With opioid addiction on the rise, and questionable safety of over the counter products like Ibuprofen (NSAIDs), people are starting to turn to cannabis for relief. But what if you don’t want to get “high,” or what if you have a moral issue with marijuana? What are the options? Well, taking CBD for chronic pain might be just what you are looking for.

Chronic pain is a problem for many people. But opioids can be addictive and dangerous… There were 72,000 opioid related deaths in 2017. So, it makes you wonder why there isn’t a safer alternative? Well, there is – cannabis is the answer!

Even if you live in a state where medical marijuana is not legal, you can still get relief from high doses of CBD oil. CBD oil is the non-psychoactive sister of the marijuana plant. Most CBD oil on the market today is produced from the industrial hemp plant (Sativa L), which contains less than .3% THC. There are zero intoxicating effects associated with CBD usage, but it will help you to feel more focused and relaxed, and it might even help with chronic pain issues.

What the research says

The amount of anecdotal evidence is insurmountable to deny that CBD helps with chronic pain. There have even been a number of scientific studies done suggesting that CBD has massive potential to help relieve pain. One placebo controlled study done in Israel suggested that full-spectrum CBD was more effective than CBD isolate in relieving pain.

Another study suggests that cannabinoid CBD can suppress inflammatory and neuropathic pain. If you geek out over scientific writing, be sure to go and read the article. It’s VERY detailed. Despite the surmounting anecdotal evidence, there are still doubters, but more than likely they had a bad experience. Chances are they did not dose properly.

How to dose CBD for chronic pain

Dosing CBD can be tricky. It often times takes patience and experimenting. CBD interacts with everybody’s body differently. The best way to figure out how much CBD you need to treat chronic pain is – start low and go slow. Begin by taking 5mg per day at bedtime. This will likely help you sleep better. Then after five to seven days, increase your dose by 5mg, this time take that dose in the morning.

After another week increase your dosage until you start getting the pain relieving effects you are looking for. It may help to keep a journal and record your pain scale. Just like a doctor would ask you to rate your pain on a scale of 1-10. Do the same as you journal your progress.

There is no need to take more than you need, unless you have a flare up, and in that case it might be helpful to take an additional dose.

Types of pain helped by CBD

CBD can help relieve all sorts of pain: From sore muscles, to neuropathic pain, to arthritis. CBD helps reduce pain by interacting with serotonin and vanilloid receptors in the brain, which are responsible for the perception of pain. CBD is even safer to use than ibuprofen, and there is no risk of addiction.

I’ve personally found relief from pain associated with chronic bursitis in my shoulder, as well as achilles tendonitis. It has even helped significantly with sore muscles after hiking and running in the mountains.

How much pain relief to expect

How much pain relief to expect will vary on the condition, the person, and how much CBD one is taking. This is another reason why I recommend keeping a journal if chronic pain is a struggle of yours. If an all natural solution takes your pain level from a constant 7 or 8 down to a 4 or 5, it will drastically increase your quality of life.

In some less severe cases, you may get 90-100% pain free, but other times you might just be decreasing the pain enough you are able to function and live a quality life, but one that is free of addiction of dangerous opioids, and liver damaging NSAIDs.

No matter what type of pain you are experiencing, chances are CBD can help, and is worth giving it a try. Just remember to be patient, work up slowly to find the right dose, and most importantly, purchase a high quality CBD product.

Sources: Wikipedia