Consumers today use CBD to treat multiple medical conditions including anxiety, depression, and sleep disorders. However, it is most commonly used to manage chronic pain, arthritis and joint point.
How it works is humans have a vast network of receptors located in our brains and throughout our central and peripheral nervous systems known as the Endocannabinoid System. These receptors react to cannabinoids, including CBD, to regulate many physiological processes, including pain relief. When the receptors interact with a cannabinoid, they trigger changes in cells and create anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving effects that help with pain management. This is why CBD has become so popular as a pain reliever.
Though there aren’t any FDA-approved, nonprescription CBD products on the market presently, there are several studies that point to CBD’s healing properties.
(Note: Canodyne is one of the few CBD topicals on the market made with FDA monographed active ingredients: menthol + camphor.)
When the National Academies of Sciences, Medicine, and Engineering looked at cannabis and cannabinoids, they found that adults who treated chronic pain with cannabis or cannabinoids were more likely to experience a significant reduction in pain symptoms. The 2017 study recommended that the federal government fund additional research on the beneficial effects of cannabis and cannabinoids.
Another 2018 review by researchers at the University of Belgrade concluded that CBD was effective in managing various types of pain, including chronic pain. The review assessed studies conducted between 1975 and March 2018 examining the therapeutic value of cannabis and cannabinoids.
Much more research is underway about the analgesic properties of CBD, but the results so far are promising.
Equally promising are the animal studies looking at CBD as a pain-reliever. A 2017 study published in Pain showed that rats who received CBD showed less inflammation in their joints areas and fewer pain-related symptoms.
For topical CBD in particular, a 2016 study in the European Journal of Pain using rats to study arthritis found that the rats who received high doses of topical CBD showed significantly lower levels of inflammation and lower pain behavior scores compared to those given a placebo.
The research continues to point to CBD as an effective form of pain relief, and we’re hopeful to see more investment into research and clinical trials now that hemp has been legalized at the federal level.
Talk to your doctor to see if topical CBD is the right pain relief option for your condition.
