SO, WHAT IS CBD EXACTLY?
Cannabidiol (CBD) comes from marijuana. However, it doesn’t get you high! Legal CBD products are mostly derived from the hemp plant. This is a species of the Sativa marijuana plant. A significant difference is that hemp contains 0.3% or less of THC cannabinoids. CBD is legal in most countries.
How does CBD help pain?
CBD helps reduce pain by acting on various biological processes in the body. CBD tends to work as an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic. CBD also helps reduce the anxiety experienced by people living with chronic pain.
How many milligrams (mg) of CBD work for pain?
The dosage of CBD depends on the percentage of CBD in the given product, how it is administered as well as your body weight and chemistry. It would be best to talk to your doctor before setting a CBD dosage.
CBD’s Potential Benefits
It is important to note that CBD is lipophilic and hydrophobic, this means it is fat-soluble. Therefore, it can be carried across the blood-brain barrier and affect your CNS thus, it has a broad range of effects on pain, such as:
Increasing Immune Response – CBD can modulate the immune response by decreasing levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and inhibiting the proliferation of T cells that are indicated in autoimmune and systemic inflammatory disorders.
Reducing Pain Signals – CBD modulates pain and the sensation of pain by stimulating the reuptake of the neurotransmitter adenosine, thereby boosting adenosine levels in the brain and inhibiting pain sensations. CBD may also block pain signals from reaching processing centres in the brain by binding to TPRV1, responsible for pain and inflammation.
Reducing Inflammation – CBD lowers oxidative stress and systemic inflammation by acting as an antioxidant. CBD may also decrease inflammation by preventing a reduction in microelements like zinc and selenium, which are important actors for a balanced immune response, and may reduce neuropathic pain (such as fibromyalgia or neuropathic back pain) by countering hyperalgesia (an abnormally heightened pain response).
Improving Mood and Sleep – Chronic pain may disrupt your daily life, work, relationships, and mental health. If you face depression, anxiety, fatigue and insomnia– which are all very common with chronic pain – then CBD might help you relax and fall asleep – something that you badly need.
On the whole, there are very low risks of taking CBD, while the results are likely to be very promising. At the same time, it is essential to remember that more research needs to be done to fully understand the effects of CBD. Therefore, treatment with CBD is a personal choice and indeed quite a journey.
