THE BEST CBD FOR PAIN RELIEF IN 2020

Dealing with pain can be overwhelming and debilitating. Because of that, more and more people are using CBD for pain relief. Chronic pain management is one of those lingering challenges that doctors all too often look upon with a sympathetic eye but are seldom equipped to be able to do anything about it. Their modus operandi when it comes to chronic pain relief is two-fold.

1. Over the counter (OTC) pain “releivers” such as Tylenol or anti-inflamtory nonsteroidal drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil), naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn)
2. Prescription pain relievers and narcotic pain medication such as Corticosteroids, Opioids and others.

While the merits of each one of these two options can be debated as to their efficacy and “shelf time” it is difficult to avoid the realities that they can both be taxing to the body, particulary the second modality which can be habit forming.

Over the course of history, marijuana has been the substance of choice for the relief of pain and other health challenges. Unfortunately, in the case of marijuana the pros are nearly always as sustantive as the cons given its potential as an effective pain releiver comes hand in hand with the psychotic side effect is entails.relievers

Some people deal with the side effects better than others, even seek it, but others find it overwhelming and unwelcome. Yes, they feel pain relief but no they don’t like the “highs” it provokes in them.

If only they could consume marijuana without the high! The good news is that now they can. And it’s called CBD for pain relief.

What is Pain?

To understand this question, it is important to know what pain is:

Pain is an unpleasant sensation and emotional experience that links to tissue damage. It allows the body to react and prevent further tissue damage. People feel pain when a signal travels through nerve fibers to the brain for interpretation. (See the full article about pain here)

Pain comes in two forms:  Acute or chronic. Acute pain is usually temperoray. For example touching a hot surface with your bare hands might send you reelling with pain but however acute this sensation might be, it eventually goes away. It is the kind of pain that the body is uniquely equipped to deal with as it busies itself with the task of repairing damaged cells etc…

Chronic pain is different in that it may never go away. In other words, it is the kind of pain for which there is currently no cure. It can be mild or severe, continuous or intermitten but it’s always there. In the case of chronic pain, the body, not being able to repair damaged cells does the next best thing: it ensures that the the sympathetic nervous system that triggers these reactions adapts to the pain stimulus. In other words, people with chronic pain eventually try to live with it.

Chronic Pain Treatment

I have already mentioned the two types of medication typically used in the treatment of chronic pain.  There are other forms of treatment though:

• Acupuncture: wildly used in China and South East Asia, acupuncture can be an important source of temporary pain relief. I have seen someone having to be carried to her acupuncturist because her pain was so debilitating and walk out after treatment  all by herself.  The caveat in that example is that the pain relief provided by her acupuncture would only last 24 to 48 hours after which the intensity of the pain would gradually increase.  In the western world, including here in the US, there are a lot of people offering acupunture but not all of them are good at what they do. I suppose this is true for any discipline.  The point here is to find the right practitioner of acupuncure.
• Nerve blocks injections which target a group of nerves that act as a source of pain for a specific limb or body part.
• Psychotherapy: Used in conjunction with other modalities to deal with the emotional side of ongoing pain.
• Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS): TENS aims to stimulate the brain’s opioid and pain gate systems and thus provide relief.
• Surgery: Surgeries on the nerves, brain, and spine are possible for treating chronic pain. These include rhizotomy, decompression, and electrical deep brain and spinal cord stimulation procedures. These modalities, just like any type of surgery carry a number of risks depending on where in the body the surgery is to take place
• Relaxation therapies: Controlled relaxation techniques and exercises, ordinarily associated with  alternative and complementary medicine. Such as hypnosis, yoga, meditation, massage therapy, distraction techniques, tai chi, or a combination of these practices.
• Physical manipulation: A physiotherapist or chiropractor can sometimes help relieve pain by manipulating the tension from a person’s back.
• Heat and cold: Using hot and cold packs can help. People can alternate these or select them according to the type of injury or pain. Some topical medications have a warming effect when a person applies them to the affected area.
• CBD for Chronic Pain (Read below)

Cannabidiol aka CBD for Chronic Pain

CBD has seen a surge in popularity in recent years, as new research explores its potential health benefits. For more information on CBD research read this article. Some research suggests that CBD oil and other CBD products may be beneficial for pain relief.

CBD works as an inhibitor fo glutamate release and other inflammatory agents. As such it becomes ‘neuroprotective’ and a modality of choice in the treatiment of the prickling, tingling and burning sensations that neuropathic pain is characterized for. It accomplishes this feast by dulling the affected areas. CBD can be used as a supplement to help manage neuropathic pain, alongside other natural supplements such as magnesium glycinate.

CBD is a known anti-inflamatory agent.  Inflammation is possible the single most common denominator in most types of Pain. CBD is good at calming inflammation, no matter what the root cause.

Cannabis has a unique cannabidiiol anti-inflammatory mechanism. It doesn’t work like other anti-inflammatory drugs by inhibiting COX-1 and COX-2 receptors, which means you don’t run the risk of developing gastrointestinal ulcers or heart attacks, hooray! Some studies have shown that cannabinoids (CBD and THC) are up to twenty times more potent anti-inflammatory agents when compared to NSAIDs (eg. ibuprofen). CBD can provide systemic relief of inflammation. 

People who take CBD for Pain relief usually also take other natural anti-inflammatory supplements (eg. curcumin, Omega-3), Usually taken three times per day, dosing at each interval depends on your unique needs. Typically patients start with 0.5 mg per dose and increase until maximum relief.

A non-psychotropic alternative to THC Cannabidiol can be an effective form of treatment. Like most other types of supplementation, it is important to talk to a physicial before taking CBD to treat pain.