CBD Oil for Back Pain: What the Research and Experts Say

CBD Oil for Back Pain: What the Research and Experts Say

Most people at some point in life have experienced back pains; the causes might vary from strenuous exercise and daily activities to medical conditions. The pain differs based on the severity and the common methods to urn it, including pain killers and physiotherapy.

Cannabidiol, commonly known as CBD, is an active compound derived from the cannabis and hemp plant. The hype about CBD is increasing daily due to the medical benefits. This has pulled more scientists to venture into research about CBD, its health benefits, and potential short and long-term effects. CBD is legal in about 50 states, but only a few states allow the one derived from marijuana. CBD has been used in the US for treating seizures for almost 2 years, called epidiolex. Other countries that have legalized the use of CBD as a drug are Canada and UK.

Back Pain

Pain is never sweet; pain hurts no matter how mild it can feel. Among many pains experienced by people, back pain can be ranked at the top. Back pains can be linked with several other pains. The vertebral system of animals is one of the most delicate but complicated in the body.

Back pains can be caused by strenuous activity, slips, falls, and accidents. Additionally, it can be caused by lifestyle exercises (physical activities) and sports. Back pain can affect a person’s daily life, mobility, and productivity despite the cause.

According to Überall (2020), CBD can be used to relieve different body pains, both acute and chronic non-cancer pains. States like UK and Canada have gone health to approve using Sativex, a CBD drug to treat.

Can CBD Oil Help With Back Pain?

Studies about CBD are still in their infancy stage, and it is hard to justify its claims. Therefore, it may or may not offer health benefits, including relieving pain. However, based on the initial research about CBD and its potential to reduce pain, including back pain. The only CBD medicine approved by food and drug administration is epidiolex, used to treat two rare types of epilepsy.

There is no research carried out on CBD for back pain. However, some studies show that CBD can be used to relieve acute and chronic pain.

Health Benefits of CBD

CBD for Arthritis

CBD products can relieve chronic non-cancer pains based on different research shown. CBD is believed to interact with the endocannabinoid receptors found all over the human body and thus provide relief from chronic pain. According to Khaleghi (2020), CBD can be used to treat arthritis; this is a condition where the cells around and in the joints deteriorate, resulting in pain, stiffness, lack of motion, and swelling.

Relieves Sciatica Nerve Pain

Sciatica nerve pain is any acute or chronic pain that mainly affects the sciatica nerve. This nerve is the longest in the human body and runs from the lower back through the buttocks and the legs to the toes. Several factors can cause nerve pain, but the main cause is the slipping or dislocating of the disc and thus rests on the nerve causing pain. Anyone who carries out heavy and strenuous activities can do it, including athletes, because the body is actively involved in working out. The medication mainly used for these conditions are opioids and NSAIDs, which become addictive. Therefore, most athletes sort to get a natural remedy to ease the pain. Linher-Melville et al. (2020) established that CBD could be used to reduce sciatica nerve pain naturally.

Alleviate Stress, Anxiety, and Depression

Most people suffer from mental health disorders, including anxiety, stress, and depression. Most over-the-counter (OTC) drugs administered to patients have diverse effects such as drowsiness, confusion, and insomnia. García-Gutiérrez et al. (2020) found that CBD can be used as a natural alternative in alleviating anxiety and stress. The research was carried out on 57 men who were to be tested on public speaking. Some were given CBD, while others had a placebo. CBD significantly reduced the anxiety symptoms compared to those who had a placebo.

Reduces Allergy symptoms

CBD oil is derived from the cannabis plant and mixed with other oils like coconut oil and hemp seed oil. When the seasons keep changing, many people have different allergies, possibly due to the increased pollution worldwide.

Most people treat allergies using pharmaceutical drugs, which tend to have different side effects, including drowsiness, confusion, and nausea which vary from person to person. CBD oil can be an alternative because it has shown potential in managing allergy symptoms and is an organic compound, as early research suggests.

Act As a Detox

The body can get toxins in various ways, which might reduce the functioning of some body parts. Mansee et al. (2005) pointed out that CBD can detoxify the body’s organs by reducing cravings and anxiety in patients and help reduce toxins from the body brought by junk food, opioids, and alcohol. Therefore, CBD might help a person addicted to heroin reduce the abuse rate by managing the cravings.

Provide Relaxation

You can be tired after having a long busy day; all you need is something to relax your body and mind. Mattagajasingh et al. (2017) argued that CBD could calm and soothe the body and the mind. A relaxed mind can lead to an increase in the quality of sleep.

Conclusion

CBD is widely used and easily accessible by users since it is infused in most skin care products such as creams, lotions, balms, salves, and transdermal patches. They are designed to be applied to the skin; thus, they are good for relieving pain since they can be used directly to the affected area, enhancing fast relief. In whichever form of CBD you are taking; it is advisable to consult your doctor to confirm if there is any reaction of CBD with other drugs.

References

García-Gutiérrez, M. S., Navarrete, F., Gasparyan, A., Austrich-Olivares, A., Sala, F., & Manzanares, J. (2020). Cannabidiol: A Potential New Alternative For The Treatment Of Anxiety, Depression, And Psychotic Disorders. Biomolecules, 10(11), 1575.

Khaleghi, M. (2020). New Arthritis Foundation Guidelines On CBD Use Could Be The First Of Many More To Come. Alternative Therapies In Health And Medicine, 26, 8-11.

Linher-Melville, K., Zhu, Y. F., Sidhu, J., Parzei, N., Shahid, A., Seesankar, G., … & Singh, G. (2020). Evaluation Of The Preclinical Analgesic Efficacy Of Naturally Derived, Orally Administered Oil Forms Of Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), Cannabidiol (CBD), And Their 1: 1 Combination. Plos One, 15(6), E0234176.

Mattagajasingh, I., Kim, C. S., Naqvi, A., Yamamori, T., Hoffman, T. A., Jung, S. B., … & Irani, K. (2007). SIRT1 Promotes Endothelium-Dependent Vascular Relaxation By Activating Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase. Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences, 104(37), 14855-14860.

Überall, M. A. (2020). A Review Of Scientific Evidence For THC: CBD Oromucosal Spray (Nabiximols) In The Management Of Chronic Pain. Journal Of Pain Research, 13, 399.

Yunus, I. S., & Tsai, S. L. (2015). Designed Biomolecule–Cellulose Complexes For Palladium Recovery And Detoxification. RSC Advances, 5(26), 20276-20282.

Crystal Kadir

MS, Durham University
GP

The work of a family doctor includes a wide range of clinical diversity, which requires extensive knowledge and erudition from a specialist. However, I believe that the most important thing for a family doctor is to be human because the cooperation and understanding between the doctor and the patient are crucial in ensuring successful health care. On my days off, I love being in nature. Since childhood, I have been passionate about playing chess and tennis. Whenever I have time off, I enjoy traveling around the world.

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