[City Girl]

I am a T12 incomplete SCI at 2 years post-injury with fairly good recovery but still press forward. My biggest hurdle is that the sciatic/femoral/saphenous nerves innervating my left leg are seemingly damaged and although the muscle does function, it is weak. Since my injury is at the Cauda Equina, I am pushing for regeneration of those peripheral nerves...which is very slow, notwithstanding. I was chatting with my massage therapist who said he had heard that some study showed that marijuana oil accelerated the regeneration of peripheral nerves. I'm not a drug-user (in fact, I'm totally off all pain, nerve and muscle drugs now and just endeavouring to deal with my discomfort using the 'suck-it-up' approach...although, I'm still working on that.), BUT I'd be open to trying something if there was 'scientific' evidence supporting this premise. Please comment if you know anything. Thanks.

[Johnny V]

Before I get on the THC thing which I must say *whipes off forhead* triggers my endorphines. Ill hang on to what you are saying about the muscle functioning. The muscle functions? If it functions work it. Put some weight pressure on it and work it out. The more strength you get the more regeneration of those peripheral nerves are coming back. It might take a long time but im pretty sure exersise is all you need. My own personal experience with THC after SCI was not good. And the only reason I stopped smoking the bobby brown was because I noticed my muscle spasms stopped. I would have really strong spasms, but after hitting ole wesly pipes they whent away. In turn I dont see how THC would help because THC "normally" stops function.. or slows it down.. Doesnt it? You should try it. But dont stop working the muscle that works. Keep on working it.

[nomis]

City Girl, on Oct 3 2009, 06:37 AM, said:

I was chatting with my massage therapist who said he had heard that some study showed that marijuana oil accelerated the regeneration of peripheral nerves.

I'd treat this with utmost suspicion. There's nothing credible I've heard of. There's some references on the web to a study of HIV but the study is not about regeneration but about pain control, which already is well known here.

However, taking marijuana can be very effective in imagining for a short time that your nerves are growing like ivy on steroids. But they are not.

[City Girl]

Johnny V, on Oct 2 2009, 04:31 PM, said:

Before I get on the THC thing which I must say *whipes off forhead* triggers my endorphines. Ill hang on to what you are saying about the muscle functioning. The muscle functions? If it functions work it. Put some weight pressure on it and work it out. The more strength you get the more regeneration of those peripheral nerves are coming back. It might take a long time but im pretty sure exersise is all you need. My own personal experience with THC after SCI was not good. And the only reason I stopped smoking the bobby brown was because I noticed my muscle spasms stopped. I would have really strong spasms, but after hitting ole wesly pipes they whent away. In turn I dont see how THC would help because THC "normally" stops function.. or slows it down.. Doesnt it? You should try it. But dont stop working the muscle that works. Keep on working it.

You are talking to the girl who spends 20 hrs/wk at the gym: walking around and around on the track, doing squats, lunges, wall sits, working the arc trainer, pool exercises, etc. I am definitely better than I was a year ago but I still CANNOT bear weight on my left quad without hyper-extending my knee. I refuse to wear a brace but wonder if I will EVER get that quadricep built up enough to climb stairs without stepping up one with my good leg and then bringing my weak leg up. I'm also doing 'speed walking' on the body support treadmill which seems to really be helping with my balance.

I was not really thinking that I would smoke the oil. That's not my thing. I was wondering if you could rub it on or mix it in your salad dressing??? I'm a bit naive when it comes to recreational drugs.

nomis, on Oct 2 2009, 06:31 PM, said:

City Girl, on Oct 3 2009, 06:37 AM, said:

I was chatting with my massage therapist who said he had heard that some study showed that marijuana oil accelerated the regeneration of peripheral nerves.

I'd treat this with utmost suspicion. There's nothing credible I've heard of. There's some references on the web to a study of HIV but the study is not about regeneration but about pain control, which already is well known here.

However, taking marijuana can be very effective in imagining for a short time that your nerves are growing like ivy on steroids. But they are not.

Ya, I saw reference to pain management for HIV etc. I'm just always looking for any new developments in SCI recovery. I do already do tons of visualization without drugs so I think I'm good without getting high.

Oh well, it was worth a try.

[wheeliebear75]

Smoking helps me tremendously in keeping the burning & "red ants" sensation (to me it feels as though a bunch of ants are crawling & biting). I doubt it is "regeneration" going on but I would guess more likely that is just hitting "the happy center" of the brain which then makes the mind "decompartmentalize" (that's what my Dr. called it) the pain or remove itself to a point from the unpleasantness of it. I also have noticed that it does a good job at stopping spasms as well. But there again pot does tend to make one relax which would help with muscle spasms.

I use pot during the day cuz it's the only way to stay awake. Without pot I would have to use a narcotic pain killer, nerve med (Neuronton) muscle relaxer, anti-anxiety med, & anti-nausea med......I prefer the THC fog to the Rx fog......the fog bank from Rx fog is thicker than the THC fog bank.

