Pain is mostly linked to tissue injury, although it can have different causes. When the body tissues get damaged, special nerves detect this injury and send signals to the brain for interpretation, causing a person to feel pain. Pain management will depend on the type of pain you are experiencing; it could be acute or chronic pain. Acute pain is sudden and last for a short period of time, while chronic pain lasts longer. When the injury that causes acute pain is not treated, it may result in chronic pain.
Pain management can be carried out to relieve pain using various simple or complex means depending on the cause of the pain. But can cannabidiol (CBD) be applied as a medication in pain management?
Base on research, the possible effect of cannabidiol on pain, its potential benefits and possible application in pain management will be explained here.
EFFECT OF CANNABIDIOL ON PAIN
Cannabidiol a type of cannabinoid gotten from cannabis plants, unlike other cannabinoids such as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), it does not cause highness in an individual or change the state of mind of a person. It interacts with the endocannabinoid system(ECS) found in the body that receives and translates signals gotten from cannabinoid, which helps in regulatory functions involving sleep, immune system response and pain.
From research, it has been deduced that cannabidiol interaction with the endocannabinoid system can enhance the effect of other compounds such as serotonin and anandamide to reduce pain perception in the brain. Also, cannabidiol shows anti-inflammatory properties which will decrease inflammatory-induced pain.
However, because pain does not respond to medication in the same manner, it is difficult to establish generalization on the effect of cannabidiol (CBD) on pain.
BENEFITS OF CANNABIDIOL EFFECT IN PAIN
Several investigations have been carried out by researchers to identify the benefits of cannabidiol when it comes to pain. However, these studies are more of animal-based research than human-based.
In a study carried out on rats with arthritis in 2016. The researchers noted that applying cannabidiol gel on these rats reduces inflammation and pain in the rats’ affected joints.
Also, it has been shown that cannabidiol can cause shrinking of cancerous tumours in mice. However, most studies have pointed cannabidiol as a possible option to be used to reduce chemotherapy side effects such as pain, vomiting, and loss of appetite.
In a 2017 study, it was shown that cannabidiol and tetrahydrocannabinol can reduce acute pain and intense pain in people with migraine. From the study result, the combination of both drugs was slightly more effective than amitriptyline in reducing migraine attacks.
As mentioned above, since cannabidiol interacts with some key components in the Endocannabinoid system of the body which will create anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving effects, thus, it has been concluded that Cannabidiol products may be beneficial to people with chronic pain.
CONCLUSION
Although many people use cannabidiol to relieve pain, research on its potential pain-relieving properties have mostly been on animals. Hence, more research is needed to understand its effects on pain. Because Some people show side effects when taking cannabidiol, and there are several factors to be looked into before taking it. However, you can discuss with your doctor if you are considering it.