CBD Oil: Hype or Helpful?

The way that people view narcotics for pain and marijuana is changing. Every day, we’re learning that many of the people addicted to heroin and other illegal drugs started on the path of addiction through a prescription from their doctor. It usually starts with getting hurt and coming home with a powerful pain reliever and ends up turning into a sad story. This epidemic has created an opening for exploring other avenues for pain relief. Medical marijuana is starting to become a more popular option with researchers, but it’s not available in all areas. However, CBD oil is, and it’s rapidly starting to get attention and for a good reason. Some believe there’s a lot of hype surrounding this oil, but it offers many helpful benefits for a wide range of conditions.

CBD Treatments

Pain Relief

Chronic pain is a real issue. People with conditions such as fibromyalgia and multiple sclerosis suffer through pain on a daily basis that can be debilitating. The pain can be so bad it affects their quality of life. The pain relief offered by CBD is beneficial and, unlike traditional narcotics, issues with tolerance or dependence don’t come up with this treatment option. Canada has approved the use of CBD oil in cases of cancer pain and multiple sclerosis.

Ease Inflammation

Inflammation is a larger issue than many people realize. Inflammation is more than just what happens to your body when you twist your ankle. Many diseases, such as cancer, autoimmune disease, Alzheimer’s, and heart disease all have chronic inflammation as a contributing factor. While your diet and lifestyle can play a large role in whether or not inflammation is an issue, even those that are doing all the right things may suffer from inflammation. Researchers have found that CBD oil can have a positive influence on inflammation and help reduce it.

Balm for Mental Health Issues

Both depression and anxiety can be treated with CBD oil according to the most recent research. It has been shown to help people who have obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and social anxiety disorder. CBD oil can help reduce the amount of anxiety and stress a person feels. Even those that are not formally diagnosed with one of these conditions can find benefits as it’s been shown to reduce the feelings of being ill at ease with public speaking.

There are few mental health issues with as much stigma as schizophrenia. The traditional treatment methodology for this condition is therapy and prescriptions that often have serious side effects. Researchers are just starting to explore how CBD oil can be useful treating schizophrenia and other serious mental conditions. A recent review of research found that it’s an effective, safe, and easily tolerated treatment, but more research is necessary for wide acceptance. It’s been found that THC may increase the potential for psychosis in some. As CBD oil has little to no THC, it’s a better alternative than medical marijuana.

Antioxidant

CBD oil is an antioxidant. There’s been a lot of buzz about battling oxidative stress with antioxidants. Oxidative stress is caused by free radicals which are unstable molecules. This instability can damage your body at the cellular level. Antioxidants are molecules that help by providing electrons to the unstable molecules and neutralizing them. Antioxidants are good for your heart, help to reduce the potential for infections, and some research shows it can work to lower your risk against some cancers. It’s a powerful benefit.

Childhood Epilepsy Hope

CBD oil has been offering a great deal of hope to families with epileptic children. There are instances where children are unable to gain help through traditional pharmaceutical medications for epilepsy. These drug-resistant cases can often be treated successfully using CBD oil. In fact, one published study found that the frequency of seizures in patients studied went down by 23 percent compared to patients using a placebo. This research can be huge for families struggling with epilepsy. Even the FDA is taking notice of the benefits of cannabis and cannabis-related drugs as it recently approved the first cannabis-derived drug that works to control seizures.

Researchers are just starting to catch up with the popularity of CBD oil and medical marijuana. As this becomes more prevalent in society, more research is being completed to learn as much as possible about the benefits. What may seem like hype over the latest health fad is fast becoming seen as something that is clinically helpful. As more research is conducted into CBD oil, it will be interesting to see the additional benefits discovered and ways that this treatment can be applied.