Does CBD oil work for chronic pain management?

What is CBD oil?

There are different levels of compounds found in the natural hemp or cannabis plant. How people breed the plant affects the CBD levels. Most CBD oil comes from industrial hemp, which usually has a higher CBD content than marijuana.

Makers of CBD oil use different methods to extract the compound. The extract is then added to a carrier oil and called CBD oil.

CBD oil comes in many different strengths, and people use it in various ways. It is best to discuss CBD oil with a doctor before using it.

Benefits

People have used CBD for thousands of years to treat various types of pain, but the medical community have only recently begun to study it again.

Here are some of the possible benefits of CBD oil:

Arthritis pain

CBD oil is popular for easing pain associated with arthritis. A study in the European Journal of Pain used an animal model to see if CBD could help people with arthritis manage their pain. Researchers applied a topical gel containing CBD to rats with arthritis for 4 days.

Their researchers note a significant drop in inflammation and signs of pain, without additional side effects.

People using CBD oil for arthritis may find relief from their pain, but more human studies need to be done to confirm these findings.

Multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease that affects the entire body through the nerves and brain.

Muscle spasms are one of the most common symptoms of MS. These spasms can be so great they cause constant pain in some people.

One report found that short-term use of CBD oil could reduce the levels of spasticity a person feels. The results are modest, but many people reported a reduction in symptoms. More studies on humans are needed to verify these results.

Chronic pain

The same report studied CBD use for general chronic pain. Researchers compiled the results of multiple systematic reviews covering dozens of trials and studies. Their research concluded that there is substantial evidence that cannabis is an effective treatment for chronic pain in adults.

A separate study in the Journal of Experimental Medicine supports these results. This research suggests that using CBD can reduce pain and inflammation.

The researchers also found that subjects were not likely to build up a tolerance to the effects of CBD, so they would not need to increase their dose continually.

They noted that cannabinoids, such as CBD, could offer helpful new treatments for people with chronic pain.

Other uses

CBD currently has a range of applications and promising possibilities. These include:

Although more research is required to confirm some uses of CBD oil, it is shaping up as a potentially promising and versatile treatment.

In June 2018, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved one form of CBD as a treatment for people with two rare and specific kinds of epilepsy, namely Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS) or Dravet syndrome (DS).

The brand name of this drug is Epidiolex.

More generally, marijuana derived CBD products are not yet legal at the federal level but are legal under the laws of some states. Hemp derived CBD products that contain less than 0.3% THC are legal federally but are still illegal in certain states.

People must check their state's laws and those of anywhere they intend to travel. They must keep in mind that the FDA do not approve or regulate nonprescription CBD products. As a result, labeling may be inaccurate.

Takeaway

While many studies have suggested CBD oil is helpful for pain, more research is necessary, especially in long-term studies with human subjects.

However, CBD oil does show a lot of potential for pain relief. Anecdotal evidence suggests that it can be used to help manage chronic pain in many cases.

CBD oil is especially promising due to its lack of intoxicating effects and a possible lower potential for side effects than many other pain medications.

People should discuss CBD oil with their doctor if they are considering using it for the first time.

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