A lifetime of adventure sports and sports in general have left numerous scars and pain management issues. There was a time when I believed that I would have to suffer quietly and just deal with the pain. The scars I don’t mind – some say they are like tattoos but with a better story. For the most part, I have always believed that bad decisions make interesting stories. Anyway, getting back to the pain management – it’s always back to the pain.
I have tried shots, pain killers (Opioids, Ibuprofen, etc) and while they help with the pain, there is the risk of addiction, the costs and the bad side effects. Keep in mind that this was back in the mid 1990’s – long before I knew about CBD. I think my story might have been different had I known about CBD at that point in my life. But without CBD I was left to sort things out on my own. Many of us changed the way we eat, how we exercise and I even changed the way I sleep!
Changing Habits to Cope with Pain Management
I changed my sleeping habits, hoping that I could get some relief from pain – especially lower back pain. It was quite by accident that I decided to change how I slept. I used to have those mornings when I would wake up and be in agony from lower back pain. Many of us have experienced the type of lower back pain that makes any movement very uncomfortable. It would take most of the morning (and sometimes some painkillers) to really get moving. Because I only felt the pain after a long night’s sleep, I began to wonder if my mattress was causing the pain. I never really did anything about it until one fateful camping trip.
My Way of Camping
First let me explain my version of camping. It is not walking miles into the woods to find a deserted spot to setup a small tent, a ground pad and prepare a meal consisting of freeze dried food. My version of camping is car camping. I am a big fan of car camping. I tell people that if the car is more than 25 feet away, I am roughing it. Having the car close allows me to bring things that you would never consider if you were backpacking to your tent site. I can bring a cooler, a nice chair, good food, a nice roomy tent and something a whole lot better than a ground pad for sleeping.
On one such car camping trip I decided to leave my inflatable air mattress at home and try sleeping in my hammock. I had read about other campers using their hammocks for more than just a refreshing midday nap. Some recommended putting the hammock into a stand and using it to sleep. I had decided that on my next camping trip, I would try the hammock thing.
Camping Should be Fun, Not Painful
My next trip was a camping and mountain biking trip to North Carolina. When I left for the trip, I was already in pain from my lower back. The three hour drive did not help the situation and when I arrived at my camping site, I was in agony. I took four or five ibuprofen. I know – way to many, but that was the only thing that seemed to help. With my lower back pain somewhat under control I set up my tent and went for a ride. That night after a great meal and a relaxing talk around a campfire, I settled into my hammock for a good night’s sleep.
That first night of sleeping in my hammock, I could feel my back relaxing and the pain subsiding. The next morning, I was able to get moving with only a couple of pain pills. By the third day I was able to move comfortably with only mild lower back pain. After sleeping in my hammock, I was able to get more relief from OTC pain killers. Finally my lower back pain was manageable. But still there were some issues. Like convincing my girlfriend that the hammock was necessary for long term lower back pain management. And then there are the side effects of OTC painkillers, such as liver problems. I knew that popping liver damaging painkillers was not the long term solution but it was the only choice I had – at that time.
Fighting Back Against Pain
To this day I sleep in my hammock whenever I can, but I now have a much better way to fight the residual back pain – CBD oil. And while sleeping in a hammock did help relieve my lower back pain, it was not able to help with my neck issues (caused by scuba diving) or my wrist issues (mountain biking), my thumb issues (basketball), my aching knees (marathons) and the general pain in my joints. CBD Isolate mixed with hemp seed oil seems to help with these issues. But the point of this is not to tell you about how I sleep, but to discuss pain management. So let’s start with a general discussion on pain and go from there.
The Types of Pain
Most research scientists recognize three different types of pain. These types of pain fall into three general categories:
- Nociceptive pain
- Neuropathic pain
- Central or generalized pain (I have not been able to find a consensus on the naming of this type of pain. A good example is fibromyalgia)
The reason for the three distinct categories is that pain has different origins and different pain management techniques. For example, a sprained ankle is different from a broken ankle. While both cause pain, you would not want to treat them the same way. Let’s take a moment to describe each type of pain.
Nociceptive Pain
Physical injury is usually the cuprit for this type of pain. It can come from a car crash, bike accident (I know all about this type of pain) or other injury to the body. It can be as simple as strained or overworked muscles or as complicated as a compound fracture. Nociceptive pain is the result of tissue damage. It is usually described as a sharp, aching, or throbbing pain. The injured cells immediately start to repair the damage. Damaged cells release inflammatory chemical signals that bring about the widening of the blood vessels (vasodilation).
