Are you aware that the biggest reasons people apply for medical marijuana cards are because they are suffering from pain? Over 86,000 people in Colorado – around 92% of the patients – treat their chronic pain through cannabis use.
CBD and pain management research show us promising results. People beginning to use cannabinoid therapy are discovering that this treatment deserves more research and attention since opioids are so addictive and life-threatening.
The Department of Health and Human Services in the US put out a very telling statistic in 2016. All told around 116 people taking opioids died every day from overdoses. Believe it or not, of all of the opioid -related deaths at the time, 40% of them came from opioid prescriptions and not street drugs. Even worse, the government determined that we were suffering from a public health emergency in 2017 because of the opioid crisis.
Healthcare providers prescribe these drugs for pain management and treatment. Imagine if there was a better solution. Maybe CBD oil is the answer.
Reasons to Consider Taking CBD Oil for Pain Management
The world has recognized CBD oil as a viable option for pain relief. No matter if you’re suffering from chronic or acute pain, it can be experienced at high intensity or low intensity and it could happen to different parts of your body. Because pain can happen just about anywhere, there are many different ways to treat this problem including prescription medication and other options.
CBD is a great choice because you can apply it topically or use oral consumption. On the other hand, you can get CBD through marijuana by vaping it, smoking it, eating it, or taking it sublingually. So it’s a great option for pain relief treatments.
Some people use a CBD patch to treat lower back pain and sore muscles to great effect. Others may use a CBD tincture to treat headaches and chronic migraines. Since we universally feel pain, our bodies will react and respond differently depending on our health and other factors.
There are a number of different ways that CBD can be consumed to treat pain. The condition and personal preferences should determine the method used. As an example, if you have sensitive lungs you’d be better off using CBD capsules instead of smoking it. Or if you prefer to avoid taking pills, vaping CBD might be a better choice.
This chemical compound is naturally occurring and found in hemp plants and cannabis. Unlike opioids and other prescription medications, you will not have to deal with difficult side effects, which makes CBD an even more exciting option for pain relief.
CBD: What Is It?
The acronym CBD is the convenient way to say cannabidiol. This substance is one of more than 80 compounds that can be found within the cannabis plant and they are all called cannabinoids.
Cannabinoids occur naturally and they are all uniquely different from one another. At this time, we are on the verge of learning about these substances and what each of them can do as they interact with our body. CBD in particular is one of the most commonly known of the cannabinoids with the only exception being THC.
When you get high from marijuana, you are feeling the THC. CBD on the other hand does not provide any psychoactive high effects whatsoever. But when THC and CBD are combined, they can produce the entourage effect and work together to create feelings of relaxation and peace.
By combining CBD with CBN or CBG and THC, the product is going to work much better than it would if it was just by itself. Full-spectrum CBD products have other cannabinoids present within them, which lets the buyer know that they are going to be more effective than products that only contain CBD.
The endocannabinoid system has a regulating effect on the immune and endocrine systems within our body. In fact, our body can produce endocannabinoids naturally which are used to bind to receptors for body regulation. On the other hand, the phytocannabinoids found in marijuana also bind to receptors and create the calm, peaceful, and pain-free feeling that many medical marijuana users seek.
CBD pain treatments work because the endocannabinoid system in the body will bind to cannabinoids, which create an analgesic effect to eliminate pain in the human body. This is all part of a natural process that the body goes through, which is why CBD is such a powerful way to increase pain relief.
What Painful Symptoms Do People Seek to Relieve with CBD?
Many people are using products containing CBD for different types of pain relief. Some of the more common conditions include seizures, cancer, inflammation, arthritis, and anxiety. Once the CBD kicks in and provides its healing benefits, patients begin to feel better naturally without the unwanted side effects typical of opioid use.
When people experience chronic pain, it’s usually neuropathic or nociceptive. When pain is nociceptive, this is the most common type that’s typically caused by inflammation or tissue damage. These pains are sharp, aching, and usually throbbing.
Neuropathic pain on the other hand is caused by nervous system damage. This pain is not necessarily fun because it’s tingling, burning, and it creates a stabbing feeling. Recent studies show us that pain relief is possible with either type of pain when using CBD treatments, which is positive for those suffering from all forms of chronic pain.
There was a systematic review led by Harvard that looked over 28 studies in regards to synthetically made or plant made cannabinoids known as exocannabinoids and their effects on pain relief. Ultimately, the studies determined that “the use of marijuana for chronic pain, neuropathic pain, and spasticity due to multiple sclerosis is supported by high-quality evidence.”
All studies looked at neuropathic and chronic pain and discovered that patients experienced significant improvements with cannabis. Additionally, a study at the University of Michigan in 2016 discovered pain sufferers reduced their use of opioids by 64% when choosing cannabis instead.
Celebrated actor Morgan Freeman suffers from fibromyalgia and uses cannabis to treat the pain he feels in his arm. Beloved actress and current talk show maven Whoopi Goldberg treats her glaucoma pain with cannabis and even has her own line of medical cannabis products for women who suffer from menstrual pain.
Conclusion
Those new to CBD have discovered that there are many wonderful products that can help relieve pain in lieu of traditional medication like opioids. Check out the products to determine which ones seem right for you. Make sure they have a money back guarantee so you can test products comfortably without the fear of losing your money.