CBD & Chronic Pain

Chronic pain is defined as persistent or recurring pain lasting longer than 3 months that is characterized by persistent physical pain, disability, emotional disturbance, and social withdrawal.  It is typically caused by a chronic progressive nerve disease, but can also result from injury, trauma, or infection. With neuropathic pain, the pain is usually not triggered by an event or injury like stubbing your toe. Instead, pain signals are sent to the brain unprompted and without any clear cause.

People with a chronic neuropathic pain condition can experience anything from shooting pains to burning sensations or throbbing that is often also accompanied by numbness or a loss of sensation.  The pain may be constant or intermittent and is often debilitating, rendering the individual unable to work, exercise, or go about life’s basic activities, compromising overall health, and mental well-being. Not only that, but it can become especially difficult when you have to contend with other medical problems that tend to coexist with arthritis, like heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.

Chronic pain affects just under 28 million adults in the UK, and is likely to increase further in line with an ageing population.  In the past the answer for those suffering has been pharmaceutical opioid medication. Consequently, the side effects can be dangerous with long term use and some even become dependent on the pain medication prescribed.  It is not surprising therefore that now more than ever patients and practitioners are looking at CBD as an alternative for pain management.  Arthritis is now the most commonly cited reason for using Cannabinoid (CBD).

Although CBD is just now becoming fairly mainstream, largely because of the debates surrounding medical marijuana, cannabis actually has a long history of providing relief in many different countries around the world.  However, it is only in recent years that research has begun in human use.