Many people with chronic pain choose smoking marijuana to avoid this condition. Unfortunately, this also entails the occurrence of harmful psychoactive effects of some of its compounds, such as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). For this reason, little by little the fame of another cannabinoid known as cannabidiol (CBD), which has no psychoactive effects but appears to be effective in treating pain. The problem is that, according to a new review published by scientists from Canada and United Kingdom, The power of CBD in treating pain may have been overrated all along.
In their study, they note that most existing research has been conducted on the effects of CBD on pain management. with animals. There are very few clinical trials on humans, but if the results were conclusive, this could be enough to confirm its effectiveness. Thanks to this work, we now know that this is not the case and that the results of the clinical trials conducted They leave much to be desired.
The conclusion of this study is that with current evidence in handCBD’s strength treat pain It could be much smaller than we thought. This doesn’t mean it should be ruled out. The authors of the review propose to expand research on this topic. There are many people in the world who suffer from chronic pain and deserve well-evidence-based treatment. Even if something is dressed naturally, it’s important to make sure it actually works. Otherwise, your efforts will be useless.
The Role of CBD in Pain Treatment
endogenous cannabinoids These are substances that act as neuromodulators. That is, they have the ability to regulate the release of certain neurotransmitters and thus control the way signals are transmitted through the nervous system.
For example, an excess of a certain neurotransmitter, such as glutamate, causes the release of endogenous cannabinoids, which bind to receptors known as cannabinoid receptors and send a signal to block the release of glutamate. At the moment when the level of the latter becomes adequate, the cannabinoids are separated from their receptor and all Back to normal life.
All this happens naturally in our nervous system. Most vertebrates have this endogenous cannabinoid system. However, it has been proven that plants also release cannabinoid substances. In particular, all plant varieties Cannabis sativa They contain different types of cannabinoids, the level of which largely depends on the strain we are talking about.
The two most well-known plant cannabinoids are THC and CBD. Both have the ability to bind to the same cannabinoid receptors as those produced by our own bodies. The problem is that since this is not a cascade regulated by our nervous system, they may spend more time at the receptor than they should. This produces different effects for each cannabinoid. For example, THC more psychoactive, affects memory, attention or emotions. On the other hand, CBD is non-psychoactive and can have very beneficial functions. Primarily, the role of CBD has been studied in the treatment of pain, as well as other conditions and symptoms such as seizures.
Many forms of control
hemp this is a variety C.sativa which produces a lot of CBD and little THC. Therefore, in the past, to extract the effects of cannabidiol, the plant was consumed directly as food. However, over time, many laboratories began to directly isolate the cannabinoid. Thus, all sorts of products emerged, from oils to creams, including tablets and gummies.
Unfortunately, according to some studies following the one just published, many of these products are not properly labeled. For example, a study conducted in 2022 was devoted to the analysis of labeling 105 products, of which 35% also had THC, although it was not listed anywhere. Other times they only have CBD, but sometimes different doses what the label indicates.
People taking CBD for pain management should also be mindful of dosages. No matter how natural it is, certain quantities should not be exceeded, but if they are not specified properly, it is impossible to do it correctly.
It may not be as useful as it seems
A meta-analysis that was just published in Pain Journal tests 16 clinical studies were conducted on humans between 2020 and 2023. They included 917 patients who took different formats of CBD to treat pain.
Of these, 15 concluded that the improvements achieved were no greater than with placebo. This gives this cannabinoid a dignity that it may not have. It is important to explore much more in this direction. All people who suffer pain every day deserve this. It is not enough to silence them with a placebo disguised as a natural cure. They need to make sure that what they are given actually works.
Source: Hiper Textual
