Cannabis has been used to relieve pain throughout history. While it continues to be a popular option today and was recently made legal for patients in the UK, many people turn to cannabidiol (CBD) oil because it’s non-intoxicating.
CBD is a natural compound derived from hemp, a variety of cannabis that doesn’t have enough THC to cause mind-altering effects.
CBD has shown real promise as a safe, natural pain reliever. And unlike many prescription drugs used to address pain, CBD has relatively mild side effects.
In this guide, we’ll cover how CBD can relieve pain and the best way to use it. Read on for our evidence-based tips.
How can CBD help with pain?
Once it enters the body, CBD works by interacting with the endocannabinoid system (ECS).
This system consists of endocannabinoids (cannabinoids made in your body), enzymes that create and break them down, and the cannabinoid receptors they activate, which are found throughout the brain and other tissues.
The main role of the ECS is to maintain homeostasis, a state of internal balance. To achieve that, the ECS regulates many important processes, including inflammation, metabolism, sleep, stress, brain function, anxiety, and pain.
Whenever something disturbs your body’s homeostasis, such as pain or anxiety, the ECS springs into action to bring things back to equilibrium.
For example, there’s evidence that anandamide, one of the two main endocannabinoids made by our bodies, can produce analgesia (pain relief) by stimulating cannabinoid receptors.
Although CBD doesn’t activate cannabinoid receptors directly, it has been shown to suppress the enzyme that breaks down anandamide. This can increase anandamide levels and help it stay active for longer.
Aside from that, studies indicate that CBD interacts with other systems involved in pain regulation.
For example, at least some of its pain-relieving effects come from interacting with the TRPV1 receptor. CBD also appears to boost the levels of adenosine, whose receptors may play a role in controlling pain and inflammation.
How long does CBD take to work for pain?
The length of time needed for CBD to start working depends on how you take it. This is true regardless of whether you’re using CBD for joint pain, muscle soreness, or other reasons. There are four main ways to administer CBD:
- Sublingual — under the tongue
- Oral — swallow it
- Topical — put it on your skin
- Inhalation — vape or smoke it
The most popular CBD product is CBD oil, which works through the sublingual method. It takes CBD about 10–30 minutes to absorb and start working when you hold it under your tongue and the effects last for about 4–6 hours.
Many people also use CBD in the form of capsules, gummies, softgels, and other oral products. When you ingest CBD, it has to go through your digestive system and the liver before it can be absorbed.
This process can take some time, especially if you’ve eaten recently. That’s why oral CBD products can take anywhere from 30 minutes to over an hour to be felt but also last for a longer time.
If you apply CBD topically, the time it takes to feel the effects ranges from a few minutes to as long as an hour.
Meanwhile, if you inhale CBD through vaping or smoking, its effects are almost instantaneous because the lungs are extremely efficient at absorbing small, fat-soluble compounds. However, the effects only last about an hour or two.
Best way to use CBD for pain
If you’re taking CBD for pain, there are some tips to keep in mind. First and foremost, it’s best to use a full-spectrum product containing all of the beneficial cannabinoids, terpenes, and other active compounds in hemp.
Research indicates that full-spectrum hemp extracts have greater benefits than pure CBD due to the ‘entourage effect’.
Besides, most of the scientific evidence for the pain-relieving effects of cannabinoids comes from studies that combine CBD with THC, which is only present in full-spectrum extracts.
Another tip is to use the product that best fits your context. Let’s say your whole body is sore after exercising. CBD oil will be the ideal option because it provides body-wide effects that last for a relatively long time.
You can also use capsules, although you’ll have to take a bigger dose because they’re not as efficiently absorbed as CBD oil.
On the other hand, If you need relief right away, vaping CBD will be a better choice. This is especially true if you’re not at home, since carrying and using your vape in public is far easier than doing the same with a tincture.
Meanwhile, when you have pain in a specific part of the body, such as your knee or shoulder, topical CBD preparations such as creams and salves will work best.
When you apply CBD to your skin, it doesn’t get absorbed into the bloodstream and instead interacts with cannabinoid receptors in that particular area. That’s why it works well for targeted relief of muscle or joint pain and soreness.
What happens when you stop taking CBD oil?
Some prescription pain medications, most notably opioids, can be addictive and cause withdrawal symptoms such as anxiety, insomnia, and muscle aches when you stop taking them.
Thankfully, the same is not true for CBD. When you stop taking CBD oil or any other cannabidiol product, the only thing that will happen is the beneficial effects will stop.
That’s because CBD is completely non-addictive. In fact, research indicates that CBD may help with addiction by reducing cravings for opioids, nicotine, and other addictive substances.
CBD: The Natural Option for Pain Relief
A growing number of people are turning to CBD oil and other hemp-based products to relieve pain. There are many reasons for this:
- As a major component of cannabis, CBD has a long history of use for pain
- CBD is non-intoxicating, unlike its psychotropic cousin THC
- CBD’s pain-relieving properties are supported by an increasing volume of research
- CBD is a safe substance that’s only been associated with mild side effects when used in high doses
- CBD is non-addictive and doesn’t cause withdrawal when you stop taking it
It’s not hard to see why many see it as a safer, natural alternative to prescription pain medications.