This results in increased blood flow which results in redness and heat. In response to injury, a type of cell known as mast cells release histamine. This is the body’s way of getting the attention of the white blood cells. The result of the increased blood flow and the histamines causes swelling (edema). The swollen tissues squeeze pain receptors which cause the sensation of pain. A very simplified way to look at it is: tissue damage causes inflammation and the inflammation causes pain. (For a much more comprehensive look into the process please click here.)
CBD and Nociceptive Pain
Studies indicate that CBD, works on this type of pain in three ways:
- The first is to actually block the inflammation process. This causes the swelling to go down and ceases the squeezing of pain receptors. Basically, the pain receptors no longer send the “pain signal” to the brain.
- The second way CBD works to alleviate pain is to moderate the pain signals as they make their way up the spinal cord to the brain. The pain signals are still there, but they are less of an issue for the brain. CBD enhances the activity of receptors for the brain’s primary inhibitory neurotransmitter, GABA. Through this inhibitory effect, CBD can dampen pain signals as they make their way into the brain.
- Finally, it is believed that CBD actually calls for the body to release chemicals that make the pain more tolerable. Again, the pain is still there but now another chemical is working with the brain to moderate the sensation.
To summarize, CBD reduces the pain at the site of the injury, blocks the pain signals on the way to the brain and directs the body to produce more anti pain agents. Most of this work or moderation (as the researchers call it) is done through the Endocannabinoid system or the endogenous cannabinoid system (ECS).
There are numerous, well documented studies published by highly regarded institutions such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH) showing the benefit of CBD (and other cannabinoids) as a pain reduction moderator.
Can Cannabis Help Repair Arthritic Joints?
Again, more study is needed but it is believed that CBD can actually help repair arthritic joints. The Arthritis Foundation foundation believes that CBD has great potential when it comes to helping with arthritis. (See here for more information) Researchers at the University of Michigan are continuing to study CBD and other cannabinoids to determine their level of effectiveness in fighting Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), Osteoarthritis (OA) and fibromyalgia. The Arthritis Foundation recommends using CBD Isolate to treat arthritis, which is also my recommendation.
CBD and Neuropathic Pain
Neuropathic pain is generally associated with damage to the body’s nervous system. This type of pain can be quite common. It is estimated that Neuropathic pain affects 7-10% of the population. This type of pain is usually the result of injury that damages nerves. Some diseases can also cause neuropathic pain. MS or multiple sclerosis is one such disease. With MS, the insulation of nerve cells breaks down causing neuropathic pain. Other diseases that cause neuropathic pain include Parkinson’s disease, HIV, diabetes, and shingles. Chemotherapy can also cause neuropathic pain due to its destructive effects on many types of cells in the body.
A major difference between Neuropathic pain and Nociceptive pain is inflammation. Neuropathic pain isn’t caused by inflammation. This can make it difficult to treat with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen. CBD, however, seems to be able to help with the treatment of chronic neuropathic pain. And it looks promising as a treatment option regardless if the pain is due to disease, amputation, or chemotherapy. CBD and other cannabis agents have shown benefits with cancer and non-cancer-related forms of neuropathic pain.
CBD and Central Pain Management
Central pain has become the catch-all phrase for the types of pain that arise from a dysfunctioning nervous system. Many instances of central pain have no known cause. This makes it particularly difficult to treat. Recently, Fibromyalgia has become the poster child of central pain. Fibromyalgia arises from a dysfunction in the way pain signals make their way to the brain and are processed. Fibromyalgia, like other types of central pain, has no known origin.
As of right now there are very few studies relating central pain and the benefits from treatment with CBD. One study was done with 26 people suffering from fibromyalgia. In this study all 26 fibromyalgia patients reported benefits from CBD and cannabis use. Half of the participants even stopped taking other medications that were prescribed for them. This study suggests that those looking for relief from fibromyalgia and other central pain conditions should try CBD and other cannabis agents.
The Bottom Line
There are an increasing number of studies showing that cannabis and CBD are an effective pain treatment. CBD has fewer side effects than many OTC or prescription medications. It works as a natural agent to help the body with pain and perhaps even to heal itself. More and more researchers (and even certain Universities) are turning a great deal of attention to CBD as a painkiller and healing agent. Whatever the cause of your pain is, you should consider some type of CBD. I recommend (as does the Arthritis Foundation) CBD Isolate. To date, it seems to be effective but without any major side effects. Order a bottle today and start living pain free. Also, don’t forget about the hammock!