CBD Analgesic Properties | Pain Management

It is no longer news that CBD is one of the most powerful medicinal compounds of medical marijuana. Therefore, just as medical marijuana is gaining popularity because of its medicinal values, so is CBD. Although CBD has great therapeutic potentials, its analgesic properties can never be overemphasized.

The analgesic properties of CBD implies that CBD can alleviate or treat pain without resulting in loss of consciousness. It is apparent that many diseases and sicknesses including cancer, Multiple Sclerosis, HIV, Rheumatoid Arthritis, as well as neuropathy results in pain. Even though various medical conditions bring about different levels of pain, for most people, it affects their quality of life and well-being.

CBD Interaction With ECS

CBD’s analgesic properties are connected with its interaction with the endocannabinoid system (ECS) of the body. CBD affects the endocannabinoid system (ECS) by influencing the body to use its own cannabinoids more effectively. This interaction prevents the total breakdown of all the cannabinoids in the body, thereby allowing them to help manage the imbalance of the immune system and to equally keep the homeostasis of the body.

CBD And Pain Management

The findings from a few studies have proven the analgesic properties of CBD. A 2008 review of studies indicated that CBD was very effective in pain management without resulting in any side effect. Further findings from this same study revealed that CBB was equally effective in alleviating insomnia as well as other sleeping disorders caused by chronic pain.

Moreover, a double-blind, placebo-controlled study that was conducted in 2016 also revealed the analgesic properties of CBD. The aim of this study was to investigate the analgesic and subjective effects of a range of CBD doses. The 16 participants who took part in this study participated in 4 outpatient laboratory sessions over the course of 4 weeks during which the analgesic effects of CBD were assessed using the Cold-Pressor Test (CPT). It should be noted that a CPT is a laboratory model of pain which has predictive validity for the clinical use of analgesics. The authors of this study, however, observed that the participants reported great relief from pain after being administered CBD.

Thanks to the analgesic properties of CBD, a medication known as Sativex was approved for the treatment of pain caused by cancer in 2007. It is worthy to note that Sativex is a sublingual spray containing CBD and THC. A study was later conducted to compare Sativex with a placebo to see the impact that occurred among subjects with intractable cancer-causing pain. The findings from this study revealed that Sativex delivered significant strides in analgesia since it contained CBD.

Many scientists have argued that the analgesic properties of CBD makes it a safer option for treating pain as opposed the conventional pain medications. It is apparent that doctors have been prescribing opioids and other drugs to patients suffering from chronic pain and most of them have become addicted. This goes a long way to explaining why 28,000 people died from opioid use in 2014, whereas 2016 registered an estimated 42,000 deaths related to opioid overdoses. CBD on the other hand does not make the users high and even though users may experience mild side effects, they typically do not last for a long time.

Although there is a need for more research to be conducted on this topic, many people are increasingly turning to CBD products in a bid to find relief for chronic pain since it is associated with little to no side effects.