Ever since the legalization of CBD-based products, CBD oil has emerged as one of the best natural sources for chronic and/or severe pain.
As the market is flooded with different CBD products, Canadians need to understand how CBD oil works for pain management and what’s the best product for them. And in the following sections, we will help you understand just that.
Let’s start!
Type Of Pains And Can CBD Help?
There have been many studies on CBD and its pain-relieving effects for different types of pain and the results are promising!
In this regard, one of the biggest advantages of CBD over other regular medications like opioids is that CBD does not carry any risk for addiction – as concluded in the World Health Organization report on CBD. Not only that, CBD is free of any side effects that come along with opioid painkillers.
On that note, let’s take a look at how CBD helps deal with various pains:
A. CBD And Chronic Pain
More and more studies show the positive effects of CBD for pain management. As you may already know, CBD is a naturally occurring compound in hemp plants, which are extracted to create various CBD products.
Depending on your condition and the intensity of pain, CBD can be extremely helpful in alleviating chronic pains, including neuropathic pains caused by damaged nerves. Similarly, it’s been shown to be effective for relieving muscle spasms and discomfort resulting from multiple sclerosis, mainly affecting the nerves and brain.
B. CBD And Arthritis
According to the Arthritis Foundation, many users have reported CBD’s effectiveness in relieving their arthritic pain.
Here, we should also mention that the two most common types of arthritis are autoimmune rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. While the former stems from the attack of the body’s immune system on the joints to cause pain and inflammation, the latter causes degeneration of bones and joints.
C. CBD And Cancer Treatment
Many cancer patients use CBD to reduce their pain and alleviate symptoms from treatments like chemotherapy. This has been explored by studies that have shown CBD’s therapeutic potential for managing pain and other symptoms that come with cancer.
Besides, the potential of CBD to help reduce side effects from chemotherapy, such as nausea and lack of appetite, has also been documented.
D. CBD And Migraine
In the case of migraines, CBD on its own has been shown to be effective in alleviating pain from headaches. But, combined with other cannabinoids like CBDV in full-spectrum products, these cannabinoids together may result in even more effective relief for chronic migraine pains.
CBD Oil & Pain: What Does The Study Say?
Much like any other CBD product, CBD oils interact with our body’s ECS receptors to strengthen your body’s response against pain and inflammation. And as we have already mentioned above, CBD oils do not carry any risk of addiction or severe side effects. This is because, unlike THC, pure CBD doesn’t get you addicted or make you feel “high.”
Even for oils that contain both THC and CBD, the percentage of THC should be less than 0.75% to negate any psychoactive effects. Hence, it’s always advisable to thoroughly check the product description before buying any such product.
Preliminary researches have shown that apart from pain-relieving properties, CBD has anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial benefits, both of which boost overall well-being. While most of us naturally produce endocannabinoids almost on a daily basis, supplementing with plant-sourced CBD is especially beneficial for those whose bodies have limited endocannabinoid production.
It’s also important to mention that the precise effects of CBD for the same type of pain can differ from one individual to another. Several factors, such as dosage (which we will discuss in later sections), body weight, and the individual’s body chemistry influence the final results of CBD intake.
How Does CBD Oil Work For Pain?
Many researchers have suggested that CBD products work with the body’s endocannabinoid system (ECS) to create pain-relieving effects. The ECS system is your “cell-signaling” system, which, in turn, comprises numerous receptors (the proteins attached to the cells) located in the brain and all throughout your immune system.
These receptors are primarily responsible for receiving chemical signals originating from various stimuli, thereby helping the cells respond. CBD enhances these responses that ultimately promote pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory effects to aid pain management.
A recent review of the studies conducted about CBD and pain management between the 1970s and 2018 has concluded that CBD is indeed effective in reducing several chronic pains from cancer or neuropathic conditions. Plus, there were no significant side effects even with long-term use in a lot of cases.
How To Take CBD For Pain?
Before we take you through the details of CBD intake or consumption, it only makes sense to talk about the different types of CBD products available on the market. Generally, you will find the following types of CBD products:
- Creams, balms, and lotions
- Oil and tinctures
- Edibles like gummies and capsules
A. Topical Creams
Starting with topical CBD products like creams and balms; these are known to help relieve a variety of pains, including arthritis-related, nerve-damage-related, and even jaw-related.
One of the biggest advantages of these products is their convenient application. All you have to do is apply the cream or balm to the affected area.
Once applied, the CBD cream is absorbed by the skin, which then heads straight towards a neurotransmitter “middleman” to maximize the dampening effects on pain and inflammation. In addition, there may be other natural ingredients like Rosehip, Marigold or Jojoba that may have skin/wound healing properties.
B. CBD Oils
Moving on to oils, CBD oil will comes with a carrier oil like hemp (which is quite bitter) or MCT oil (which is light and sweet and used in all CBDNorth CBD oils).
Users are then required to use a dropper to place the oil under the tongue, which allows for the best absorption. Leave it there for a few minutes before swallowing.
As a result, the CBD is quickly broken down and absorbed by the blood vessels under the tongue. However, you may also add the required dosage to meals and beverages, which we will talk about later.
Aside from pain-relieving effects, CBD oil has been successfully used to relieve insomnia and anxiety disorders like PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), even in children.
Not only that, but some studies have also revealed the antidepressant properties of CBD. Hence, it may be safe to conclude that CBD’s calming effects play a crucial role in promoting the overall well-being of an individual minus harmful side effects.
