Pain is one of the hardest things to treat as the experience of pain is different for everyone. Many various factors influence our perception of pain. For example, our mood, biology, past experiences, and environment all play a role.
What are the concerns for existing pain medication?
Current pain relief medication often contains opioids which makes many of them ‘ morphine-type medications. These are the standard go-to treatments for moderate to severe pain. Examples include:
- Codeine
- Morphine
- Tramadol
- Diamorphine
Opioid medications affect the opioid receptors, which lessen your perception of pain and increase your dopamine levels (pleasure). The effect they have on our dopamine levels makes them dangerously addictive. Plus, many may cause unpleasant side effects in some people too. Therefore, patients are more interested in safe, nonaddictive alternative medicines. Given the many health benefits of CBD, as listed online at https://cfah.org/, it’s no surprise CBD is emerging as a promising form of pain treatment.
What is CBD?
CBD, short for cannabidiol, is one of the two most prominent chemical compounds found in cannabis. THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) is the other one. There has been plenty of scientific research into them, which has highlighted THC as the compound that causes psychotic highs, whereas CBD does not. Instead, CBD has numerous health benefits, pain-relief being one.
CBD is a plant extract and can be incorporated into many different types of products. The health, food, and beauty industries have embraced it as the new ‘big thing’. You can find it in vapors, oils, oral sprays, edibles, creams, ointments, supplements, and more. This means you can take it according to your needs and preference. For example, a cream might be the best option if you’re using CBD to treat muscle pain or skin problems.
How Does CBD Treat Pain?
CBD is thought to relieve pain through its interaction with the body’s endocannabinoid system. This system is our own body’s production of molecules called endogenous cannabinoids – yes, our bodies create cannabinoids. The ECS system is responsible for regulating the body’s state of homeostasis, which is crucial for the digestive, immune, and neurological systems to operate effectively. The way CBD cannabinoids interact with our own is the primary way CBD relieves pain.
Research has found that CBD can activate, antagonize, or inhibit our cannabinoid receptors. Specifically, our CB1 and CB2 receptors. The way CBD activates our CB2 receptors causes a reduction in oxidative stress and inflammation. Therefore, research has praised CBD for its anti-inflammatory effects on the body.
What pain conditions can CBD help?
The anti-inflammatory properties of CBD, which work on the CBD’s anti-inflammatory properties, have also been shown to relieve symptoms of IBS, such as stomach pain and constipation. Plus, the pain-relieving effects can help with arthritis’s chronic pain and symptoms.
Not only can CBD relieve you of physical pain but emotional pain too. Studies have shown how CBD can positively affect your serotonin levels in the brain, improving your mood and experience of negative emotions. Consequently, this can also help improve the negative feelings we associate with pain and help change our perception of pain.
In conclusion, CBD is promising to be a successful alternative medicine for treating pain but doesn’t produce the adverse side effects and drug dependency associated with some traditional opioid medications.
We believe that CBD is the bridge between emotional mindfulness, stress, sleep and physical nutrition, fitness aspects of wellness. See our Creaky Joints.