From everyday aches and pains to chronic, painful conditions, everyone experiences pain on some level. For those who suffer from chronic pain from an old injury, arthritis, or conditions like diabetes, sometimes doctors recommend opiates or other potentially addictive pain medications.
Similarly, everyone experiences anxiety at some point in their lives. It’s natural. However, for those who suffer from conditions like chronic anxiety or social anxiety disorder, the only relief is from prescription medications that often come with bad side effects.
However, there is a medication out there that not only helps with pain, but it can also help to treat anxiety. It’s also holistic and all-natural. It’s from the hemp plant.
It’s called CBD oil.
What is CBD Oil?
Cannabidiol, also known as CBD, is one of the many cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant. Next to its more widely known cannabinoid, THC, it is the most prevalent of the cannabinoids. However, unlike THC, which is psychoactive, CBD will not make you high.
CBD reacts with certain receptors in the nervous system and although exactly how CBD helps treat pain is unknown, it may have to do with the fact that CBD has anti-inflammatory properties. CBD has also been shown to interact with the same receptors, helping them to work more efficiently, which may help treat anxiety.
CBD For Pain
CBD Oil can help bring relief to many different types of pain. From neuropathic pain caused by diabetes or chemotherapy to chronic pain related to inflammation, CBD can help. CBD works for neuropathic pain by inhibiting the release of glutamate and other inflammatory agents. Likewise, this same anti-inflammatory mechanism allows CBD to work to relieve pain brought on by inflammation.
Taking CBD oil orally or via vaporization with a dry herb vaporizer daily can help to manage chronic pain. For flare-ups, keeping a vape pen loaded with CBD oil for use can keep you pain-free during the day. CBD-infused topical oils and creams have also been shown to work well for localized relief of symptoms.
CBD For Anxiety
Anxiety-related disorders affect some 40-million Americans. Many physicians prescribe drugs like Prozac and Zoloft to treat both anxiety and depression. Some also prescribe benzodiazepines like Valium and Xanax. For some patients, these drugs work well. For others, their response to this treatment is not favorable. Thankfully, CBD can help with anxiety as well as pain.
Similar to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) like Zoloft, CBD may boost the signaling of serotonin receptors. Also, in animal studies, CBD helped the brain to regenerate hippocampus neurons. The part of the brain responsible for both depression and anxiety is the hippocampus. In people who suffer from those conditions, the hippocampus is smaller.
A limited human study conducted in Brazil showed that after consuming CBD, patients suffering from generalized anxiety disorder showed a significant decrease in anxiety. Another small study had people suffering from Social Anxiety Disorder take CBD before speaking publicly. Those who took the CBD showed a marked decrease in symptoms of anxiety like increased heart rate and elevated blood pressure.
Side Effects
For most people, CBD is well tolerated. However, there could be a few side effects such as sleepiness, fatigue, metabolic changes, and stomach upset. Most of these side-effects dissipate over time.
For people suffering from pain and anxiety, CBD can be a welcome addition to their daily regimen. Whether the CBD is vaporized, taken sublingually, orally, or in an infused cream, CBD has been shown to help to reduce pain. It has also been shown effective in reducing anxiety. Always check with your physician before incorporating CBD into your treatment plan, as it can interact with other medications.
This article is a contribution of Michael Jacobs
About the author
Michael is a marketing and creative content specialist at GotVape.com with a primary focus on customer satisfaction. Technology and fitness combined with healthy lifestyle obsession are his main talking points