[Johnny V]

wheeliebear75, on Oct 4 2009, 10:37 AM, said:

Smoking helps me tremendously in keeping the burning & "red ants" sensation (to me it feels as though a bunch of ants are crawling & biting). I doubt it is "regeneration" going on but I would guess more likely that is just hitting "the happy center" of the brain which then makes the mind "decompartmentalize" (that's what my Dr. called it) the pain or remove itself to a point from the unpleasantness of it. I also have noticed that it does a good job at stopping spasms as well. But there again pot does tend to make one relax which would help with muscle spasms.

I use pot during the day cuz it's the only way to stay awake. Without pot I would have to use a narcotic pain killer, nerve med (Neuronton) muscle relaxer, anti-anxiety med, & anti-nausea med......I prefer the THC fog to the Rx fog......the fog bank from Rx fog is thicker than the THC fog bank.

I creep through the fog like snoop doggie dogg.

[Johnny V]

City Girl, on Oct 4 2009, 02:32 AM, said:

Johnny V, on Oct 2 2009, 04:31 PM, said:

Before I get on the THC thing which I must say *whipes off forhead* triggers my endorphines. Ill hang on to what you are saying about the muscle functioning. The muscle functions? If it functions work it. Put some weight pressure on it and work it out. The more strength you get the more regeneration of those peripheral nerves are coming back. It might take a long time but im pretty sure exersise is all you need. My own personal experience with THC after SCI was not good. And the only reason I stopped smoking the bobby brown was because I noticed my muscle spasms stopped. I would have really strong spasms, but after hitting ole wesly pipes they whent away. In turn I dont see how THC would help because THC "normally" stops function.. or slows it down.. Doesnt it? You should try it. But dont stop working the muscle that works. Keep on working it.

You are talking to the girl who spends 20 hrs/wk at the gym: walking around and around on the track, doing squats, lunges, wall sits, working the arc trainer, pool exercises, etc. I am definitely better than I was a year ago but I still CANNOT bear weight on my left quad without hyper-extending my knee. I refuse to wear a brace but wonder if I will EVER get that quadricep built up enough to climb stairs without stepping up one with my good leg and then bringing my weak leg up. I'm also doing 'speed walking' on the body support treadmill which seems to really be helping with my balance.

I was not really thinking that I would smoke the oil. That's not my thing. I was wondering if you could rub it on or mix it in your salad dressing??? I'm a bit naive when it comes to recreational drugs.

nomis, on Oct 2 2009, 06:31 PM, said:

City Girl, on Oct 3 2009, 06:37 AM, said:

I was chatting with my massage therapist who said he had heard that some study showed that marijuana oil accelerated the regeneration of peripheral nerves.

I'd treat this with utmost suspicion. There's nothing credible I've heard of. There's some references on the web to a study of HIV but the study is not about regeneration but about pain control, which already is well known here.

However, taking marijuana can be very effective in imagining for a short time that your nerves are growing like ivy on steroids. But they are not.

Ya, I saw reference to pain management for HIV etc. I'm just always looking for any new developments in SCI recovery. I do already do tons of visualization without drugs so I think I'm good without getting high.

Oh well, it was worth a try.

Mabey you need to work on the "hyper-extending"? Find out what point it starts to hyper-extend and try to controll it. Mabey you need to work on it without walking on it. Like with a physical therapist. Someone who can work your controll of the leg all the way up to the point just before the Hyper Extension starts, then force building your controll of the situation from there on forward? I dont know what im talking about though. Im trying to think of something that might help. Ive learned in my own experiences with trying to get better that if something isnt working you need to approach it in a differant way. Sometimes that means a entirely new approach. Everybody's differant. Mabey walking isnt what its going to take to get you walking. If that makes any sense.

[dangerousdave]

Perepheral nerves do regrow..but the further, the weaker. We all know about the 2 year barrier.
That doesnt mean stop the exercise.
Keep up the hard work.
If you enter the road of electrical simulation, your 2 year regrow period is up. The important time for this treatment is the first 6 months after injury when the brain is still trying to get signals to muscels through the regrow route.
So keep up the hard work - nothing comes easy.
I exercised in many ways from 1973 to 2007. Alas in 2007 I had to relise that old age was setting in and the recuperation period for damaged muscels and tendons was getting longer and stopping me from living a life. But thats my problem, not yours.

[Tetracyclone]

City Girl,

I always enjoy your posts. I, too, have left leg weakness as well as some muscle strength imbalances that twist the leg somewhat and date to my first week of intense spasm activity. Part of my work for the quads is done on the floor, kneeling and lifting myself. Tried that? I'm going to try Johnny V's idea as well, as I have pain when that knee locks.

Personal- While the left quad has developed well enough to climb stairs, there are other muscles in that leg that defy improvement and sabotage walking, which I can only do a little. I cannot even identify them- oops, some are in the torso. haha. The twisting leads to knee pain, limiting walking. Right now I suffer an ulnar nerve injury due to therapy and overuse. Unless this clears my goal of getting on the treadmill is just wishful thinking. Surgery on the 22nd.

Pwuff