your chances of developing Chiari Malformation type II. Some of the conditions are as follows:

• Myelomeningocele: It is a form of Spina Bifida which is typically characterized by structural defects involving a condition where the backbone and spinal canal do not close.
• Hydrocephalus: Hydrocephalus refers to the excessive amount of cerebrospinal fluid accumulated in the brain.
• Syringomyelia: Sometimes, there is a cyst or hold inside the spinal column, which is also called the syrinx. This condition may also lead to greater vulnerability to developing Arnold-Chiari malformation.
• Tethered Cord Syndrome: this condition is a neurological disorder more commonly observed in patients having myelomeningocele. Generally, it is characterized by symptoms that lead to damage in the lower part of the body. Experts explain the structural changes as the attachment of the spine’s bone to the spinal cord.

The conditions above are a few medical conditions that make you way more vulnerable to developing Arnold-Chiari malformation.

How Can Cannabis Help In Arnold-Chiari Malformation Treatment?

Medical cannabis has been playing significant roles in the Improvement of several conditions for several decades ever since it caught the attention of researchers. The cannabis plant is an absolute powerhouse of multitudinous varieties of terpenes and Cannabinoids that can display intimate interactions with the body’s endocannabinoid system. While studying the effects of cannabis in Arnold-Chiari malformation treatment, we find the following:

• In 2017, experts managed to successfully highlight the benefits of cannabis extracts to improve the well-being of the patients by improving headaches. Headache is a common symptom of Arnold-Chiari Malformation and is believed to be severe. Cannabis extracts contain CBD and THC that can closely interact with the channels of pain signals to reduce their intensity. Also, its interaction with the endocannabinoid system can help treat pain.
• Patients suffering from Arnold-Chiari malformation report going through a relentless condition of insomnia. Cannabis extract is believed to be helpful in this regard as it has cannabinoids like THC, CBD, and CBN and terpenes like linalool and pinene that show substantial improvements in sleeping patterns. The endocannabinoid system of the body controls your sleep cycle, and these components of the cannabis plant can strongly interact with the body’s endocannabinoid system.
• Anxiety and depression are the effects of other related phenomena taking place in the body of a patient having Arnold-Chiari malformation. A plethora of scientific studies supports the use of Cannabis products to improve the mental health of the patients. CBD can strongly interact with the body to promote or diminish the production of certain hormones like serotonin. Serotonin improves mental stability and regulates mood and behaviors.
• The cannabinoids of cannabis, such as CBD, are also known to improve brain health and enhance neural regeneration in the body.

Cannabis for Arnold-Chiari Malformation Treatment: Research and Findings

The medical benefits of cannabis Arnold-Chiari malformation symptoms and signs find some links. This has got the researchers on their toes to figure out whether cannabis products are suitable for dealing with Arnold-Chiari Malformation symptoms. The research is still ongoing, and there’s a huge room for more research and experimentation to reveal the healing potentials of the cannabis plant. In addition to basic neural regeneration, cannabis can help the patients deal with the symptoms.

• Severe headaches are generally associated with Chiari Malformation, which can be improved with the use of cannabis extracts. [2]
• Conditions like Arnold-Chiari malformation highly risk mental stability. According to several studies, cannabis may induce the production of serotonin to reduce the effects of anxiety. [3]
• By mimicking the action of adenosine, CBD Tends to help you sleep better even with conditions like Arnold-Chiari malformation. [4]

Final Thoughts:

Cannabis and Arnold-Chiari Malformation have been subjected to several studies to reveal if cannabis could possibly improve the condition of the patients. The healing potentials of the cannabis plant may be thoughtfully utilized for the well-being of the patients suffering from the symptoms of structural defects caused by Arnold-Chiari Malformation.

References:

1. https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/Patient-Caregiver-Education/Fact-Sheets/Chiari-Malformation-Fact-Sheet/
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7204604/
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4604171/
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7388834/