Cannabidiol (CBD) is quickly becoming an extremely popular choice across the country for inflammation and pain management. CBD molecules interact with certain compounds related to the human body’s ECS—endocannabinoid system—which plays a crucial role in maintaining a homeostatic nature. It does not produce any euphoric feelings, and plays integral roles in reducing pain levels and inflammation in areas associated with the immune response system as well as the brain and nervous system.
Keep reading below; we break down CBD oil benefits for pain, into a couple different areas of pain management, and how it affects those parts of the human body.
CBD For Pain Management
First off, before we delve into more specific areas of the body, we do want to share some knowledge on how CBD benefits are thought to reduce pain, in general.
Holistically speaking, the ECS exists to monitor and regulate certain levels of biological functions throughout our body. While CBD molecules will communicate in some capacity with ECS receptors, the presence of cannabidiol will also prevent the human body from absorbing what’s called anandamide, a well-documented chemical that delivers pain messages to the ECS. That substance, if left unabsorbed in the bloodstream, will reduce the feelings of pain associated with immune-system responses and sleep.
This is largely the factor responsible for reducing chronic aches and pains that CBD is believed to alleviate.
CBD For Digestive Issues
Since CBD is known to interact with the ECS, it’s naturally assumed from there that cannabidiol will help reduce the pain associated with the digestive tract, a portion of the body regulated by the immune response system. Throughout the gastrointestinal tract, ECS receptors are present within the membrane of stomach lining; this is where the interaction takes place.
As mentioned earlier, CBD molecules aren’t necessarily responsible for binding to ECS receptors, but have been known to help with a condition called “leaky gut”. It’s exactly what it sounds like, the permeability of the stomach is compromised causing irritable bowel syndrome and uncomfortable pains. Some studies have shown that CBD, using its anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties, will help restore that permeability and prevent leakages.
CBD For PTSD
Many FDA-approved medications intended to reduce PTSD symptoms are largely ineffective because most of them were approved to treat other indications. The idea that CBD may help reduce PTSD stems from the fact that one of the receptors in the ECS–CB1—is known to regulate fear extinction from long-term memories whenever they pop into your head. When this receptor becomes impaired, or imbalanced, the body is unable to properly mitigate feelings of anxiety and fear as they relate to personal experience.
Since CBD almost perfectly mimics the body’s natural cannabinoids, whenever they’re introduced to the body, their nature allows them to reorient the receptors so that fear processing and storage in the brain, occurs normally.
