Does CBD Oil Help With Inflammation And Pain? Know The Truth!

CBD or cannabidiol is a natural compound derived from the cannabis (marijuana and hemp) plant. This is one of the many kinds of cannabinoids found in cannabis plants. Unlike some other cannabinoids, CBD does not cause the high feeling often associated with cannabis.

It is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) that causes a high feeling. CBD and THC affect different receptors in the endocannabinoid system. This system in our body receives and translates signals from cannabinoids.

How Does CBD Oil Help With Inflammation And Pain?

Our body produces cannabinoids of its own, which are known as endocannabinoids. The endocannabinoid system of our body helps regulate functions such as sleep, immune system responses, and pain. Cannabinoids like CBD can interact with them. CBD has very minimal side effects and does not cause any addiction. 

There is a wide range of CBD products such as ingestible oils, topical creams, tablets, and gummies. They all are produced by extracting the CBD compound from the marijuana plant. Most of the CBD oil is produced from industrial hemp. It has more CBD content than marijuana.

CBD extracted from cannabis is added to a carrier oil like hemp seed oil or coconut oil to form CBD oil. CBD oil is available in various concentrations. You can consult your doctor to discuss its proper usage.

CBD Oil For Pain And Inflammation

CBD oil is mainly used to get relief from pain, anxiety, depression, and sleep disorders. Since there are restrictions on the usage and research of cannabis, there is less evidence from human studies to support the benefits of CBD oil. As more regions around the globe are legalizing the use of cannabis, research on this is gaining momentum and is showing many positive results.

CBD has many beneficial properties that help in treating various ailments. CBD is anti-inflammatory. This means that it can potentially reduce joint pains associated with health conditions like arthritis. CBD is an anti-oxidative.

Thus it can help to reduce systematic inflammation by fighting oxidative stress and helps to decrease symptoms of autoimmune diseases like lupus. CBD has neuroprotective properties. It means that it helps to slow the progression of neurological disorders like multiple sclerosis.

CBD is an anti-emetic, which means that it can decrease nausea and vomiting which are commonly associated with cancer treatments. It is also anti-psychotic in nature, thus it can relieve the symptoms of anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

CBD can also treat specific conditions like fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, migraine, neuropathic pain, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and seizures.

CBD helps to alleviate pain by working with the endocannabinoid system. This system is composed of three main components. It has cannabinoid receptors namely CB1 and CB2.

These receptors are present in the central nervous system, peripheral nervous system, and in your immune cells. CB1 receptors are mainly responsible for the cognitive and emotional effects of cannabis. It also affects the perception of pain.

Then there are endogenous cannabinoids which are the cannabinoids that your body produces and enzymes that facilitate the breakdown and use of cannabinoids.

The endocannabinoid system works on demand. It means that when our body senses inflammation or is in a need to return to a state of stable balance or homeostasis, it will release endocannabinoids that attach to cannabinoid receptors.

CBD does not bind itself to cannabinoid receptors and it is thought to work by inducing other components of the cannabinoid system. CBD has the capacity to exert a different variety of effects on the body’s central and peripheral nervous systems.

It also affects the immune system. It can work in coordination with the endocannabinoid system to decrease inflammation and act as an analgesic or pain reliever. CBD can also slow the progression of osteoarthritis and can prevent nerve damage.

CBD can help to reduce pain signals. It can modulate pain and the sensation of pain by enhancing the reuptake of adenosine, an inhibitory neurotransmitter. It thereby boosts adenosine levels in the brain and inhibits pain sensations.

CBD also helps to block pain signals from reaching pain processing centers in the brain by binding to receptors that are responsible for pain and inflammation. CBD also helps to reduce inflammation. It can act as an antioxidant and can decrease oxidative stress and systemic inflammation in the body.

CBD can reduce inflammation by controlling the number of microelements like zinc and selenium, which are important elements for a balanced immune response. It helps to reduce neuropathic pain like fibromyalgia or neuropathic back pain. It is done by countering hyperalgesia or abnormally heightened pain response. CBD can help to increase the immune response of our body.

Further, CBD is also helpful in improving mood and sleep. This is especially helpful while undergoing chronic pain. We know that our daily life, relationships, work, and mental health are adversely affected due to chronic pain. While undergoing chronic pain, it is common to face anxiety, depression, insomnia, and fatigue.

CBD will be useful in such cases. Taking CBD will help you to relax and get the restful sleep you need. CBD will affect endocannabinoid receptor activity, reduce inflammation, and interact with neurotransmitters to reduce the effects of chronic pain.

Some research says that when used on its own, CBD may be effective on certain types of pain including nerve pain and back pain. But the pain-relieving effects are at their best when CBD is combined with THC.

There are several studies conducted on humans that suggest that a combination of CBD and THC is effective in treating pain related to conditions like multiple sclerosis and arthritis. There is an oral spray called Sativex which contains THC and CBD in equal proportions. It is approved in many countries to treat pain related to multiple sclerosis.

A study was conducted on patients using Sativex for multiple sclerosis. It was found that participants in the study experienced improvements in pain, walking ability, and muscle spasms.

Studies also have attested that Sativex may be helpful for those with multiple sclerosis-associated neuropathic pain and chronic severe neuropathic pain. It is also found that Sativex helps in relieving anxiety and stress, which are mostly associated with chronic pain.

There is some other research that suggests that CBD may help to relieve symptoms of rheumatic diseases such as fibromyalgia. A study conducted on patients with fibromyalgia revealed that those who used CBD for pain relief generally reported little to significant improvements in symptoms.

These patients who took CBD faced little pain and inflammation from this condition. There are studies conducted on rats to study the effectiveness of CBD on arthritis. It has been revealed that CBD is beneficial in relieving pain and inflammation related to arthritis. But there is a lack of human studies to support these claims in human beings.

Ways Of Taking CBD For Pain

CBD is manufactured in different forms, like oils, extracts, capsules, vapes, patches, and topical preparations for use on the skin. If you are looking to relieve muscle and joint pain, you can use a topical CBD-infused oil, lotion, or cream.

This is also a good option to reduce inflammation due to different health conditions. Or else you can use a patch or a tincture or spray that is designed to be placed under the tongue. This allows CBD to directly enter the bloodstream. This will produce faster effects than applying CBD topically. 

Dosage Of CBD For Pain And Inflammation

You have to take care of the proper dosage of CBD or else it may not work for you. CBD does not have any proper recommended dosages as it is not currently regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Studies have found that there is no universal dosage of CBD that everyone should take. Everyone responds to a different dosage of CBD. The dosage of CBD you have to take depends on a range of factors including your weight, the condition you are treating, and the concentration of CBD in the oil, capsule, or gummy you take. It is better to start taking lower doses like 20 to 40 mg a day. After a few days, you can increase the dose by five milligrams. Continue like this until you feel good relief.

Conclusion

CBD is increasingly popular these days. It is growing in usage due to its wide variety of medical applications. CBD has pain-relieving properties and is used by patients to get relief from various kinds of chronic pain. For getting good relief from pain CBD can be used along with THC.

CBD also has good anti-inflammatory properties. So it can be used in the treatment of medical conditions like arthritis. Consult your doctor for proper dosage and guidance on using CBD.