The effectiveness of CBD oil in treating anxiety, and stress-related conditions, in particular, can be linked to its ability to work with the receptors of the brain to optimize the production of serotonin. It is the hormone responsible for uplifting our mood, promoting overall well-being, and aiding eating, sleeping, and digestion.
C. CBD Edibles
CBD gummies containing CBD oil and other beneficial ingredients are usually found as gummies. Again, you may find flavored variants like berries, as a lot of people don’t prefer the natural “earthy” taste of pure CBD.
Due to their compact form, they’re convenient to carry around and easy to get the right dosage with.
CBD Oil Dosage For Pain
At this point, you may be wondering about the exact CBD dosage that’d effectively relieve chronic pain. But as everyone’s body is different and everyone responds differently, there isn’t one universal dosage that works for everyone. Usually, finding the right dose for you requires some testing out.
As a general starting point, we recommend to start with half a dropper for a few days and then adjusting based on results.
Since the CBD concentration of a product also influences the dose, you may have to do some calculations. For instance, if you require 30mg CBD per dose and the total CBD concentration per capsule or gummy is 15mg, you will have to consume 2 of them in one sitting.
But as you have already guessed, calculating the precise CBD dose for oil or tinctures can be challenging as it’s difficult to predict the exact number of drops per bottle. But product & dose finders can make this step an easy and quick process.
In the case of topical creams, you can divide the total CBD concentration by the total amount of product in the package. For example, if you have a 60ml cream that has a total of 600mg CBD, the CBD concentration per ml is 10mg.
Ways Of Using CBD Oil
Going back to our point about sublingual intake of CBD oil, let’s take a look at some of the most popular methods of using it:
A. Adding It To Your Favourite Beverage
Whether you start your day with a smoothie, coffee, or fresh juice, try adding some CBD oil in your beverage. This will help you get rid of body pains and make you feel energized to go about the rest of the day.
B. With Salad Dressing
A great way to incorporate CBD oil in your meals is by adding the required quantity to your preferred salad dressing (both homemade and store-bought). Don’t have a favorite salad dressing yet? Then here’s something that should appeal to your taste buds.
Mix two teaspoons of the oil with 3 or 4 tablespoons of olive oil, the juice of half a lemon, and salt and pepper according to taste.
C. With Sweet Treats
From cookies to brownies and homemade candies, you can add the required dose of CBD oil practically in any baked good or handcrafted dessert. Just make sure that you can refrigerate them to keep the CBD fresh, or even better, consume them straight out of the oven!
D. With Cocktails
If you’re feeling fancy or looking to relax after a hard day’s grind, try mixing your dose with your beverage of choice.
What Are The Possible Side-Effects Of CBD?
One thing to note is that CBD does have some mild side effects – mostly reported by first-time users or when using more CBD in very large amounts. Below are some of the common side effects:
- Drowsiness or fatigue, especially if you’re on other sedating medications
- Dry mouth or “cottonmouth” leading to dehydrated mouth and eyes
- Changes in mood or alertness
FAQs – What To Know Before Buying CBD Oil For Pain?
Q. What Should You Look For In The Product Description?
In a nutshell, here are some of the crucial factors to keep in mind before making a purchase:
- Amount of CBD per serving
- Type of CBD (full-spectrum, broad-spectrum, or isolate extract)
- Third-party lab test results
- Other ingredients (should be mostly organic)
- Recommended dose
We recommend using CBD that comes from organic hemp plants, free of any chemical fertilizers or pesticides. At CBDNorth we only use Organic Hemp that is Canadian Grown and free of any artificial chemicals. We third-party test all our CBD to ensure it 100% clean of any contaminants and is safe to consume.
Q. How Are Full-Spectrum & Isolate CBD Different?
While full-spectrum CBD contains all the cannabinoids naturally occurring in the hemp plant, isolate CBD contains only pure CBD and nothing else.
In our opinion, the presence of different cannabinoids in full-spectrum CBD products gives them an edge over isolated extract products. This is due to the “entourage effect” that amplifies the effects of the different cannabinoids for increased efficiency.
Q. How Long Does It Take For CBD Oil To Work For Chronic Pain?
You should start feeling the effects within 15-30 minutes of consuming the CBD oil. However, the time taken for the CBD to work will depend on factors like the CBD concentration, the dose, the bodyweight of the consumer, etc. If you’re not feeling the relief you’re looking for, you can try increasing your dosage.
Q. How Frequently Should You Take CBD Oil?
We suggest using two doses for the maximum benefits – one smaller dose in the morning for energy/clarity and a second dose in the evening for relaxation/pain relief. Everyone’s needs are different though, so use whatever works best for you!
Q. Do You Need A Prescription To Buy CBD Oil?
A prescription is not mandatory to purchase CBD oils online or over-the-counter.
Q. How Can You Store CBD Oil Safely?
You should store the CBD oil in a cool and dry place like the kitchen, cupboard or even fridge to keep it cool.
Conclusion
That has brought us to the end of our guide on CBD oil for pain. We hope our efforts will help you make a well-informed purchase decision.
The relation between CBD oil and its pain-relieving properties is a matter of intensive study and research, which is still in progress. That said, a majority of the results have been positive so far, which has made CBD an increasingly popular, natural.
Moreover, it’s important to remain patient to experience the full range of effects. At the same time, you may have to employ trial and error to figure out the best dosage according to your requirements.
With that thought, we will now take your leave. See you soon!
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