CBD Migraine headache, When talking about the therapeutic effects of CBD, it’s often the cannabinoid’s pain reducing ability that is mentioned. As headaches are the most common source of pain in the general population, it would make sense then that CBD could be an interesting therapeutic target.
While the cannabis plant is mentioned as a treatment for headaches in ancient texts dating back thousands of years, its use only became commonplace in the west during the 19th century when it was prescribed by many doctors as a tincture. However, all that changed with prohibition in the 1930s, and since then for many the cannabis plant’s capacity to quell a headache has merely become a welcome side effect of its recreational use.
These days, aside from the multitude of anecdotal reports relating to medical cannabis and headaches, conclusive clinical evidence is lacking. But what scientists do know is that in many headache disorders such as migraines, the endocannabinoid system is intrinsically linked.
Migraines and the Endocannabinoid System
One theory posited about a possible contributing cause of migraines is a dysregulation in the endocannabinoid system (ECS) – the body’s complex network of receptors and cannabis-like chemicals that act to modulate pain, the immune system, mood, sleep, appetite and memory. Scientists have observed several ECS mechanisms that may have an implication in migraine attacks. Anandamide (AEA) one of the prime endocannabinoids in the body, is both analgesic and has been found to potentiate the serotonin 5-HT1A receptors. Studies also suggest that endocannabinoids inhibit the trigeminovascular system.
But perhaps the clearest indication of endocannabinoid dysfunction contributing to migraines is a study carried out in 2007 at the University of Perugia and published in the Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology. Researchers measured endocannabinoid levels in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with chronic migraines finding significantly lower amounts Anandamide, concluding that this “may reflect an impairment of the endocannabinoid system in these patients, which may contribute to chronic head pain.”