CBD against pain – miracle cure or placebo?
CBD is the abbreviation for cannabidiol and is one of the main active ingredients of the hemp plant. In contrast to the well-known THC, CBD has no psychoactive effect, which makes its use 100% legal in Germany.
CBD can have an alleviating effect on various complaints and diseases and is increasingly recommended by orthodox physicians as a supplement to classic therapies.
CBD oil is the most common form of administration, but tablets or creams with cannabidiol are also used. CBD for pain is an important application.
The German Pain Society (DGSS) estimates that there are about 13 million pain patients in Germany. A distinction must be made between acute pain, which occurs in tissue, muscles, bones and organs and is usually associated with stressful phases of life, and chronic pain.
Chronic pain is usually caused by serious diseases such as cancer, MS or rheumatism, in addition there is fibromyalgia as an independent disease pattern. Pain is also classified according to its location or cause. Nociceptive pain results from tissue damage, while neuropathic pain originates in the nervous system.
Psychogenic pain on the other hand is related to anxiety, stress and depression. Headaches, back pain, joint pain, muscle pain and chest pain are among the most common types of pain. Patients feel massively restricted in their everyday life by chronic pain, also on the psychological level. Pain is perceived very individually and differently depending on the situation.
Can CBD help against pain?
The organism has its own endocannabinoid system that is able to receive signals from cannabinoids, interpret them and produce its own cannabinoids. Body functions such as sleep, immune responses and pain are controlled here.
When CBD is supplied to the organism, it docks onto receptors in the endocannabinoid system and, according to a study published in the English-language journal Neurotherapeutics, ensures that the body no longer absorbs the endocannabinoid anandamide, increasing its quantity in the blood. Anandamide is believed to have a pain regulating effect.
In this context, the administration of CBD makes sense, as the sensation of pain can be reduced or even eliminated in this way. Taking CBD oil for pain is also recommended because cannabidiol is thought to be able to reduce inflammatory processes in the brain and nervous system, which may help with nerve pain and other types of chronic pain.
This is the conclusion of a study conducted by Chinese scientists and published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine. Here, a large-scale laboratory experiment on mice and rats showed that CDB was able to sustainably curb chronic pain in the animals.
This makes CBD a great hope as an alternative therapeutic agent. By the way, I have had the best experience with CBD oil from Limucan.
For which pain CBD oil can be used?
As early as 2008, a study looked at evaluations of studies on CBD oil for pain that have been conducted since the late 1980s. The scientists particularly emphasized the effect of cannabidiol against insomnia, which chronic pain patients often suffer from, as well as against complaints such as nerve pain associated with multiple sclerosis (MS).
A study conducted in 2016 examined the effect of CBD on rats suffering from arthritis. CBD oil dosage for pain ranged from 0.6 to 62.3 mg per day in the animals. A significant decrease in pain and inflammatory processes has been observed.
Further experiments on mice showed that CBD oil is said to be able to shrink tumors, but most studies deal with pain from cancer. The U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI) emphasizes that there would be better pain management under chemotherapy with the administration of CBD. In addition, CBD oil can be used successfully against headaches such as migraine or cluster headaches.
What are the advantages of taking CBD for pain??
Persistent pain is often treated with opiates, which act directly on pain receptors. It provides relief from symptoms, but brings strong side effects such as respiratory depression, nausea and vomiting.
In addition, the administration of opiates can lead to dependence. CBD oil for pain offers a good option for pain patients seeking a 100% natural alternative or who want to use cannabidiol to supplement conventional therapy.
What are the side effects of CBD?
Strong side effects of CBD oil are not known. According to a study conducted by the Nova Institute in Hürth, nausea, fatigue, diarrhea, loss of appetite or weight gain can occur with excessive dosages. Pregnant women and children should generally refrain from taking cannabidiol.
What CBD dose should be taken for pain?
CBD oil shows great potential in pain management and, according to study results, can help patients relieve their symptoms without the risk of addiction and severe side effects. There is no standard guideline for CBD oil dosage for pain.
However, there are more and more users sharing their experiences with CBD for pain. These reports are of course to be taken with caution and not 1 : 1 transferable to any case. It is therefore recommended to consult a doctor before starting to take CBD to get a dosage recommendation and to discuss the application in principle.