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How Does CBD Affect Pain?

Lately, there has been a lot of press about Cannabidiol or CBD, right from its ability to control seizures to being effective in pain management. CBD is the second most prevalent cannabinoid in medical marijuana; the first one being tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

According to a study conducted in 2013, CBD helps reduce nausea, vomiting, seizures and combat anxiety and depression. Furthermore, CBD is also associated with anti-inflammatory properties along with antitumoral and antioxidant properties which help in fighting neurodegenerative disorders.

CBD topicals such as lotions and creams are extensively used for muscle soreness and arthritis. Those suffering from post-workout or chronic pain find these CBD topical creams very useful for treating localized pain, swelling and inflammation. Similarly, CBD oil is very effective for stiff spots.

Pain and CBD

Pain is a mechanism of the body to signal that it has been injured and it needs to heal. It is nothing but our body response to let us know that something is wrong. When a nerve is injured, the signaling system gets cluttered and the brain interprets this as a signal that the body is in pain. According to studies, chronic pain affects nearly 1/3rd of the population of America that not just affects their quality of life but also affects their costing due to decreased productivity and lost working hours.

Pain essentially is of two kinds, nociceptive pain, and neuropathic pain. Within these two categories, they are again subdivided:

  • Nociceptive:
    • Visceral Pain
    • Somatic Pain
  • Neuropathic:
    • Central Pain
    • Peripheral Pain

Nociceptive is a familiar kind of pain which is felt due to an injury such as a broken bone. Visceral pain emits from the internal organs while somatic pain is limited to the skin, bones, and muscles.

Neuropathic pain is caused due to changing sensitivity of the nervous system which is not necessarily caused by an injury.  For example, upon feeling a light touch, the neurons might become hypersensitive and send pain signals to the brain. In the case of a chronic neuropathic pain, there is abnormal functioning in the processing of the pain due to which the body becomes very sensitive to all kinds of stimuli. In such a case, the nerve cells become extremely sensitive due to which even the slightest touch will make the brain perceive it as pain. When the brain experiences persistent, chronic pain the brain will change how it feels a new pain.

In our bodies, endocannabinoid system (ECS) is a messenger system which regulates a lot of different functions and is also implicit in pain homeostasis. ECS and cannabinoid receptors are present right from the sensory nerve endings up to the brain. The antagonist cannabinoids combine with the receptors and the production of neurotransmitters is stimulated which sends signals to the body. On the other hand, antagonist cannabinoids do not combine with the receptors and they thus block the production and release of neurotransmitters. In this situation, CBD acts like an antagonist and thus moderates the nociceptive thresholds while inhibiting the release of pro-inflammatory molecules, thus extending therapeutic value against neuropathic and inflammatory pains.

CBD is known to have pain reducing, analgesic properties which are useful in the treatment of pain along with sleep disorders. Currently, the treatment for pain is primarily the intake of opioids which are powerful analgesics but may also have unwanted side effects along with addiction potential. Furthermore, they have shown very less effectiveness against pain caused by neuropathy. CBD, on the other hand, has neuroprotective effects and also projects high antioxidant properties.

CBD has exhibited a lot of value in the management and treatment of pain. Due to the discovery of ECS and the role it plays in the pain responsiveness in the body, CBD is being tapped by pharmaceuticals for pain management. A number of clinical trials with CBD for lessening the painful symptoms that are associated with a number of ailments have displayed great potential and therefore scientists and medical professionals are looking at this non-toxic drug for its use in post-operative pain, cancer pain, migraine pain, neuropathic pain, fibromyalgia and even pain caused after amputation.

Certified Pain Management Clinics in Texas

According to §167.001 of the Texas Medical Practices Act, a pain management clinic is defined as a publicly or privately owned facility for which a majority of patients are issued on a monthly basis, prescriptions for opioids, benzodiazepines, barbiturates, or carisoprodol, but not suboxone.There are nearly 400 pain clinics in Texas all concentrating on pain management and there is a culture of pill-popping that has become widespread here.

There is a real threat of addiction to pain pills as a growing population is facing various pain related issues. This is because of the aging populations in all the industrialized nations of the world. The supporting data indicates that a very large proportion of the population is suffering from pain. For example, in Europe, one out of 4 elderly people are affected by chronic musculoskeletal pain that is of disabling nature. There is a strong and uncontrollable urge to abuse these medicines due to the chronic pain and therefore there is a lot of emphases to ensure that patients go to the right pain management clinics that are backed by proper licensing so that proper prescriptions are given out to patients who are in need. Overuse of pain pills is not safe and therefore proper regulation is important.

Realizing how important it is to provide safe pain relief to citizens, the government has decided to ensure that clinics are first reviewed and the staff, including the doctors, are well qualified so that only proper prescriptions are given to patients. Abuse of any kind of drug is dangerous.As the body falls prey to the addiction, the person may find that it is simply impossible to recover on their own. Pain pills too have their own set of side effects when abused and therefore their intake must also be limited.

Instead of popping pills to manage pain, it is advisable to try CBD since it has none of the side effects of pain pills such as dizziness, nausea, constipation, and vomiting. CBD has been proven to reduce pain, making it the perfect alternative to pills. You can easily buy high-quality CBD from Austin Vape And Smoke.