CBD, short for Cannabidiol, is extracted from the hemp or the marijuana plants. Most CBD oil comes from industrial hemp, which usually has a higher CBD content than marijuana.
Numerous studies have shown that CBD has more than just good pain relief properties.
It is thus becoming very popular among people with issues like insomnia, anxiety, stress, apart from just pain, especially muscle pain.
But, there are barriers to its use. Most people still think that CBD oil will give them a high or that it has to be vaped. These are myths. The best way to help overcome the stigma associated with cannabinoids like CBD is to understand it better.
How Does CBD Work?
CBD is just one cannabinoid known to man. There are more than 120 cannabinoids. Cannabinoids are found in many plants and not just the cannabis or hemp plants.
CBD does not produce a high or cause addiction like another popular cannabinoid such as tetrahydrocannabinol or THC, which is found in the drug marijuana.
CBD does not have any psychoactive properties as it does not affect the same receptors in your system as THC. On the other hand, it affects the endocannabinoid system (ECS) in your body. This system receives and translates signals from cannabinoids and helps to regulate sleep, the immune system, and pain.
When THC enters your system, it produces a “high” by affecting the brain’s endocannabinoid receptors. But, when CBD enters your system, none of this happens. It does not change your state of mind and give you a euphoric feeling. What it does is to influence your body to use its own endocannabinoids, or the cannabinoids produced by the ECS, more effectively.
CBD and Chronic Pain
CBD inhibits your body from absorbing a compound associated with regulating pain called anandamide. Cannabidiol has been shown to limit inflammation in the brain and the nervous system too. Inflammation is linked to pain and insomnia.
People have used CBD for thousands of years to treat different types of pain, but the research community has only recently begun to study it again as a definitive pain cure.
Scientific Studies Linking CBD and Pain
One of the most compelling studies on CBD and pain came from a large meta-analysis that was published in the prestigious medical journal JAMA in 2015. For this study, researchers looked at results from 79 previous studies published on cannabinoids and their effect on chronic pain.
However, most studies on CBD analyzed were primarily animal studies.
CBD and Muscle Pain
Chronic pain happens due to many reasons. Muscular anomalies and pathology play a big role. Multiple trials and studies have concluded that cannabis is an effective treatment for chronic pain and as it is an inflammation retarder.
Most of the available studies also note that CBD is the most promising, new treatment for people suffering from chronic pain.
The principal cause of muscle pain is strain and stress due to exercise. You can also get more painful, strained, and tender muscles as you age due to no apparent cause.
Muscle pain can make it hard for you to get proper sleep. It leads to fatigue, irritability, and soreness. There is major evidence to suggest that CBD oil helps with muscle discomfort and soreness. CBD oil is mixed with a carrier oil and this has shown to help with muscle pain, apart from treating localized pain, arthritis, or inflammation when massaged into the skin.
CBD oil can help you get better sleep too. People with pain-related conditions often say that their pain prevents them from getting quality sleep. Research shows that people who sleep well can manage pain better.
Studies have pointed out that CBD use can improve sleep along with its other benefits like fighting inflammation.
CBD can help with muscle recovery after post-exercise inflammation, as well as alleviate stress and tension. Using a CBD tincture on areas where you feel tightness and pain can help instant relief. CBD is a natural painkiller and many people globally are using CBD massages to complement physical therapy for combating muscle pain.
CBD and Joint Pain
CBD also offers tremendous benefits for people suffering from joint pain due to arthritis. Since CBD lowers inflammation, it is very effective in relieving arthritic pain.
Similarly, patients with multiple sclerosis or MS, an autoimmune disease that affects the entire body due to degenerative changes in the nerves and brain, are really affected by this compound.
MS causes painful muscle spasms commonly and these spasms can be so great they cause constant pain in some patients. Research has found that the short-term use of CBD oil could reduce the levels of muscle tightness or spasticity and reduce the pain felt by a patient.
Finding the Right CBD for Your Pain
Always look for a reputable and reliable supplier for your CBD. This way the CBD product will provide the desired muscle pain benefits for relief from all your symptoms. CBD is available as an oil, tincture, gel, and even candies. CBD has become a big business indeed.
For pain, it’s best to go for a CBD oil from a reputed vendor. Look for full-spectrum CBD oils and make sure that you have a hundred refund policy on the product.
CBD Dosage
The US FDA is at present not regulating CBD use for most conditions that cause chronic pain.
As no dosages are set, you have to treat CBD with caution. You should first speak to your doctor about whether it is a good idea to use CBD and it’s dosage.
Also do consider this before you buy a topical CBD product- look for the amount of CBD that a product claims to contain. Never be tempted to buy a product that has the highest amount of CBD because all studies done on CBD looked at systemic rather than local administration. Nobody really knows what the right dose would be so its better to err in favour of a lighter dose even though it’s tempting to go for the highest amount.
Side Effects of CBD
CBD oil is tolerated well by most, but there are some possible side effects of CBD that you should be aware of.
These are:
- Fatigue
- Diarrhea
- Appetite changes
- Weight gain or loss
CBD can also make other medications you may be taking more or less effective.
Some people can experience these effects even after a massage with CBD. So, if you are undergoing a massage treatment with CBD oil and start feeling nauseous, we suggest you stop the message and get out fast.
Finally…
It’s important to remember that CBD use is not recommended for women who are pregnant or lactating.
Further long-term studies on CBD in humans are needed, especially to understand the CBD’s effects on hormones and its side effects on the body over time. Apart from this, more CBD research is needed on CBD oil and pain in children, for example.
So, if you have some pain, do not reach for a bottle of CBD immediately as there can be worrying side effects to CBD use in some people.
We would like to leave you with a positive thought that CBD may work for you as it has almost miraculous potential for fighting pain with fewer side effects than many other pain medications.