HOW TO USE CBD OIL FOR CHRONIC BACK PAIN
Using CBD oil for chronic back pain is as simple as choosing your preferred CBD product. For a dual approach to tackling back pain, use an ingestible form of CBD like CBD gummies or CBD oral drops to allow CBD to work internally, reducing the inflammatory response and pain perception, and apply a topical CBD cream or balm to get CBD direct to the site of pain.
INTRODUCTON
Chronic pain affects between 50 to 116 million American adults, and reports estimate the cost in terms of medical bills and lost productivity to be between $560 and $635 billion annually. The issue facing many of these sufferers is that they develop tolerance for medications, or suffer adverse effects from such medications due to developing an addiction.
As early as 2003, CBD has been included in formulations for clinical testing to study its use for pain management. CBD oil is extracted from the hemp plant, a plant that offers much in the way of health benefits to us, like hemp oil (that doesn’t contain CBD) that is rich in omega fatty acids.
The hemp plant is a cannabis plant with less than 0.3% THC in it; an important distinction to make as, at a federal level, the cannabis plant is still illegal to possess in the US, and plants provided for research purposes only were provided from a single facility, until very recently. It was in recognition of the medicinal benefits of cannabis that many US states legalised it, but more studies and additional information are required in order to develop CBD products for clinical use.
WHAT CAUSES BACK PAIN?
Benign back pain falls into two categories: ‘non specific’ and ‘mechanical’. Non-specific back pain doesn’t have an obvious cause, and mechanical back pain can be attributed to the joints, bone or soft tissue around the spine. This kind of pain usually starts to get better in a matter of weeks.
There are some specific conditions that cause back pain:
SCIATICA - Irritation of the nerve that runs from the lower back down to the feet.
SLIPPED DISC - a cartilage disc of the spine pressing on a nerve.
ANKYLOSING SPONDYLITIS - swelling of the joints in the spine.
SPONDYLOLISTHESIS - a bone of the spine slipping out of position.
SLIPPED DISC - a cartilage disc of the spine pressing on a nerve.
ANKYLOSING SPONDYLITIS - swelling of the joints in the spine.
SPONDYLOLISTHESIS - a bone of the spine slipping out of position.
Other serious causes of back pain include a broken bone in the spine, an infection, some types of cancer and cauda equina syndrome (nerves of the lower back becoming severely compressed).
WHY IS CBD OIL USED TO TREAT BACK PAIN?
The first documented use of medicine derived from cannabis is the use of cannabis infused tea by Emperor Sheng Neng in China, back in 2727 BC. Fast forward to today and we have seen the legalisation of cannabis for medicinal use in many US states, and here in the UK. It’s due to the benefits of medicinal cannabis that led to the investigation of the mechanisms at work, and separating the psychoactive ingredient, THC, in order to deliver the medicinal benefits without the ‘high’.
It was research into the THC molecule that led to the discovery of the cannabinoid receptors in the 90’s, these receptors indicated the existence of an internal cannabinoid system - the ‘endocannabinoid system’. Endocannabinoids are the communication molecule for this system, a system that is characterised as contributing to a stable internal environment, often termed ‘eat, sleep, relax, forget and protect’.
THE ROLE OF CBD OIL IN PAIN RELIEF
CBD receptors in the endocannabinoid system regulate the levels of other neurotransmitters, as these are our communication molecules, it explains why CBD affects our bodies. For example, when our muscles contract, it is because neurotransmitters from the central nervous system activate the muscles to do so, and the endocannabinoid system helps to clear these up to prevent continuous contracting of the muscle.
The first discovered cannabinoid receptor, the CB1 receptor, is primarily found in the brain and plays a role in inducing sleep. CBD activates this receptor, so this gives us an insight into how CBD promotes sleep. Another receptor, the CB2 receptor, is found primarily on immune cells (as are some CB1 receptors), demonstrating the connection between the endocannabinoid system and our immune system. Some studies have shown that CBD increases the level of T-regulatory cells - cells that regulate our immune response - and that these cells play a role in suppressing inflammation.
