CBD Oil for Pain Management: Can It Work For You?

Many people have heard they can use CBD oil for pain management. In fact, pain is one of the most common reasons cited for why people begin investigating whether CBD is right for their body’s needs. Chronic pain is a common occurrence in aging adults and a symptom of illnesses and conditions that many people have to deal with on a regular basis, so it’s natural to explore any potential avenue of relief. Whether or not it can work for you, however, may not be a simple question to answer.
CBD & Pain: Before We Begin
Unfortunately, clear information about CBD and pain management can be hard to come by from manufacturers, and there’s a good reason. The FDA has not approved CBD for the diagnosis, prevention, cure, or treatment of any disease, illness, or condition. The only FDA approved medical CBD product is the drug Epidiolex which has only been approved to treat seizures resulting from certain conditions. This lack of approval is why manufacturers can’t market CBD oil for pain.
Under FDA guidelines, products making a specific health claim (like CBD and pain management go together) have to meet a high burden of proof. This requires expensive studies, evaluation of the research, and a rigorous approval process. Once approved, these substances become medications, often requiring a prescription and a doctor’s visit.
CBD oil products, like CBD cream for pain, are not medications or drugs. Instead, independent research is often necessary to decide if CBD is right for you. This can include anecdotal evidence from other users and the limited research that’s been done on CBD oil for pain. Under current guidelines, only you can decide if CBD is right for you, but remember to consult a doctor before changing or discontinuing any medications.
Hemp-Derived Cannabidiol
At CBD Choice, our CBD products come from industrial hemp. This variant of the cannabis plant gives you access to over 100 cannabinoids but has a THC concentration of 0.3% or less. That means you can explore the health benefits of cannabis without getting high or failing a drug test. Industrial hemp’s high CBD concentration makes it perfect for extracting CBD oil used for pain by CBD proponents. Once harvested and processed, this yields an ultra-pure CBD oil that can be formulated into a variety of products -- from oils to edibles -- that fit every lifestyle.
CBD and Pain
To evaluate whether CBD oil for pain is right for you, you first need to understand where your pain is coming from. Pain response is often your body’s way of telling you something is wrong, but it can have several causes.
- Nerve Pain - While all pain is transmitted to your brain via the nervous system, nerve pain radiates from the nerve bundles affected. Whether from a medical condition, electrolyte imbalance, or traumatic injury, the result can be excruciating.
- Inflammation - Your body exists in a state of balance, and inflammation throws that balance off. When an area becomes swollen and inflamed, it can lead to dull aches, stabbing pains, and tearing sensations that you want nothing to do with.
- Chronic Pain - This constant discomfort can ruin lives. Pain that never stops, only waxes and wanes can be devastating.
- Bone Pain - Whether its a dull ache or sharp agony, hurting deep inside your body can be maddening and the sign of worse medical problems.
For those looking to CBD oil for natural pain relief, there is hope. Evidence continues to mount showing CBD’s potential benefits for those who have not found relief elsewhere or who want to use natural health and wellness products.
- Anecdotal Evidence - The internet is overflowing with people who have found the help they needed with quality CBD products. Care should be taken when evaluating online claims, as they often seem sensational; however, there are enough reports of success that you’ll likely find someone with a similar background whose review may offer some direction about their pain and CBD usage.
- Arthritis Relief - One study investigating the topical application of CBD in relieving pain for arthritis sufferers found that it was effective in easing inflammation and discomfort. CBD oil for pain in topical applications is readily available, providing a fast, easy way to deliver CBD directly to the afflicted joints. It’s also commonly used for muscle pain where the gentle motion of massaging it in provides some immediate relief while the active compounds are absorbed.
- Seizure Pain - From multiple sclerosis to epilepsy and beyond, maladies that cause seizures can leave a body tortured and aching. In this case, part of pain relief can include lowering the severity or frequency of spasms. Many people have attested to their success using CBD oil for pain and seizures, while research has indicated it may be the key to lowering spasticity for some sufferers of MS. As mentioned, Epidiolex, the only FDA approved CBD, is approved specifically to fight seizures caused by certain conditions.
- Chronic Pain - While medical marijuana garners the lion’s share of attention for treating chronic pain with cannabis, for many people it comes at too high of a price. Between the high feeling and its federally illegal status, many people simply don’t see it as a viable option. Studies have shown, however, that CBD oil for pain holds promise for the treatment of chronic pain in adults. This comes without the addictiveness or escalating doses due to tolerance associated with more traditional pain management medications.
Only You Can Decide
In the end, only you can decide whether your independent research indicates that CBD oil for pain will be effective for you, but understanding how CBD and pain affect you is an important step in evaluating both users’ success stories and the research available. If you have any questions or want to talk to one of our CBD experts and order your premium CBD products from CBD Choice today.