Long-term pain affects our emotional state, making us angry, anxious or even depressed. It can change your lifestyle, have a negative impact on your job, hobbies and relationships. To relieve this discomfort, many people use different medications, which can be habit-forming and lead to substance abuse.
Whether it is CBD oil gummies, vape pens or creams, cannabidiol (CBD) is considered one of the popular options for pain relief these days. Current research suggests that CBD could be a good alternative for people who have chronic pain and are dependent on medications, especially opioids. Let’s discover how the use of CBD for pain can be useful for different types of aches.
CBD & Inflammatory Pain
An injury causes inflammatory pain. It is a sharp, aching or throbbing pain that occurs after tissue damage. The damaged cells transfer signals to the inflammatory and immune cells. They release proteins and chemicals that activate the nerve endings by sending messages to the spinal cord and brain, causing pain sensation. There are two methods to relieve neuropathic pain, such as diminishing inflammation or blocking pain signals. CBD can work for both of them.
Cannabidiol is known to possess strong anti-inflammatory properties. Therefore, CBD oil consumption can help to ease pain in the case of injury. It blocks the inflammatory mediators and stimulates the anti-inflammatory activity of the scavenger cells, the main immune cells.
Furthermore, CBD is thought to aid in relieving pain by increasing the level of endogenic cannabinoid anandamide, which in turn activates the endocannabinoids in your body.
Cannabidiol can interact with serotonin receptors which in turn decrease anxiety and stress levels as well as cheer you up. When you are in a positive state of mind, you are less likely to concentrate on the discomfort and pain-causing factors. A good mood not only distracts your attention from pain but also helps to reduce the severity of pain signals that are sent to your brain.
CBD & Neuropathic Pain
Neuropathic pain can be caused by severe trauma that damages the nerves and can also be a symptom of multiple sclerosis, diabetes, Parkinson’s disease and shingles. Due to the destruction of cells by toxic medications, another reason for neuropathic pain is chemotherapy.
As it is not caused by inflammation, neuropathic pain hardly answers to the treatment, which usually can be alleviated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like IBU. However, CBD is able to help in reducing neuropathic pain.
Cannabidiol can help to lower pain caused by the activation of chemotherapy serotonin receptors. Fortunately, this does not affect chemotherapy drugs that target cancer cells. This is why CBD intake is considered most effective in the preventive treatment of cancer patients.
Ischia is another example of non-chemotherapy pain that causes compression of the sciatic nerve. Sciatica patients suffer from severe lumbar pain; meanwhile, the number of cannabinoid receptors increases. Taking CBD stimulates their activation and therefore helps to relieve pain.
CBD & Central Pain
Central pain is frequently triggered by nervous system dysfunction. Sometimes central pain can appear as the result of a trauma, but more often, it has no direct causes, and that’s why it doesn’t answer to the medications. Fibromyalgia, which is associated with chronic pain in bones and muscles, is an example of central pain. Pain signals that transmitters and processes in the brain are damaged. Nobody knows what the reason for the central pain is.
Studies argue that there are significant CBD benefits for central pain relief. CBD has shown its effectiveness in fibromyalgia treatment. All 26 patients with this disease who participated in the research highlighted the values of cannabidiol consumption and stopped taking drastic pharmaceuticals.