Table of Contents
Introduction
You may not want to experience a searing pain on a Monday morning. With the week planned out, staying immobilized or in pain can leave you struggling to meet your schedules. At times, taking over-the-counter drugs or painkillers even doesn’t curb the excruciating pain that comes with sciatica.
At least 40% of the world’s population has suffered from this type of pain. How can you turn around your life with sciatica? Today, CBD oil has emerged as a potential remedy for sciatica, but there is much misconception surrounding its use. This article seeks to delve deeper into CBD oil for sciatica, uncovering what you don’t know and presenting the facts to help you decide whether it’s right for you.
Sciatica: What Do You Know About It?
The sciatic nerve is the body’s longest nerve that runs from the lumbar spine and forms five branches that leave the spine through a gap called foramina. In addition, the nerve supplies the joints of the foot, leg, and thigh, including the muscles and skin. Therefore, when this nerve is irritated or compressed, symptoms such as weakness or numbness in the feet, legs, buttocks or lower back, and tingling or severe pain are experienced. The pain can move to the hips and leave the sufferer with inflammation, aches, and pain.
It can take at least four to six weeks to curb this pain if you use the proper treatment. However, sciatica pain can last for months if not treated.
Common Treatment Of Sciatica
1. Pain management
2. Physical therapy
3. Surgery
Causes Of Sciatica
The sciatica nerve can get inflamed or compressed from conditions like:
- Degenerative disc disease
- Herniated disc
- Spinal stenosis (narrowing of the spinal canal)
- Spasms
- Muscle imbalances
- Excessive body weight
- Sudden movements
- Poor posture
- Prolonged standing or sitting
- Lifting heavy items in the wrong way
- Injury or trauma to the buttocks or the lower back
Can You Take CBD Oil For Sciatica?
You don’t walk into a CBD store and pick any of its products for your sciatica challenges. Before you make your first purchase, you should understand that CBD may not cure the underlying issues affecting the sciatic nerve. Since CBD offers anti-inflammatory and analgesic benefits, it can curb some sciatic symptoms.
How CBD Oil Works?
Cannabidiol works together with the endocannabinoid system (ECS), which consists of receptors in tissues, organs, and the nervous system. The ECS maintains the body’s balance or homeostasis and influences appetite, inflammation, pain perception, sleep, and mood. In addition, CBD triggers anandamide, a neurotransmitter that works with the Cannabinoid receptors to cause wellness and a sense of happiness.
The CBD stimulates the brain’s CB1 and CB2 receptors when it enters the bloodstream. Hence, it activates signals that lead to relief from pain and inflammation, including lowering stress levels and a better sleep pattern.
If you are looking for best quality CBD products, you can consider Hempati, one of the leading CBD wholesalers around. With our commitment to using only the best ingredients and avoiding unnecessary additives, you can feel confident that you’re getting the best CBD offers.
Types of CBD
When selecting CBD to treat sciatica, you can consider using CBD edibles, capsules, topical creams or oil. You can consider CBD oil as a better option than creams and capsules because of its fast response.
CBD Oil Drops
You can sublingually use CBD oil to treat pain. The oil gives users a high bioavailability of CBD because it enters their bloodstream directly. You can easily tailor the dosage and application of CBD when you use the oil form. You must not use more than 70mg of the product daily.
Topical CBD Balms And Creams
People use CBD oil on the skin by using topical CBD creams or balms. The balms ensure you experience fast relief from pain and inflammation because of their cooling or heating properties. However, this type of CBD comes with low CBD bioavailability.
CBD Capsules/Edible CBD
You can consume CBD in capsules if you prefer such a method. However, you may notice its effect after a period.
Vaping CBD
If you want the fastest CBD oil action, you can take it as a vape. When you vape CBD oil, it enters directly into the bloodstream.
Furthermore, you can consider using isolate, broad-spectrum, or full-spectrum products.
- CBD isolate: Made by removing all other compounds, CBD isolate has the cannabidiol compound only and is 100% natural.
- Broad-spectrum CBD: It does not have the THC component but has the full-spectrum CBD.
- Full-spectrum CBD: It comes with a legal percentage of THC, flavonoids, terpenes, and other beneficial cannabinoids.
How to Select CBD Oil For Sciatica?
We have highlighted some of the factors to consider when selecting a CBD oil for sciatica symptoms.
- Ingredients: You should consider products that have high quality and clearly listed ingredients. Ensure that such products have no mould, heavy metals or pesticides.
- Certificate of analysis (COA): When selecting CBD oil, you should only buy from brands with Certificate of Analysis results from third-party laboratories.
- Third-party laboratory: We recommend that you use CBD products that are transparent and have undergone third-party testing.
- Dosage: CBD oil for sciatica should have a clearly written THC content and the CBD dosage.
- Serving size: CBD products must have the right serving size for how they are taken.
Pain and CBD Oil
Researchers have shown proof that CBD can reduce symptoms of anxiety, epilepsy, nausea, and pain. As a result, sciatic patients can use CBD oil to alleviate pain associated with the ailment.
Over the years, people have experimented with cannabis to handle pain and many ailments like malaria and gout. Meanwhile, it still remains unclear how to prove this scientifically. However, CBD has been used to handle the following conditions:
- Schizophrenia
- Anxiety Disorders
- Pain
- Sleep Disorders
- Inflammation
- Anorexia
- Epilepsy
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Depression
Researchers believe that more work should be done on CBD and pain relief to solidify the claim that cannabis can achieve this medical feat.
How To Use CBD To Relieve Pain?
Patients who want to use CBD oil to get relief from pain must understand the type of CBD product that would work for their needs. Here is what they should learn:
- To Maintain CBD Consistent Usage: If you want to understand how accurately CBD works and the amount you need, you should consider using CBD gummies or capsules.
- Relief from Sore Spot Pain: People who suffer from sciatic symptoms that flare up in certain locations can make use of topical products like the salve prepared with CBD.
- A Quick Pain Relief: Patients suffering from sciatic pain can use CBD oil or tinctures for faster relief.
While treating sciatic pain with CBD has limited scientific proof, a study in 2020 found that when you use CBD for at least a week for chronic pain, you can experience relief.
CBD Side Effects
Many drugs and supplements have side effects, and CBD is no exception to this. While CBD is considered a natural supplement, it can cause side effects like the following:
- Diarrhea
- Fatigue
- Changes to appetite
- Change in weight
People should talk to their doctors before they consider using CBD products for their sciatica pain. For instance, several medications can interact with CBD products. Therefore, people who use supplements or medications dealing with grapefruit interactions should stay away from CBD or be careful.
Conclusion
People suffering from sciatic pain have challenges with their day-to-day activities. Sometimes, this pain often leaves without medical support, but sufferers notice the pain coming back worse. Do you want to treat sciatic pain? We recommend that you try CBD oil, which is easy to use, safe, and convenient. However, people with underlying health challenges like hypertension or using medication should consult with their health professionals. Also, you should ensure that the CBD oil has no adverse effect on your medication by reading the label.
In conclusion, you can use CBD oil for different health challenges, but you must follow the dosage and sizing to avoid side effects.