CBD for Neuropathy: Will it Combat Your Pain?

July 10, 2018

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The nervous system is categorized into two categories: central and peripheral.

The central nervous system is all in the brain and spinal cord. It is the powerhouse of all other nerve functions.

While the peripheral nervous system is responsible for carrying messages from the central nervous system to other parts of your body.

Any nerve that is not in the brain or spinal cord is considered peripheral.

These peripheral nerves may get damaged, pinched or otherwise disrupted. This leads to a broken line of communication between physiological systems.

The homeostasis of your body is threatened when communication is delayed.

This disruption is called peripheral neuropathy or just simply neuropathy. The condition is present in over 2% of the general population, and it’s more prevalent in people of an advanced age.

How Neuropathy Impacts Your Body

Neuropathy can affect the sensory, autonomous or motor nerves.

The sensory nerves are of course about pain numbness, temperature, vibration and touch.

Autonomous nerves are directed towards your blood pressure, digestion, and heart function and bladder activity.

While the motor nerves direct muscle movement.

The neuropathy may be in one nerve in which case it would be mononeuropathy.

Disruption could also occur in two or more nerves in different parts, this would be referred to as mononeuritis multiplex neuropathy.

Then there is damage to multiple nerves outside of your brain and central nervous system, which is called polyneuropathy.

Causes of Neuropathy

Neuropathy could be acquired at birth if the infant goes without oxygen for too long during labor. It could also be acquired late in life due to systemic diseases like diabetes, physical trauma, infections or autoimmune diseases.

The cause could also be unknown in which case the neuropathy would be termed as idiopathic. This is usually until a cause is determined then the neuropath is said to be secondary to that cause.

More than a fifth of all neuropathy patients are diagnosed with idiopathic neuropathy, which is more prevalent in people over sixty.

The condition may develop and exacerbate over time or it may stagnate.

Most people experience the first symptoms in their feet which is usually pain, muscle weakness and lack of balance.

What Happens If Neuropathy is Left Untreated?

Neuropathy could lead to atrophy. This is muscle death which then leads to a physical deformity.

There could also be bone degeneration and adverse change to skin, hair and nails.

Neuropathy can bring about erectile dysfunction among other forms of sexual dysfunction. It could also cause digestive issues.

CBD is an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic.

These are all essential aspects in the management of neuropathy of any form.

Speaking of which, according to the National Institute of Neurology Disorders and Stroke there are about 100 neuropathies. Some more common than others.

Common Types of Neuropathies

1) Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy (DPN)

Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy (DPN) is the most common form of neuropathy. Over 60% of diabetes patients suffer neuropathy brought on by the condition.

If it is under managed, it can easily lead to lower limb amputation. This is a fairly common scenario. In fact, about three quarters of amputations are completely preventable.

Onset of DPN can be gradual or sudden. The gradual starts as a simple tingle in your feet then the sensation moves up as the symptoms get direr.

This usually brings with it interruption of sexual function. This type of neuropathy is also possible in pre-diabetes patients.

The treatment options are scanty and have dose limiting side effects thus the need for CBD. About 40% of the patients have reported not feeling the effect of drugs prescribed for DPN.

A study conducted on the relation between proliferation of microglia and DPN. It was found that activation of the CB2 receptor inhibits growth of microglia.

Microglia are proteins that trigger damage in diabetic people.

The University of California conducted a study with 16 diabetes patients to whom vaporized CBD was administered.

The patients who received the higher concentrated CBD reported more relief than the others.

2) Chemotherapy Induced Peripheral Neuropathy

This is the third most common form of neuropathy after idiopathic. It occurs in about 35% of cancer patients, and it’s brought about by the chemotherapy drugs.

This is harder on your nervous system as nerve cells are an easier target than any other. Sensory nerves are at a heightened risk for neuropathy.

CBD has been found to inhibit growth and spread of cancer cells.

This would warrant a lower dosage of the chemotherapy drugs thus giving a chance at relief from CIPN.

Cannabis would also be effective for cancer cell apoptosis. It would effectively induce cell suicide of the cancer cells.

The Temple University School of Pharmacy in Philadelphia conducted a study to prod at this subject.

The conclusion read- Cannabidiol prevented development of paclitaxel-induced allodynia in mice.

Paclitaxel is the scientific name for the chemotherapy elements.

Allodynia is sort of like faux pain. It’s a condition where you experiences pain that is not really there. Suffering pain from innocuous stimuli.

In layman’s terms, CBD can prevent nerve damage brought on by the chemotherapy.

3) HIV Peripheral Neuropathy

The Huma Immunodeficiency Virus brings about neuropathy in more than a third of patients.

It may be difficult to determine whether it is brought on by the virus itself, drugs used in management and treatment or the opportunistic infections that are common with HIV patients.

The pain usually starts with loss of feeling in the toes and soles of the feet.

Usually, if you are experiencing neuropathy symptoms above the ankle it is taken as evidence of more severe nerve damage.

It is therefore paramount to get it under management before the pins and needles cross the lateral malleolus.

Use of CBD builds up your immune system making it possible to decrease and maybe even withdraw from the medication.

This could help solve your HIV Peripheral Neuropathy.

It may take weeks or months depending on the person and degree of damage. It may also remain permanent in extreme cases.

The University of Glasgow conducted a study in 2011 on this subject. It was found that there was significant improvement on HIV neuropathic pain in patients who used CBD.

4) Polyneuropathy

As mentioned before, this is a scenario in which multiple nerves in different parts of your body are disrupted at the same time.

The most common cases of polyneuropathy start with nerves farthest from your brain and spine.

This makes the feet the best place for this kind of neuropathy to start. It climbs up until it gets to your fingers and hands. It then covers your hands in what has been dubbed-stocking glove pattern.

Eventually the neuropathy progresses and meets in the middle attacking the autonomous nerves.

One of the most interesting causes of polyneuropathy is neurofibromatosis.

This is a condition in which the patient develops tumors along the nervous system.

Cannabis has been found to be a worthy opponent against tumors and would therefore obliterate these slowly and surely.

Polyneuropathy being such a widespread neuropathy, there is need for a wide spread therapy avenue.

CBD uses the endocannabinoid system to deliver therapeutic impulses. The receptors are as far stretched as the nervous system.

CBD would therefore be an effective treatment regimen for polyneuropathy.

Possibility of Repair

Muscle atrophy is a common subsequence of neuropathy, which is the weakening or degeneration of tissue or muscles.

It is reversible if caught and attended to early.

CBD helps your body achieve optimum function by maintaining a physiological balance.

The cannabinoid would work to ensure the path to atrophy reversal is set. The very least that CBD can do is slow down the descent into complete immobility and help you maintain a good quality of life.

Recommended CBD Products for Neuropathy

No matter which type of CBD product you choose, we highly recommend that you experiment with different types of CBD products as well as trying full spectrum CBD products and CBD isolate products.

The different types of CBD products include CBD oil (tinctures), edibles, vape juice, capsules, topicals, oral spray, or dabs (concentrate).

Additionally, if you are just beginning your journey with CBD, you should always start with the lowest possible dose.

You should then continuously use that dose for a few days to a week to see how it impacts you. If you find relief from that low dosage than stick with it.

If you don’t experiment relief after continuous use, don’t give up, simply increase the dose gradually until you find the dose that works for you!

CBD still not working for you? This could be why!

Now that you are aware of the varying categories of CBD products, below you can find the products from each category that we recommend.