CBD For Headaches and Other Common Ailments: Does it Help?

No matter where you live in America, you’ve undoubtedly heard or read about this new treatment for pain treatment at least once. Does CBD for headaches, insomnia and other ailments help to reduce your symptoms?

We’re talking about cannabidiol, or “CBD” for short.

When you first read about cannabidiol, you might start to feel like it’s a bit of a dream come true. After all, creators market it as an effective treatment for everything from headaches and migraines to IBS, arthritis, and multiple sclerosis.

But what do we really know about using CBD oil as a treatment for common health problems? Does it work, and if it does, how is it used?

The Basics: What is it?

CBD is an oily substance sourced and extracted from the cannabis (marijuana) plant. The extraction process separates it from other chemicals and materials found within the leaves, stems, and buds, including tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and plant-based terpenes.

It is then manufactured into one of several formats:

• A simple tincture
• An oil
• Baked goods
• Even ready-to-use capsules

The Theory Behind Cannabidiol

The theory behind CBD is that if you use it on a regular basis, it reduces inflammation and curbs pain. We don’t yet have a clear scientific answer why this type of response happens. However, it probably has something to do with the fact that the human body has an endocannabinoid system and cannabinoid receptors within the brain.

Unlike cannabis oil, CBD won’t get you high; it isn’t psychoactive. That makes it a potentially suitable choice for older patients, children, and people who need relief without the heavy sedation of narcotics. There are virtually no side effects outside of true allergies and you don’t need to worry about tolerance, either.

Still, the fact that science still doesn’t know exactly how, or even if, it really works means you should approach using it with caution. Fortunately, it appears the associated risks (e.g., side effects) are virtually non-existent outside of actual allergies and rare special health considerations.

What Can CBD Treat?

People make many claims about what CBD can and cannot treat. Often, these reports are based on personal experience or anecdotes that don’t have a significant amount of scientific research behind them. Still, the fact that millions of patients claim that the relatively innocent and side-effect-free substance helps them makes it difficult to deny the potential for benefits.

Before the marijuana legalization movement really ramped up in the mid-2000s, research into cannabis extracts (including cannabidiol) was scant. Science is only just now catching up by holding large-scale studies of hundreds or thousands of patients at the same time. The good news is that the evidence we do have shows very strong evidence for using CBD to treat specific health concerns.

We’ll talk a bit more about those next.

CBD for Headaches and Migraines

There is very little evidence available to support using CBD as a quick-fix headache cure. However, a great many patients claim to have experienced a reduction in their headaches after taking just a single capsule. Others report having fewer headaches over time if they take it on a regular basis. These are anecdotal reports, and thus, may or may not be fully reliable until officially proven.

The jury is still out on migraines, too, as there just isn’t enough research available yet to support a CBD-only solution. This 2016 study did show positive results for full-spectrum cannabis products containing both THC and CBD. Unfortunately, it isn’t clear whether the THC or CBD provides most (or even all) of the benefit here.

CBD for Epilepsy, Lennox-Gastaut’s Syndrome, and Dravet’s Disease

Current science shows strong support for using cannabidiol to treat certain seizure disorders, such as:

• Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome
• Epilepsy
• Dravet’s disease

Many patients see a full reduction or even elimination of symptoms after they begin using a CBD-based product. Results are especially promising in patients under 18.

Why is this so remarkable? The earmark of diseases like Dravet’s is that they are by their very nature resistant to most drug treatments, including anti-epileptics and benzodiazepines. Even when drugs are effective, they frequently begin to lose efficacy over time.

Positive study results in seizure patients have also led to the creation of new drugs and medications directly derived from CBD. This includes:

• Epideolex, a new treatment for Dravet’s Disease
• Charlotte’s Web, a low-THC, high-CBD strain of cannabis originally developed in 2011

CBD for Insomnia and Mental Illnesses

Studies do show that cannabidiol might help insomnia and anxiety patients calm down, relax, and get a more restful sleep. While the studies themselves have largely been small in nature, nearly all participants across the studies we reviewed reported:

• Falling asleep earlier
• Staying asleep longer
• Feeling more rested

One research project from a Fellow of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (FAACAP) showed a correlation between taking CBD and a reduction in PTSD symptom severity. 91 percent of all participants self-reported a 15 to 20 percent decrease in symptoms. Unfortunately, the sample size here was also quite small (only 11 people).

Several studies also support cannabis as a treatment for depression. This may be especially important for patients with chronic pain, who are nearly three times as likely to become depressed or suicidal.  Most studies looked at full-spectrum cannabis, making it difficult to tell if benefits came from THC or CBD (or even possibly both at the same time).

CBD for Arthritis and Joint Inflammation

CBD might help patients with arthritis and joint inflammation. This study from the European Journal of Pain concluded that applying topical CBD to painful joints had “therapeutic benefit” for patients (including a reduction in pain).

Another study in the journal Pain looked at whether cannabidiol could reduce symptoms of  osteoarthritis, such as neuropathy and chronic pain. Results showed it not only made patients feel more comfortable, but also distinctly reduced inflammation in and around the joint. This, in turn, slowed damage and kept joints healthier longer.

CBD for Crohn’s Disease, IBS, and Other Gastrointestinal Illnesses

Sadly, we don’t yet have strong evidence for CBD as a treatment for Crohn’s, IBS, and other gastrointestinal illnesses. However, there is some limited research that shows promising results for patients who use full-spectrum cannabis.

One randomised, placebo-controlled study led by Dr. Timna Naftali (Israel) tested the benefits of cannabis for patients with Crohn’s Disease specifically. It found that around 65 percent of the 46 participants involved achieved nearly or completely full remission in as little as eight weeks.

Dr. Naftali’s study was really the first of its kind, but it surely won’t be the last. There are already several other projects in the works to see if the anti-inflammatory benefits of CBD might produce similar results for patients with other gastrointestinal conditions.

In the meantime, cannabidiol is safe enough that most patients can try it safely without needing to worry about hidden dangers. This is a distinct risk with more traditional drugs, such as biologics and narcotics.

Common Questions – Answered

Conclusion

As for whether or not CBD is effective in other conditions? We don’t yet know for sure, but it’s safe enough that most patients can use it as an adjunct to other more proven treatments without harm.

If you’re considering trying cannabidiol, or a full-spectrum cannabis product, ask your pharmacist for more information.

Read More:

The Rise of CBD Oil: An Interview with Will Kleidon from Ojai Energetics