CBD for pain: Does it really work?

Some people dealing with pain in their lives use legal CBD products to relieve it, especially when CBD oil. Hemp drops with CBD are anti-inflammatory and have analgesic effects. The research to date on the effects of CBD on pain is therefore very promising.

What is CBD and how is it different from THC?

Cannabidiol (CBD) is one of the elements called cannabinoids that occur naturally in the cannabis plant and marijuana. However, CBD is not intoxicating, so it does not induce the "high" state that is often associated with cannabis. The euphoric states are caused by tetrahydrocannabinol (abbreviation THC), which is certainly the most famous cannabinoid in the world.

However, unlike CBD, it is illegal and, in addition to problems with the law, it can expose you to other inconveniences if you decide to use it. In addition, regular marijuana users may experience anxiety, restlessness, and paranoia.

CBD oil for pain

CBD drops they can be a very interesting alternative for people who suffer from chronic pain. To manage it, pharmaceutical preparations are usually used, such as opioid analgesics, which can be highly addictive and can cause numerous side effects.

CBD oils unlike these chemical preparations, they can be characterized as a purely natural product that can have a beneficial effect on heart function, immune system support, quality sleep, stress reduction or pain relief.

To fully verify effects of CBD oil we will need more studies on pain than we currently have. In today's article, however, we bring you an overview of what we already know about the effect of cannabis drops on pain.

CBD for chronic pain

The secret of CBD's strong therapeutic effects on the human body is said to lie in the interaction with the endocannabinoid system, ECS for short, which in our body is used, for example, to regulate body temperature, hormone levels, sleep and our mood.

ECS receptors could be characterized as small proteins that receive signals from various stimuli and subsequently help our cells to respond. This reaction creates anti-inflammatory effects that also help relieve pain, meaning that CBD oils and cannabis products similar to them can be an effective aid for managing both chronic and acute pain.

Studies of CBD for pain

A comprehensive study from 2018 reviewed studies of CBD for pain conducted between 1975 and 2018 that examined different types of chronic pain such as:

• pain associated with cancer
• neuropathic pain
• fibromyalgia

Based on the findings from these studies, the researchers concluded that CBD was indeed effective as a natural analgesic and also caused no negative side effects!

CBD for arthritis pain

For anyone wondering what arthritis pain is like, here's a recent one 2016 study, which investigated the effects of CBD on rats suffering from this disease.

The researchers applied CBD gel to rats for four consecutive days. The daily dose varied between 0.6, 3.1, 6.2 and 62.3 milligrams of CBD. In addition to no apparent side effects, it was also found that there was actually a reduction in inflammation and overall pain relief in the rats' affected joints!

The researchers concluded that a daily dose of 6,2 mg of CBD is high enough in rats to be effective against swelling and pain. There was no improvement in rodents with a low daily intake of CBD (0,6 to 3,1 mg). Significantly better results were not observed even in rats receiving 62,3 mg per day, which means that receiving a significantly higher dose may not lead to less pain intensity.

The analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects of CBD should probably help arthritis in humans as well. However, it is not yet possible to confirm this with certainty, as there are not too many studies and it would be good to have the results obtained mainly from research on humans.

CBD for pain in cancer treatment

One of the main reasons why people fighting an insidious disease resort to using CBD is the ability of cannabinoids to reduce the pain that unfortunately accompanies cancer and its treatment. Therefore, most studies have focused on the topic of what role CBD plays in the management of cancer-related pain.

A 2010 study focused on administering oral sprays with a THC-CBD extract combination in conjunction with opioids. The research revealed information that the use of cannabis extract provided study participants with more effective pain relief than opioids alone, which are commonly used for treatment.

Další 2013 study on THC, involving many of the same scientists, reached a similar finding. Here too, oral sprays with hemp extract in the combination of THC-CBD cannabinoids were regularly applied to the participants.

CBD can lead to the reduction of cancerous tumors, research on mice has shown it!

Research carried out on animals so far confirms that cannabidiol, aka CBD, could indeed eliminate cancer cells, slow down their spread and thereby slow down the growth of tumors. In addition, without side effects and damage to healthy cells. However, to be able to confirm with certainty that medicinal cannabinoids have the same effects on humans, we would again need more evidence. However, the probability that this information will be confirmed in the future is very high.

CBD for Migraine Pain Relief

In most studies CBD for pain associated with migraine, the cannabinoids CBD and THC were used simultaneously, so in this case we have very little knowledge about the effect of cannabidiol itself.

However, a 2017 study showing that CBD combined with THC can actually lead to a reduction in acute pain in people with migraines is definitely worth mentioning.

In a two-phase study, some participants used a compound with 9 percent CBD and almost no THC. The second compound contained 19 percent THC. Both medicinal substances obtained from cannabis were administered orally.

In the first phase, no pain-relieving effect was registered when the administered dose was lower than 100 mg of CBD. However, when the dose was increased to 200 mg, acute pain decreased by a respectable 55 percent!

In phase number two, the researchers resorted to the simultaneous application of CBD and THC substances. One dose was 200 mg of cannabinoids. The result of this experiment was a reduction in the occurrence of migraines in 40,4 percent of the participants!

Compared to a substance called amitriptyline, which refers to a tricyclic antidepressant, the combination of CBD and THC compounds was even slightly more effective. Amitriptyline at a dose of 25 mg was able to reduce the incidence of migraine "only" in 40,1 percent of people.

Side effects of CBD

As in the previous article, we bring you knowledge about the side effects of CBD. We repeat that quality CBD products from verified suppliers are absolutely safe for our body. Their application brings almost no side effects. In very rare cases, according to publicly available information, the following negatives can be encountered (when using a few dozen drops):

• diarrhea
• fatigue
• dry mouth
• dizziness

My personal experience is that I have applied enormous doses when experimenting CBD oils, and yet I experienced none of the above side effects. And not even in the long term. Maybe just a momentary dryness in the mouth, for which a glass of water with lemon helped me a lot. However, if it is not necessary, there is no need to s CBD dosage exaggerate.

Important information: Cannabidiol cannot be overdosed under any circumstances!

CBD drug interactions

You can learn more about how CBD can interact with prescription or over-the-counter medications in the article CBD drops for anxiety.

Conclusion

We don't have as much information about the effect of CBD (oil) on pain as we would imagine. Nevertheless, we can say that scientists agree on the high therapeutic potential of CBD.

CBD products we can therefore describe cannabis as a gentle alternative way to relieve pain without exposing ourselves to the risk of chemical intoxication or addiction.

If you want to use CBD for chronic pain, definitely consult your doctor first. It can help you determine an appropriate starting dose.

That's all for today, thank you for your attention and we look forward to seeing you in the next article on our blog. 🙂

Warning: The nature of this article is purely informative. It does not aim to encourage the consumption of CBD flowers or other types of cannabis. The information on our website is used exclusively for educational purposes, i.e. they cannot be taken as a substitute for a doctor's diagnosis or recommended treatment. Our site does not endorse or otherwise support the abuse of narcotic and psychotropic substances.

Sources:

https://www.healthline.com/health/cbd-oil-for-pain/

https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/cam/hp/cannabis-pdq

https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/24/9/1694/htm

https://archives.drugabuse.gov/testimonies/2015/biology-potential-therapeutic-effects-cannabidiol

https://www.jpsmjournal.com/article/S0885-3924(09)00787-8/fulltext