HOW TO USE CBD OIL FOR BACK PAIN?
CBD can be administered in a number of ways; these include oils which can be taken orally, used in a vaporizer, or mixed into a drink. For chronic back pain, often a topical CBD infused cream is applied to the skin.
WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF CBD THAT HELP WITH BACK PAIN?
CBD is the name given to the collection of cannabinoids, but some products include different cannabinoids. CBD isolate contains the single cannabinoid ‘cannabidiol’, which means there are no other cannabinoids in CBD isolate, losing the benefits from the ‘entourage effect’ of a multitude of cannabinoids and other compounds.
Broad spectrum CBD includes all the other compounds found in the cannabis plant, with only trace amounts of THC, to give all the benefits of the variety of cannabinoids without the psychoactive effects. There is full spectrum CBD available, and this contains THC in addition to the cannabinoids, terpenes and flavonoids found in broad spectrum CBD.
Broad spectrum CBD contains a cannabinoid known as CBDA - cannabidiolic acid - and this has been suggested as an effective analgesic due to its effect on TRPA1, TRPV1 and TRPM8 receptors. We would therefore recommend using broad spectrum CBD products for maximum benefit.
HOW IS THE OIL USED IN THE TREATMENT PROCESS? WHAT POTENCY SHOULD BE USED? HOW MUCH?
CBD oil is the ingredient that is the basis for each CBD product, and can be made into gel, oil, cream, lotion and balm, all of which can be applied to the skin where it is absorbed. Broad-spectrum CBD Oral drops may also be beneficial for treating back pain.
As there are few clinical trials for CBD, the issue of what strength CBD to use isn’t simple to answer. The current consensus is to start at a low strength and increase the strength if necessary.
Each product may have different recommendations for dosage and frequency of use, so it is always best to follow the manufacturer's instructions, and always start with small amounts and increase if necessary.
RESEARCH AND STUDIES DONE
As mentioned, CBDA has been suggested to have an analgesic effect due to its effect on a number of receptors. A literature review examined two cases of patients with lumbar fractures using CBD cream and found that the CBD cream provided ‘significant symptom and pain relief’ for the patients, justifying further research on the analgesic effects of CBD.
CONSIDERATIONS WHEN USING CBD OIL FOR TREATMENT
CBD is generally well tolerated in humans, but there are a few considerations to keep in mind. It can affect the reproductive system in men and women, reducing sperm production and can cause the death of an unborn child. Therefore it is sensible to avoid using CBD if you are a pregnant woman. It is always sensible to speak with your doctor if you are thinking about starting to use CBD, particularly if you are on other medication, or have other health conditions such as liver or kidney disease.
As CBD is not a prescription medicine, users have to take responsibility for their own dosage, so it is important that the strength of the product is described correctly on the label, so buying from a reputable seller should mean the strength of the CBD oil is what they say it is.
At SMOKO, our CBD is extracted using a cryogenic extraction process, from organic cannabis sativa L. plants grown in the USA, with the aim of delivering the best possible cannabidiol CBD products to our customers. You can check out our CBD products' independent third party test certificates for ultimate peace of mind!
HOW TO USE CBD OIL FOR CHRONIC BACK PAIN CONCLUSION
Those of us selling CBD aren’t doctors, so we cannot tell you that CBD will relieve your particular ailment, symptoms or pain. We can tell you that there is promising evidence, both in clinical studies and anecdotally from our customers, of CBD helping with muscular pain, anxiety and sleep and even depression.
If you are new to using CBD oil then make sure to check out our article on how to store your CBD products for the longest shelf life and maximum enjoyment!
As a sufferer of chronic back pain myself, I can also add that SMOKO’s oral CBD drops helped to relax my tight muscles and aided my sleep. I would highly recommend giving CBD a try as the health benefits of CBD are potentially wide ranging, and whether it’s CBD oral drops or CBD gummies, it could improve your quality of life!
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