Johanns Gammel, PTA, works with a patient who has multiple sclerosis (MS) that produces leg pain that often is "horrible." The patient's legs twitch and spasm, causing them to jump even when the patient is seated in his wheelchair. Those episodes can make it difficult for Gammel to follow a PT's plan of care. Medical marijuana (MMJ) helps ease his symptoms, says Gammel, a physical therapist assistant (PTA) who co-owns EDGE PT in Paramus, New Jersey.
After using marijuana, "sometimes, the spasms, twitches, and pain subside within 1 minute," Gammel says. "This allows me to stretch his legs, which are tight from the disease and from his being in a wheelchair. The effects of MMJ help him get the proper manual therapy in accordance with the PT's plan of care in order to be able to move."
