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PainIs It Recommended to Use CBD Oil, Cream, Or Salve for Arthritis?The popularity of CBD oil has meant that there are various methods available to utilize the substance. CBD oil has been used as a treatment for arthritis, so this article will assess whether you should use CBD oil, cream, or salve for this ailment.
It should be noted that scientific evidence suggests that CBD may relieve pain and inflammation associated with arthritis. The substance should therefore be effective, regardless of the form in which you use it.
Popular Method
CBD oil is by far the most popular way of utilizing the substance and is the first port of call for most people. It is certainly the most widely available form of CBD as well, and this means that it will be an excellent choice for most people looking to treat arthritis.
However, creams associated with CBD are also becoming popular, and there are advantages associated with these for those treating arthritis. The major benefit of a CBD cream is that it can be applied directly to a particularly troublesome area; a significant advantage when dealing with arthritis.
Salve is another application option for CBD treatment, although one that is significantly less common. This definitely bears consideration but could be much harder to get hold of than the other two options in this field.
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Which Should You Choose?
Tinctures are probably the most popular method of consuming CBD due to their discretion and the ease of ingesting. Holding a few drops under your tongue (at your recommended dose) for 30 seconds in a method called sublingual application will allow the CBD to be absorbed into your bloodstream through the surrounding tissue. The benefit of this method is that you might experience a generalised decrease in inflammation throughout your body for prolonged periods of time, without having to wait too long before you notice any positive effects.
Topical application involves rubbing a CBD-containing cream or balm onto the affected area and letting it absorb through the skin. Although this method has the lowest bioavailability, it has the advantage of focusing the benefits onto a localised area. Combining topicals with tinctures could give you the most benefit.
Guiding Principle
As a general rule, CBD oil can be used effectively due to the wide variety of concentrations available. This is a major advantage of CBD oil over other forms as its dosages can be more readily controlled due to the vast amount of products on the market.
However, CBD cream may also be a particularly effective and targeted way of treating arthritis, a topical method that has been shown to be effective in studies and research. The good news for arthritis sufferers is that there are several CBD options available that could all be potentially effective.
Pain4 Natural Remedies for Inflammation: Mushrooms, CBD, and MoreInflammation is the body's effort to protect you from outside invaders and infection. It is a part of the immune response but is so effective at killing invading pathogens that it can also harm the body's own cells, often being the cause of pain and other medical conditions.
Acute inflammation occurs when there is a sudden injury or a temporary infection or virus. Chronic inflammation lasts longer than 12 weeks and occurs with ongoing disease and, in particular, autoimmune diseases.
Attacking chronic inflammation is particularly difficult and demands a variety of methods, from preventive diet and lifestyle changes through to conventional medicine and then on to natural remedies. Keep reading to discover the best options available to you.
What Is Inflammation?
Inflammation is the process whereby the immune system (in particular white blood cells) attacks invaders like viruses, bacteria, and anything that is considered a threat to the body. Inflammation can also occur in autoimmune disorders, where the body misidentifies its own cells as invaders.
A variety of diseases have also been linked to chronic inflammation, including all forms of cancer, heart disease, and asthma.
Though inflammation is usually fought with pharmaceutical drugs, there are also many natural at-home remedies that can produce positive results.
1. Mushrooms
A variety of medicinal mushrooms seem to have anti-inflammatory properties and antioxidant effects, according to research (1). Their numerous active compounds—including polysaccharides, proteoglycans, and terpenoids—are instrumental in preventing inflammation and then reducing build-up.
Mushrooms are often eaten as part of meals, which is a great way to experience the benefit of these adaptogens over time. They can also be powdered and added to drinks or taken as supplements. The best mushrooms for this purpose include:
ChagaHas antioxidant as well as anti-inflammatory qualities.ReishiBest for inhibiting inflammation.CordycepsBest for inhibiting and treating inflammation.Lion's ManeKnown for being anti-inflammatory and easy to ingest.
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2. CBD
CBD is known for having anti-inflammatory properties that may inhibit inflammatory cytokines (1). CBD interacts with the endocannabinoid system in ways that may decrease inflammation, and have an extremely low level of risk.
CBD can be taken in many forms, including as an oil or tincture, a topical preparation, vaping, a supplement, and as an edible. Edibles have a delayed effect and are long-acting so can be a useful way to get a sustained effect, though oils and tinctures taken sublingually are widely regarded as the most bioavailable and effective method. Vaping is not recommended as it can damage the lungs and airways.
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3. Herbs
Anti-inflammatory herbs are readily available and can be easily incorporated into your diet. They are generally safe in the right doses, and the best ones for fighting inflammation include:
GingerGinger contains anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and works in the way COX-2 inhibitors do to manage inflammation (3).TumericTumeric's main anti-inflammatory component is curcumin (4).GarlicGarlic's main anti-inflammatory components come from its sulfur compounds which have been shown to decrease inflammation (5).CardamomResearch suggests it reduces inflammatory markers and has anti-oxidant properties as well (6).
4. Lifestyle Choices
Inflammation is negatively impacted by a variety of lifestyle factors and choices. Prevention and control of inflammation can be helped by examining these factors and actively choosing to make better choices:
Smoking causes inflammation by activating neutrophils.Heavy alcohol use adds to systemic inflammation by interfering with the natural gut biome.Prolonged stress causes and aggravates inflammation by provoking the release of cortisol.Sleep deprivation can contribute to systemic inflammation.
