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Page 18 | Abby's Magazine - www.AbbysMag.com While many people use cannabidiol to relieve pain, more scien fic research is needed to be sure it is safe. Understanding cannabidiol can help overcome the s gma associated with it. Some people experience side effects when taking cannabidiol (CBD) and there are other factors to consider before using CBD oil for pain. In this ar cle, we look at how CBD oil works and how people can use it to relieve chronic pain. Effects CBD is one of more than 120 compounds called cannabinoids. Many plants contain cannabinoids, but people most commonly link them to cannabis. Unlike other cannabinoids — such as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) — CBD does not produce a euphoric "high" or psychoac ve effect. This is because CBD does not affect the same receptors as THC. The human body has an endocannabinoid system (ECS) that receives and translates signals from cannabinoids. It produces some cannabinoids of its own, which are called endocannabinoids. The ECS helps to regulate func ons such as sleep, immune-system responses, and pain. When THC enters the body, it produces a "high" feeling by affec ng the brain's endocannabinoid receptors. This ac vates the brain's reward system, producing pleasure chemicals such as dopamine. Does CBD make you high? CBD is an en rely different compound from THC, and its effects are very complex. It is not psychoac ve, meaning it does not produce a "high" or change a person's state of mind, but it influences the body to use its own endocannabinoids more effec vely. According to one study posted to Neurotherapeu cs, this is because CBD itself does very li le to the ECS. Instead, it ac vates or inhibits other compounds in the endocannabinoid system. For example, CBD stops the body from absorbing anandamide, a compound associated with regula ng pain. So, increased levels of anandamide in the bloodstream may reduce the amount of pain a person feels. Cannabidiol may also limit inflamma on in the brain and nervous system, which may benefit people experiencing pain, insomnia, and certain immune-system responses. What is CBD oil? Different cannabis plants — o en called hemp or marijuana — contain different levels of chemical compounds. How people breed the plant affects the CBD levels. Most CBD oil comes from industrial hemp, which usually has a higher CBD content than marijuana. Makers of CBD oil use different methods to extract the compound. The extract is then added to a carrier oil and called CBD oil. CBD oil comes in many different strengths, and people use it in various ways. It is best to discuss CBD oil with a doctor before using it. Benefits People have used CBD for thousands of years to treat various types of pain, but the medical community has only recently begun to study it again. Here are some of the possible benefits of CBD oil: Arthri s pain A study in the European Journal of Pain used an animal model to see if CBD could help people with arthri s manage their pain. Researchers applied a topical gel containing CBD to rats with arthri s for 4 days. Their researchers note a significant drop in inflamma on and signs of pain, without addi onal side effects. People using CBD oil for arthri s may find relief from their pain, but more human studies need to be done to confirm these findings. Mul ple sclerosis Mul ple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease that affects the en re body through the nerves and brain. Muscle spasms are one of the most common symptoms of MS. These spasms can be so great they cause constant pain in some people. One report found that short-term use of CBD oil could reduce the levels of spas city a person feels. The results are modest, but many people reported a reduc on in symptoms. More studies on humans are needed to verify these results. Chronic pain The same report studied CBD use for general chronic pain. Researchers compiled the results of mul ple systema c reviews covering dozens of trials and studies. Their research concluded that there is substan al evidence that cannabis is an effec ve treatment for chronic pain in adults. A separate study in the Journal of Experimental Medicine supports these results. This research suggests that using CBD can reduce pain and inflamma on. The researchers also found that subjects were not likely to build up a tolerance to the effects of CBD, so they would not need to increase their dose con nually. They noted that cannabinoids, such as CBD, could offer helpful new treatments for people with chronic pain. Other uses CBD currently has a range of applica ons and promising possibili es. These include: • smoking cessa on and drug withdrawal • trea ng seizures and epilepsy • anxiety treatment • reducing some of the effects of Alzheimer's, as shown by ini al research • an psycho c effects on people with schizophrenia • future applica ons in comba ng acne, type 1 diabetes, and cancer Does CBD oil work for chronic pain management? By Dr. Mercola