By Heather Ritchie, Staff Writer for Terpenes and Testing Magazine
CBD has many medical applications, and one such use is the treatment of chronic pain. It’s a popular choice because it doesn’t give the user the intoxicated or high feelings like THC. CBD provides an effective, yet natural alternative to opioids for people experiencing pain. The reason CBD doesn’t cause the same effects as THC is that it works on different receptors in the body than THC.
Every year, approximately 3 million people experience chronic pain from illnesses like Multiple Sclerosis or MS, arthritis, and cancer, or from injuries, falls, etc. Fortunately, studies are beginning to show that cannabis provides pain relief because researchers believe that it interacts with the human endocannabinoid system and immune system. This system receives and transmits messages from cannabinoids inside the body.
It regulates vital biological functions like pain, sleep, and responses from the immune system. When functions in the body become unbalanced, it places the body in a state of distress and endocannabinoids work to fix this chemical reaction. CBD doesn’t directly affect the endocannabinoid system. Instead it works to inhibit or activate compounds within the it.
Another study on using CBD, for several, consecutive days to treat rats with arthritis illustrated that it helped alleviate pain and inflammation induced by arthritis.
MS, an autoimmune disorder that affects the whole body, can cause painful spasms. A report exploring the use of CBD oil for various medical treatments showed that it reduces the intensity and levels of spasms.
Cannabis can provide relief for many different illnesses and diseases because its an effective treatment for inflammation and pain. It’s the plant’s unique active chemical compounds, cannabinoids, that work with the flavonoids and terpenes for maximum medical efficacy. Different combinations of these cannabinoids work to stimulate bone growth, protect brain cells that have been damaged, and expand blood vessels.
Cannabinoids eradicate certain types of cancer cells by inhibiting tumor and abnormal cell growth. In addition, they even kill some bacteria and viruses. Their many duties are imperative to the overall healthy functioning of the human body. CBD is an antipsychotic, helps prevent epilepsy and seizures, and reduces some Alzheimer’s symptoms.
CBD used to take a backseat to the famed healing powers of THC, but we now know that it plays its own important role in treating debilitating symptoms and illnesses in the human body. More research is required to strengthen studies that have already illustrated the therapeutic benefits of CBD. As cannabis becomes legalized in more states, it’s likely we’ll learn more about how this compound works to reduce pain and inflammation.
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