Chronic pain is a health issue for millions of individuals around the world. By its nature, the pain is a multidimensional and complex experience. Pain perception is affected by our mood, social environment, past experiences and unique biology. If you or your closed ones are subjected from chronic pain, you already know how heavy this burden is.

Since it can be challenging to find effective pain-management options without experiencing severe side effects or using potentially addictive drugs, many people are looking for novel, effective ways to manage pain. There is an increasing exploration into the benefits of CBD for health, with the therapeutic benefits becoming a popular choice for those in search of pain relief. CBD does not cause the intoxication or “high” connected with marijuana use, meaning the user can find relief to their symptoms with no worry about causing harm to themself. So, does CBD oil work for chronic pain management?

So, How Is Pain Felt?

Thousands of nerves work together to produce the pain signals, and it is the brain’s interpretation of the information that results in the sensation of pain. Nerves transmit pain signals inside the spine in the form of electrical impulses, allowing complex messages to be sent from the body to the brain to inform it on the body’s condition.

Pain is most commonly triggered by an event, such as illness (like arthritis) or injury (a fracture or nasty strain). This pain is often a useful sensation as it indicates a problem that needs addressing. In most individuals, this pain sensation gets less as the condition heals or is treated. However, in some people, the pain sensations continue. In this situation, it is thought that the brain starts to misinterpret the received impulses, causing the pain to continue even though the trigger has gone. This is chronic pain. It is essential to understand that this pain is still real, and the complexity of pain makes it very hard to alleviate.

What Is CBD & How Does It Work?

Cannabidiol (or simply CBD) is a promising, natural compound that is obtained from Cannabis Sativa plants. The understanding of the CBD role in pain management continues to evolve, and many evidence from animal studies has shown that CBD offers its pain-relieving effects through its interactions and modulation of the endocannabinoid, nociceptive and inflammatory systems. The endocannabinoid system includes various cannabinoid receptors that interfere with our own cannabinoids naturally occurring in the body. This complex system plays an integral part in regulating many functions, including mood, immune system, anxiety, metabolism, appetite and pain perception.

In recent times, there has been an expansion in the awareness of the benefits CBD oil can have to a person’s health. The illnesses CBD may help vary hugely. According to a March 2018 Survey, specifically analysing CBD users, the following symptoms and diseases were cited as reasons people turned to CBD for relief:

• Chronic pain;
• Arthritis/Joint pain;
• Anxiety;
• Insomnia or other sleep disorders;
• Depression;
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD);
• Migraine, cluster, tension headaches;
• Nausea;
• Allergies or asthma;
• Cancer;
• Epilepsy or other seizure disorder;
• Multiple sclerosis (MS);
• COPD/Other lung condition;
• Alzheimer’s disease;
• Parkinson’s disease.

Within this stimulating study, the most common medical condition for which CBD was utilised was chronic pain.

Should You Take CBD For Chronic Pain?

The various ways CBD can be utilised to ease the pain is endless, but an easy and straightforward way to start is to take CBD oil. Even though CBD is very well tolerated in large amounts, it is still preferable to learn your suitable dosage required to help your requirements.

There are numerous advantages for taking CBD oil for pain. See the list below for how a chronic pain patient may benefit:

• Improving the quality of sleep – CBD oil may put your mind at ease, providing a state of relaxation. Therefore, it can help to deal with insomnia and stay asleep longer, which in turn contribute to feeling more rested and energised in the morning;
• Relieving migraines – There is not yet complete scientific evidence on CBD as an effective treatment for migraines. However, Dr Stephen Silberstein, director of the Headache Centre at Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, commented that it may still be a good choice for patients with joint and muscle pain associated with migraines. Dr Silberstein stated that “If you have a lot of neck pain or soreness, it is perfectly reasonable to use CBD oil. It may even prevent nausea and vomiting”;
• Alleviating joint pain – Anti-inflammatory properties of CBD can help to reduce heat and swelling, in turn reducing joint pain and providing relief;
• Reducing Depression – CBD may alleviate your mood (through its actions on the CB1 and CB2 receptors in the central and peripheral nervous systems) and influence the serotonin levels.

To experience the effects of CBD oil, you can take the oil sublingually, consume CBD capsules, apply topicals for target relief, inhale cannabidiol through a vape pen or eat various edibles. However, this should not be your core medication, as more research is needed. It is necessary to choose only the best CBD oil products and seek the advice of a qualified healthcare provider.