Despite a considerable amount of people using cannabidol oil to relieve pain, more research is still needed to make sure it is safe. By better understanding CBD, the stigma associated with it can be better overcome. Read on as we look at how CBD oil works and how it can help with pain management.
Effects of CBD Oil
Cannabidol is one of over a hundred compounds found in the cannabis plant called cannabinoids. Unlike the other cannabis cannabidoid tetrahydrocannabinol or THC, CBD does not give a psychoactive or high effect. This is because THC does not work on the same receptors as CBD. Once THC enters the body, it effects the endocannabidoid receptors of the brain and products a high feeling. This actives the reward system of the brain, releasing pleasure chemicals like dopamine.
CBD, on the other hand, has a more complex effect. While it does not change a person’s state of mind, it influences the body to more effectively use its endocannabidoids. One thing that it does is to stop the body from absorbing anandamide, a compound that regulates pain. Increased levels of anandamide in the bloodstream can reduce the amount of pain a person feels. Cannabinol can also reduce inflammation in the nervous system and the brain, benefitting people suffering from insomnia, pain and some immune-system responses.
Various cannabis plants, usually called marijuana or hemp, has various levels of chemical compounds. The manner of the plant’s breeding effects its CBD levels. Majority of CBD oil comes from industrial hemp, which mostly has a higher amount of CBD compared to marijuana. CBD oil manufacturers use different methods in extracting the compound. The extract they get it added to a carrier oil, which then makes it CBD oil. CBD oil is available in different strengths and is used in many ways.
Benefits of CBD Oil
For thousands of years, people have used CBD to treat different kinds of pain, although the medical community have only started to study it again. Below are some of the possible benefits of CBD oil in pain management.
A study on an animal model aimed to see if CBD can help people manage their arthritis pain. For four days, researchers applied a gel topically that contains CBD to rats with arthritis. They noticed a significant drop in the signs of pain and inflammation among the animals, without any added side effects. People using CBD oil for arthritis can find relief from pain, although human studies still have to be done for further confirmation.
Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis or MS is an autoimmune disease effecting the brain and nerves of the body. One of its most common symptoms is muscle spasms, which causes great and constant pain to its sufferers. A report found that using CBD for short-term can decrease spasticity levels. Although the results are modest, many people have reported a significant reduction in their symptoms.
Chronic Pain
The same research looked into CBD oil use for general chronic pain. after compiling results of reviews covering studies and trials, their research concluded substantial evidence that marijuana is effective in treating chronic pain among adults. Another separate study suggest that CBD can reduce inflammation and pain. Subjects are not likely to build up tolerance to CBD, so continuous dosage increases is not needed.
Currently, CBD has a range of applications and several promising possibilities, including drug withdrawal and smoking cessation; treating epilepsy and seizures; anxiety treatment; antipsychotic effects among people with schizophrenia; reducing the effects of Alzheimer’s disease; and future applications in combating type 1 diabetes, acne and cancer. More research is still needed for confirm some of its uses, but it is already shaping up as a promising versatile treatment.