Cannabidiol can be a reliable solution for relieving pain if you know how to use it correctly. Here are tips for beginners on using CBD for pain relief.
Despite some red tape around research due to drug laws in the United States, CBD has been studied and reported on for its pain-relieving abilities.
While these studies are largely on animals, the results have been promising.
If you suffer from chronic pain, or even just want to relieve some difficult pain from time to time, you’ve likely thought about CBD as a solution. How exactly are you supposed to use it though?
If you have questions about CBD for pain relief, you’re in the right place. Keep reading to learn more about the benefits of CBD, proper serving sizes, and more.
1. Do Your Research
When starting a new product of any kind, it’s always important to do a bit of research beforehand. If you’re reading this, you’ve likely taken the first step into that process!
While data on CBD is thin right now, the amount of research is always growing. The lack of research might be alarming to some newcomers to the CBD scene, but here’s some of what we already know to get you started.
CBD and THC Are Different
Many people start off with the concern that beginning a CBD regimen is going to be like a scene from Reefer Madness. This is based largely around fear-mongering in the marijuana sphere and the classification of marijuana as a schedule-1 drug.
Fortunately, with the legalization of medicinal marijuana and the total legalization of hemp through the 2018 farm bill, it’s become easier to research CBD and the effects that it actually has on the body.
THC is present in recreational and medicinal marijuana. It’s what gives the psychoactive effects of the plant when it’s consumed.
CBD is different. It’s still reacting on the cannabinoid receptors in the brain, but it doesn’t have the same effect.
In short, while THC has medicinal purposes, many people are more familiar with its recreational uses and how they impair the user. CBD does not offer these same impairments, and its effects can all be considered therapeutic.
CBD Has the Potential to Ease Inflammation and Pain
As mentioned before, the CBD tests that have been done for pain were largely on animals (namely, rats with arthritis).
The studies showed that not only did topical application of CBD ease the inflammation and pain in the rats (as far as scientists can tell), but it also helped prevent future nerve damage.
You might be wondering how this applies to humans.
While human trials aren’t as accessible for CBD, rat trials are common in the testing of new products for human consumption. Their behavioral and biological characteristics are similar enough to those of humans to gauge how the product would fare in human use.
Inflammation in mammals is somewhat universal. The immune system is attacking an offender, causing redness and swelling in the affected area. With conditions like arthritis, the immune system is mistaken and the inflammation is only attacking the body. This is true in both rats and humans.
All of this is to say that the reduction of inflammation and pain in rats was more than enough evidence to begin use with humans. There are plenty of success stories from happy customers that reflect this research!
2. Start Slow
When you’re working out your proper CBD serving size, it’s better to start slow and take too little than to start fast and take too much.
CBD is incredibly forgiving, but taking too much could make you sleepy (if taken orally or via a vaporizer) and you can just end up wasting the product that you need for your pain relief!
Starting with 20mg to 40mg and going up from there depending on how you feel is a good idea, though everyone has different tolerance and comfort levels. If you’re more comfortable starting with 5mg, start there.
Higher starting serving sizes are better for pain relief while lower ones are more suitable for anxiety.
3. Try Topicals
On the topic of serving sizes, if you’re working with topicals, it’s much easier to figure out the “right amount” to use. Think of the product as a standard lotion or balm. You’re likely used to using certain amounts.
This doesn’t have to change with your topical treatment.
Topicals are great for pain. They localize the CBD application, making it so you don’t have to guess and check.
If you’re feeling joint pain in your knees, you know exactly where to rub the salve in. The study on pain was done with gels, which were topical products. This leads to the logical conclusion that topical use will be most reliable for your pain needs.
4. Chronic Pain, Exercise, and More
CBD isn’t just for chronic pain.
While the testing was done on a chronic pain condition, CBD has also been shown to be effective for muscle soreness after a heavy workout.
If you’re someone who likes to lift weights but hates the delayed onset muscle soreness that comes afterward, CBD could be for you.
CBD has also shown promising results for inflammation on the skin, such as sunburn. While it won’t cure your sunburn, it may take some of the sting out while your body tries to heal itself.
5. Don’t Get Discouraged
CBD is somewhat of a trial and error product. Because of the regulations around all hemp and marijuana-based products, research is slim and serving sizes are difficult to accurately gauge for each person.
After all, you can’t just go ask your doctor or pharmacist how much you’re supposed to use.
When you’re starting slow, you may find that you’re not feeling the effects that you want. Slowly raise your serving size each day until you find the right level of pain relief that you’re seeking.
CBD effects a part of the brain that directly impacts pain relief. Finding the right serving size may be all it takes to have you living a life with less pain.
CBD for Pain Relief: Is It For You?
There are many different CBD products that can be used for pain, stress, anxiety, and more. When you’re looking into CBD for pain relief, it’s just a matter of finding what works for you.
If you’re living with pain, either temporary or chronic, and you’re tired of painkillers or products that haven’t served you well, try CBD.
To check out some of our CBD products, visit our product pages. We have premium, natural and tested products for your needs.
