CBD For Pain Relief
CBD for Pain Relief
CBD for pain relief has gained popularity in the healthcare and beauty industry over the past few years.
Apart from being used in beauty products and for amusement, they are also used as an alternative to conventional therapy.
One of its most notable usages is definitely CBD for pain relief, and it has become popular because it does not cause addiction and it does not have any severe side effects.
Many scientific studies claim that CBD oils are a more effective and safer alternative to painkillers.
What Is CBD?
Cannabis has been used to treat pain since as far back as 2900 B.C. (2Trusted Source).
More recently, scientists have discovered that certain components of cannabis, including CBD, are responsible for its pain-relieving effects.
The human body contains a specialized system called the endocannabinoid system, which is involved in regulating a variety of functions, including sleep, appetite, pain sensation, and immune system response (3Trusted Source).
The body produces endocannabinoids, which are neurotransmitters that bind to cannabinoid receptors in your nervous system.
Studies have shown that CBD may help reduce chronic pain by affecting endocannabinoid receptor activity, reducing inflammation, and interacting with neurotransmitters (4Trusted Source).
Some research suggests that CBD may be effective for certain types of pain, including nerve pain and back pain, when used on its own. However, it seems to be most effective when combined with THC (5Trusted Source, 6Trusted Source).
Several human studies have found that a combination of CBD and THC is effective in treating pain related to multiple sclerosis (MS) and arthritis.
An oral spray called Sativex (nabiximols), which is a 1:1 combination of THC and CBD, is approved in several countries to treat pain related to MS.
A study that included 47 people with MS examined the effects of taking Sativex for a month. The participants experienced improvements in pain, walking ability, and muscle spasms (7Trusted Source).
Still, the study didn’t include a control group, so placebo effects cannot be ruled out (7Trusted Source).
In one review, researchers noted that Sativex may benefit those with MS-associated neuropathic pain and chronic severe neuropathic pain. The review also found that Sativex may help relieve anxiety and stress, which are major drivers of chronic pain (8Trusted Source).
Additionally, some research suggests that CBD may relieve symptoms of rheumatic diseases such as fibromyalgia.
A study that included survey data from 2,701 people with fibromyalgia found that those who used CBD for pain relief generally reported slight to significant improvement in symptoms (9Trusted Source).
And according to preclinical evidence from rodent studies, CBD may have beneficial effects on pain and inflammation related to arthritis, but human studies are lacking (10Trusted Source).
Although researchers are cautiously optimistic that CBD may be helpful in the treatment of some types of pain, especially when combined with THC, more high quality studies are needed to determine its effectiveness in pain management.
CBD oil does not possess any psychoactive properties.
Instead has a recommended usage of treating pain caused by some of the following ailments:
- Alzheimer’s
- Anxiety
- Arthritis
- Cancer (and related treatments)
- Depression
- Diabetes
- General Pain
- Insomnia
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Parkinson’s
CBD for Pain Relief is Not New
Interestingly, the compound’s pain relieving properties may not be as newfound as initially thought, as many experts believe that marijuana was used to treat pain as early as 2900 BC. It was only recently that scientists discovered the component which made marijuana an effective form of pain relief was CBD.
If you’re specifically interested in the science behind CBD and are wondering, ‘what is CBD oils’ effect on the human body?’, the answer can be found within a specialised bodily system called the endocannabinoid system (ECS). The endocannabinoid is involved in regulating a variety of bodily functions, including pain, sleep, hunger, and immune system responses.
