CBD, or cannabidiol, is one of the 113 known cannabinoid compounds found in the cannabis plant. It offers a lot of health benefits for humans as well as animals. According to many studies conducted over the years after its discovery, CBD is found to be an effective remedy for health disorders like stress, anxiety, depression, arthritis, migraines, insomnia, epilepsy, acne, psoriasis, Alzheimer’s disease, etc.
The use of cannabis for reducing pain is going on for thousands of years. We have ancient writings that described the use of cannabis plants for treating different types of pain that affects the body. Today, we know that it is the presence of CBD and THC in the cannabis plant that gives it pain-relieving properties. THC is a psychoactive compound, which creates a sensation of high. Therefore, many people are hesitant to use CBD oils for their health problems.
There are different types of CBD oils available with fewer amounts of THC or without any THC content that helps in alleviating different types of body pain.
Arthritis Pain Relief
Arthritis is an inflammatory disorder that usually affects older adults. Arthritis causes inflammations in the joints that lead to severe pain. There are more than 100 different types of arthritis that affect humans. Among them, the most common is Rheumatoid arthritis and Osteoarthritis. The most common symptoms of arthritis are joint pain, stiffness, and swelling. In severe cases of Rheumatoid arthritis, loss of appetite is also experienced. It can also reduce the red blood cell count. If untreated, Rheumatoid arthritis can cause joint deformity.
Most of the current medications for arthritis only provide temporary relief. Recent studies have found that CBD has the ability to effectively treat different types of arthritis. The CBD can interact with the CB1 and CB2 cannabinoid receptors in the endocannabinoid system. This interaction will result in reducing the inflammations throughout the body and thereby reduces the pain associated with it.
In 2016, a group of scientists studied the effect of CBD on rats with arthritis. They applied the rats with different doses of CBD for four days in a row. The researchers noted that there is a significant reduction in the inflammation level in the rat’s joints. They also noted that all the rats that received different amounts of CBD showed similar results. Now, many doctors are suggesting the use of CBD for arthritis patients.
Chronic Pain Relief
We have already discussed the role of the endocannabinoid system in reducing pain in our body. CBD has the ability to interact with the core components of the endocannabinoid system; the cannabinoid receptors and the immune system. The interaction of CBD with the cannabinoid receptors creates anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving effects. These effects help in the management of pain throughout the body.
Therefore, CBD oil and other CBD products like CBD creams and CBD tinctures may benefit people with chronic back pain, neck pain, etc. There are so many researches that looked at the effect of CBD in treating chronic pain. Most of these studies were conducted between 1975 and 2018 and looked at the effect of CBD on cancer pain, fibromyalgia, and neuropathic pain. These studies concluded that CBD effectively reduced pain without causing any side effects.
Migraine Relief
Migraines are strong and chronic headaches that affect one side or both sides of the head. One of the major causes of migraines is the activation of nerve fibers in the brain blood vessels. According to statistics, about 12 % of the U.S population is affected by migraines. Some of the most common migraine symptoms include nausea, vomiting, fatigue, sensitivity to light and sound, etc.
In a study conducted in 2017, it is found that a combination of CBD and THC leads to reduce pain in migraine-affected people. In this study, one group of study took a compound with both CBD and THC. The other group took the compound with only CBD, no THC. It was observed that the combination of CBD and THC was more effective than the usually prescribed migraine medication Amitriptyline.
Cancer Treatment
Cancer is a term usually used to refer to a large group of diseases that is caused when abnormal cells in our body divide rapidly and spread to other tissues and organs of the body. Millions of people around the world are affected by different types of cancer. The main cause of cancer is the mutation of DNA in our cells. There are a lot of factors that cause this mutation including radiation exposure, smoking, exposure to carcinogens, etc.
Chemotherapy and radiation therapy, the two common treatments of cancer have a lot of side effects. It causes nausea, vomiting, pain, lack of appetite, and sleeplessness to the patients. According to the National Cancer Institute, CBD is an effective remedy for all these side effects. A study in 2010 looked at the effect on cancer-related pain. It was observed that the patients who received a combination of THC and CBD showed more effective pain relief.