Quitting smoking, moderating alcohol, and minimising stress can all lead to decreased systemic inflammation. Moderate exercise may also suppress inflammation, as well as getting adequate sleep (six to eight hours per night) and improving the quality of your sleep.
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Combine Remedies for Maximum Effect
Natural remedies can help to prevent and manage inflammation, but a combination of remedies and lifestyle changes may provide the best results. Luckily, many of these remedies can easily be incorporated into daily life without too much effort.
The effectiveness of natural remedies will depend in part upon the cause of the inflammation and the extent of the inflammation. It is essential to consult a doctor to diagnose the exact causes of inflammation instead of attempting to self-diagnose, especially when considering whether or not you should add extra supplements and treatments into your life.
PainBest CBD Products for Sciatica Nerve PainThe sciatic nerve is the longest and thickest nerve in the human body, originating in the lower back and running down both legs. When this nerve is aggravated - usually, but not exclusively, as a result of a herniated disk- it can lead to inflammation, pinching, or compression of the sciatic nerve, resulting in a chronically painful condition called sciatica.
The most common symptoms of sciatica are a moderate to severe nerve pain and numbness in any area inhabited by the sciatic nerve.
The condition usually goes away on its own after time but can have its symptoms eased with medication, which is where CBD comes into play. With the growing body of evidence to support the fact that CBD exhibits anti-inflammatory and analgesic (pain-relieving) properties, more individuals are turning to CBD products.
In this article, we will be discussing the effectiveness of this and how best to go about using CBD oil for sciatica.
How to Take CBD Oil For Sciatica
There are a growing number of products that contain CBD oil, all with their different methods of application, which gives you a lot of room to choose which CBD products you'd like to try.
Using Hemp, CBD Oils and Tinctures for Sciatica Nerve Pain
Probably the most widely used form of CBD, oils or tinctures applied sublingually have the best balance of bioavailability, time of onset, duration of the effect, and low risk.
The only CBD form that has a higher bioavailability than sublingual application is vaping or smoking, but the added risk to your respiratory system is not advised.
Does CBD Cream Help Sciatica?
Although topical CBD products (balms, lotions, and oils) have relatively low bioavailability, you might still find some benefit from using them for sciatica. Rubbing CBD balms or creams onto the affected areas in addition to taking CBD oils sublingually can potentially treat the sciatica pain and inflammation in a local area.
What is the Best Dosage and Strain of CBD for Sciatica?
As is always the case with CBD products, there is no recommended dosage, and it varies greatly depending on the individual, the product, and the condition. The only advice you can get on this topic is to start low and go slow until you find what works for you.
As for the strain, Indica and Sativa are terms often used to differentiate the different types of cannabis flowers that are purchased for their varying THC content (the psychoactive compound of cannabis). The terms don't really apply to refined CBD products as most, if not all, have the THC removed.
Are There Possible Drug-to-Drug Interactions?
Both analgesic and anti-inflammatory meds are prescribed for sciatica. Although CBD seems to exhibit the same effects as these drugs, they operate with different mechanisms.
However, the three substances are metabolised by the liver in relatively the same way, and so taking them in conjunction could potentially slow the rate at which the pharmaceuticals are metabolised and therefore increase the risk and severity of their associated side effects.
A Final Thought
CBD has been used for millennia as a treatment for pain and inflammation, and so could potentially be an effective treatment for sciatica. However, there is no documented evidence of interactions between prescribed sciatica medication and CBD.
What this means is that you should first contact your doctor before intending to implement CBD into your life as they can give you more insight into your particular situation.
PainDoes CBD Oil Help Relieve Chronic Pain?CBD oil is becoming an increasingly popular way to treat a variety of ailments. Its pain-relieving qualities are considered particularly attractive by many advocates of the substance. So in this article, we’re going to examine the ability of CBD oil to relieve chronic pain in particular.
The National Centers for Complementary and Integrative Health found in a study that CBD oil can indeed have some positive impact on chronic pain symptoms. This is encouraging for those looking for a solution to this issue, but there has been a dearth of research overall.
Is CBD Oil FDA Approved?
Indeed, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has yet to approve CBD oil for treating pain of any sort. Nonetheless, despite this apparent snub to CBD oil, it is also important to note that the FDA also considers CBD oil to be a perfectly safe option.
However, another review in 2020 found that CBD oil can help relieve chronic pain in some circumstances. This research also discovered that CBD oil was effective in improving sleep and reducing inflammation.
CBD oil has also been used to reduce neuropathic pain, which emanates after the damage done to the nervous system. This former pain is common in conditions such as multiple sclerosis, and thus can be deemed chronic pain.
Reviews and Studies
A 2017 review also outlined the success of CBD oil in treating chronic neuropathy pain. Over 1,200 patients were involved in the trials, and CBD oil had a consistently effective impact on those participating in the process.
Another study published in 2016 discovered that CBD oil could be effectively utilized to ease the symptoms associated with arthritis. A large majority of patients utilizing CBD oil reported improvement in pain associated with arthritis.
Overall, there is good scientific evidence that suggests that CBD oil can assist with chronic pain. However, there remains a gap in research, and more effort is needed to fully confirm this tendency.