CBD Oil for Back Pain – Can It Help?

Pain in any form can be debilitating, and one specific type of pain that most of us have or will endure at some point in life is back pain. This back pain can be temporary, in the form of acute back pain, and is usually successfully managed with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). However, when the back pain persists for longer than 3 months, it is defined as chronic back pain, and this can be very disabling and hard to treat.

One potential therapy for chronic back pain that has been extensively researched in recent years is Cannabidiol (CBD) oil. CBD oil is generally of high interest in the research world today and research has demonstrated that this product might have several beneficial effects on the body. Among these beneficial effects are some that may potentially support chronic back pain symptoms.

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What is CBD?

CBD is the short name for cannabidiol, and this substance is derived from the plant Cannabis sativa. Contrary to popular perception, CBD will not get you high and is not addictive no matter how much you take. It is becoming a popular plant-based treatment option for a wide range of symptoms and conditions.

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Research is showing that CBD may potentially have several beneficial health effects. Studies indicate that CBD interacts with a main component of the body’s endocannabinoid system – the endocannabinoid receptors.

These receptors are primarily located in the nervous system although they are also present in many other parts of the body and they help bring us into homeostasis (or balance). When CBD binds to these receptors beneficial health responses may occur.

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How Does CBD Oil Alleviate Back Pain Symptoms?

CBD oil is being researched for its potential beneficial effects on several symptoms and conditions, and some research is already suggesting that CBD oil might be beneficial in the alleviation of different types of pain symptoms, including back pain.

Below, we will go through how CBD may help reduce back pain symptoms. Please keep in mind that research on CBD is still early and ongoing.

Analgesic (Pain Relieving) Effects

One of the most prominent effects of CBD is its natural pain-relieving benefits. A systematic review published in 2018 found that CBD can be effective in relieving several different types of pain, including chronic pain and neuropathic pain. 

Chronic back pain usually occurs due to aging or a previous injury. Neuropathic pain is pain that specifically arises due to compressed nerve roots. One of the most common causes of nerve root compression is a herniated disc in the spine, which can result from an injury or age-related disc degeneration. Our clinical real-world experience is showing us that CBD Oil may be effective treatment for both chronic and neuropathic pain.

Anti-Inflammatory Effects

Several scientific studies have demonstrated that CBD exerts strong anti-inflammatory effects in the body. Because of this, CBD oil has gained popularity among athletes who require relief from muscle and joint pain caused by inflammation. The anti-inflammatory effect of CBD oil can also be beneficial for people living with back pain that is caused by chronic inflammation. Arthritis is one condition that is caused by inflammation of the joints, and it is common that arthritis occurs in the lower back and neck and causes pain in these regions. 

Since the anti-inflammatory effect of CBD oil may help alleviate arthritis symptoms it may also relieve the back pain that occurs along with it. Furthermore, CBD may also be beneficial in alleviating swelling and joint pain caused by rheumatoid arthritis and help slow down it’s progression. CBD can also be used in combination with other anti-inflammatory supplements to increase the anti-inflammatory effect.

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Cannabis oil for back pain?

The most well known active substances of cannabis are CBD and THC (delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol). Since CBD products are only allowed to contain very small traces of THC to be legal in New Zealand, one main difference between CBD oil and cannabis oil is the higher content of THC in cannabis oil. Studies have shown that THC may also be helpful in relieving back pain symptoms. 

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Conclusion

Although more research is necessary, our clinical experience has shown that medicinal cannabis and CBD oil may help alleviate back pain symptoms due to its pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory effects. Please contact us today to get more information about whether medicinal cannabis may be a good option for you.

Questions about Medical Cannabis? Look here.

Back Pain

Since some research indicates that CBD oil may help alleviate different types of pain symptoms including chronic pain and neuropathic pain, it is also possible that CBD oil may be helpful for the treatment of back pain symptoms.

The short answer is ‘both’! Since CBD oil is taken orally, usually under the tongue, it will have a systemic uptake and have an effect on the whole body. If you require relief for back pain symptoms in particular, a CBD cream may also be helpful since the cream is absorbed by the skin and will give a localised effect. 

Many studies have investigated the safety profile of CBD products and their potential side effects. These studies have shown that in general, CBD is a safe and well-tolerated substance by most users, and research is continually executed to ensure that CBD products keep a high safety standard. However, some users may still experience some side effects from using CBD. Such side effects are presented below:

  • Dry mouth
  • Diarrhea
  • Reduced appetite
  • Drowsiness
  • Fatigue

It is also important to remember that CBD can interact with other potential medications that you are taking. One such example is the blood thinning drug warfarin. Therefore, it is always important to consult your doctor.

Although it is not possible to lethally overdose on CBD, taking a very high amount can give you some undesirable side effects. Research has shown that a human’s tolerance for CBD is very high, and one particular study has reported that for CBD to be toxic to your body, you would have to ingest 20,000 mg of CBD oil within one day.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7204604/
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2018.01259/full
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7023045/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35128969/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22129319/

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