CBD for Pain Relief: How Cannabidiol is Helping Improve Quality of Life

If you’re looking for pain-relief products, you’re bound to come across CBD. CBD has become popular as a natural remedy for various health issues, including pain. But how effective is CBD?

I’ve been using different CBD products for the last three years, and I’ve checked the research done on CBD. I’ll explain what CBD is, its effects and whether it can help relieve pain.

Quick Summary

CBD is one of the main two compounds in the cannabis plant.
There’s a wide range of CBD products that can help treat chronic pain.
CBD interacts with the endocannabinoid system and helps with inflammatory and neuropathic pain.

What is CBD?

CBD is short for cannabidiol. This is one of the two main active compounds in the cannabis plant. Unlike the other main compound, THC, CBD isn’t intoxicating, which means it won’t make you feel high.

There are three kinds of CBD:

Full-spectrum CBD — Contains all compounds in the cannabis plant, including THC.
Broad-spectrum CBD — Contains all compounds in the marijuana plant but no THC.
CBD isolate — Only contains CBD; pure CBD.

CBD is legal under the Farm Bill as long as CBD products don’t contain more than 0.3% THC.

Research suggests CBD can help with a wide range of health issues, such as preventing the spread of cancer, relieving anxiety, having pain-relieving effects, and others.

What are the Effects of CBD?

CBD has a broad range of effects on pain, such as:

Reducing pain signals — CBD can modulate pain and even block pain signals from reaching the corresponding centers in the brain.
Reducing inflammation — CBD acts as an antioxidant, so it reduces inflammation and neuropathic pain.
Improves mood and sleep — CBD oil can provide pain relief and help you sleep better. CBD has a relaxing effect, so it helps with depression and anxiety.
Aids type 2 diabetes — Increases insulin sensitivity, which improves type 2 diabetes.
Helps with Alzheimer’s symptoms — Helps with memory deficits in people with Alzheimer’s.
Relieves arthritis pain — CBD oils can inhibit the sensation of pain, which helps with arthritis pain.

Keep in mind that most studies on CBD’s effects on chronic pain relief are preliminary. While current data is promising, more research is needed.

How Can CBD Help With Pain Relief?

CBD can help with pain relief through the endocannabinoid system. This system is made up of cannabinoid receptors that interact with cannabinoids in the body. It’s in charge of our mood, metabolism, appetite, anxiety, and pain perception.

The natural endocannabinoids in the bodywork on demand. This means when the body senses inflammation, it releases endocannabinoids that bind with cannabinoid receptors. However, sometimes this isn’t enough, so you may need additional help in the form of CBD products.

CBD works with the endocannabinoid system and affects the central and peripheral nervous systems. In this way, it decreases inflammation and acts as a pain reliever.

CBD is approved in several countries for treating pain-related behaviors. For example, it can be used for multiple sclerosis in the UK and cancer pain in Canada.

Best CBD Products to Relieve Pain?

These are the best hemp-derived CBD products to relieve pain:

Topical

These include creams, lotions, salves, and patches. Transdermal cannabidiol reduces inflammation and is best for treating localized pain, nerve pain, and neuropathic pain.

You should apply topical CBD directly to the skin. These nonprescription CBD products can have a cooling effect.

Oral products

There are several kinds of oral products:

CBD isolate spray — It’s taken under the tongue and is quickly absorbed into the bloodstream. You’ll notice effects quickly, so it’s a good solution if you need to treat pain fast.
Capsules — Already have a dose of CBD infused, so you don’t have to wonder how many mg of CBD to take. You’ll need to wait about an hour for them to work.
CBD oils — Also taken under the tongue. You can also add oils to food.
CBD gummies — Similarly to capsules, you’ll need to wait some time for them to work. There are great if you have trouble swallowing pills, and they are delicious.

Inhaling Products

These are vapes. You insert a CBD oil cartridge into a vaping pen.

Its main benefit is that you’ll notice the effects fast. However, they’ll wear quickly as well. Also, you risk getting high if you vape full-spectrum CBD oil.

How to Use CBD Pain Relief Products Effectively?

It’s easy to use CBD products for pain relief.

If you opt for CBD capsules, make sure to use them as stated on the label. Most manufacturers advise using one to two pills a day. What time you should take the capsule depends on what you’re taking it for. For example, if you want to sleep better, take the pill an hour before going to bed.

CBD creams are great for relieving pain after work or exercise. Apply the cream straight to the area in pain. Usually, CBD creams have a fast absorption rate, so you’ll get relief quickly.

CBD oils usually come with a 1mL dropper, so you can mix the oil with food and drinks or place the oil under your tongue and hold for 30 to 60 seconds.

Note: It’ll take longer to treat pain with CBD oil if you add it to food instead of placing it under the tongue and swallowing.

The amount of CBD you should consume for pain management depends on your circumstances. A dose of 10mg to 20 mg of CBD is advised as a starting point for chronic pain. You can increase as needed.

Best Place to Buy CBD for Pain Products?

FDA hasn’t approved nonprescription CBD products, so you should be extremely careful where you buy your CBD products.

I’ve used a wide range of them, but my vote for the best CBD product goes to UNO CBD.

I’ve been taking CBD oil for several months and found it can relieve chronic pain. I even used it after a workout when I overdid it at the gym, and I felt better in minutes.

This CBD oil is third-party tested and comes in different potencies and flavors. There are two versions: full-spectrum and broad-spectrum oil for chronic pain management, so you can choose which one you want.

Should You Use CBD for Pain Relief?

CBD is one of the best ways to treat pain. You can choose between a wide range of CBD products. Go for CBD creams if you want to treat localized pain, CBD pills if you don’t want to wonder how much CBD to use, or CBD oils for easy application and fast pain relief.

Always buy CBD products from trustworthy manufacturers, apply as indicated on the label, and you’ll quickly get CBD’s pain-relieving effects.

References

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Farm Bill. (n.d.). Www.usda.gov. Available at: https://www.usda.gov/farmbill

O’Brien K. (2022). Cannabidiol (CBD) in Cancer Management. Cancers, 14(4), 885. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers14040885

Blessing, E. M., Steenkamp, M. M., Manzanares, J., & Marmar, C. R. (2015). Cannabidiol as a Potential Treatment for Anxiety Disorders. Neurotherapeutics: the journal of the American Society for Experimental NeuroTherapeutics, 12(4), 825–836. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13311-015-0387-1

Zou, S., & Kumar, U. (2018). Cannabinoid Receptors and the Endocannabinoid System: Signaling and Function in the Central Nervous System. International journal of molecular sciences, 19(3), 833. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms19030833

Cheng, D., Spiro, A. S., Jenner, A. M., Garner, B., & Karl, T. (2014). Long-term cannabidiol treatment prevents the development of social recognition memory deficits in Alzheimer’s disease transgenic mice. Journal of Alzheimer’s disease: JAD, 42(4), 1383–1396. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3233/JAD-140921

Hunter, D., Oldfield, G., Tich, N., Messenheimer, J., & Sebree, T. (2018). Synthetic transdermal cannabidiol for the treatment of knee pain due to osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis and Cartilage, 26, S26. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joca.2018.02.067

MD, P. G. (2021, August 11). The endocannabinoid system: Essential and mysterious. Harvard Health. Available at: https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/the-endocannabinoid-system