CBD's promise for migraine relief: What you need to know
What are migraines? And what research is there on CBD and headaches?
Migraine is a severe, throbbing headache that usually affects one side of the head and is often accompanied by nausea, visual disturbances, vomiting, and increased sensitivity to light and sound. Migraines can last from a few hours to a few days, and this can interfere with a person's ability to perform daily activities.
Before a migraine attack, you may experience some warning signs known as prodromes. These signs include frequent yawning, neck stiffness, food cravings, mood swings, and constipation.
It is estimated that around 1 in 5 women and 1 in 15 men suffer from migraines.
This condition is quite complicated because it's difficult to know exactly what triggers it, as the cause varies from person to person. For some people, it may be due to an emotional imbalance, for others, it's due to their genes, while other possible causes include preexisting medical conditions and/or excessive noise.
Many users turn to CBD for help with migraines, as is the case with CBD for anxiety and CBD for sleep disorders.
How are migraines treated?
Strategies for Migraine Management
The traditional approach to migraine management involves using painkillers, such as paracetamol, to relieve pain during attacks. However, it is equally important to focus on preventing migraine attacks by identifying and avoiding individual triggers. This may involve managing stress, exercising regularly, maintaining a healthy diet, and establishing a regular sleep pattern.
Heat can help relax tense muscles, which can also reduce headaches.
It's also advisable to try to prevent migraines by avoiding the triggers you recognize. For example, if you know that stress often triggers an attack, you can try taking steps to reduce stress levels in your life. Exercising regularly and avoiding caffeine and alcohol can also help prevent migraines.
In the search for more natural and holistic migraine relief, many are turning to natural supplements like cannabidiol (CBD). This compound derived from the cannabis plant has a variety of potential properties that may be beneficial for those who suffer from migraines.
Migraines: Could CBD be the solution you've been looking for?
CBD is credited with a number of benefits that could help relieve seizures, nausea, inflammation, stress, chronic fatigue, mood swings, and anxiety, among others.
If you're thinking about buying CBD , I'd better tell you the possibly best-accepted dosage first: How much CBD should I use for "severe" headaches?
The role of CBD in migraine management
CBD has received increasing interest for its potential effects on relieving symptoms such as nausea, inflammation, stress, chronic fatigue, and mood swings. Migraines have been associated with several factors, including hormonal changes, diet, stress, anxiety, depression, exhaustion, and poor posture. CBD's interaction with CB2 receptors in the body may help mitigate some of these triggers, providing natural relief from migraine symptoms.
Overcoming Migraines with CBD: A New Horizon in Pain Management
Existing research on the use of CBD for migraines is limited but promising. A 2018 study suggested that cannabinoids present a promising class of compounds for migraine pain management. Research has also shown that CBD can improve sleep quality, manage stress and anxiety, and reduce inflammation, all of which may influence the onset and severity of migraines.
Additionally, preliminary evidence suggests that CBD may help reduce inflammation and pain in areas like the neck and shoulders, which are sometimes associated with migraine attacks.
What is the recommended dose of CBD oil to combat migraines?
Here it is a big depends.
In general, it's recommended to start with a low dose and gradually increase it until you find the desired relief. For 10% CBD oil, this could mean starting with 1–2 mg of CBD, which would be equivalent to approximately 1–2 drops of the oil, and adjusting the dose as needed.
It's important to always follow your doctor or healthcare professional's instructions before starting any new supplement regimen, including CBD.
Migraines are intense and often disabling headaches that may be preceded or accompanied by sensory symptoms called auras, such as flashes of light, blind spots, or tingling in the arm or face. The exact mechanisms that cause a migraine are not yet fully understood but are thought to involve disturbances in the trigeminal nervous system, a complex network of nerves in the brain, and imbalances in brain chemicals, including serotonin, which play a key role in pain control in the nervous system. During a migraine, blood vessels in the brain may dilate and cause inflammation, leading to pain.
An alternative: Meditation for migraine relief
Meditation has been shown to be a valuable tool in pain management, including migraines. Meditation can help reduce stress and anxiety, two common factors that can trigger or aggravate migraines. Additionally, meditation can increase self-awareness and allow people to better identify and manage migraine triggers.
Mindfulness meditation, in particular, has been shown to be helpful in managing migraines. A 2014 study published in the journal "Headache" found that people who participated in a mindfulness meditation-based stress reduction program experienced fewer migraine days and less migraine-related disability than those who did not.
Meditation can not only help manage migraine pain, but it can also improve the quality of life for people who suffer from this condition. However, it is important to remember that meditation is a pain management tool, not a cure for migraines. Migraine sufferers are advised to consult a doctor or healthcare professional for a proper diagnosis and treatment plan.
Conclusions and final considerations
While the studies to date are encouraging, more research is needed to fully understand how CBD may contribute to migraine management. Anyone who suffers from migraines should seek the advice of a healthcare professional before incorporating CBD or other natural remedies into their treatment regimen.
It's essential to remember that CBD is only one piece of the puzzle in migraine management. A holistic approach that includes a healthy diet, regular exercise, stress management, and adequate sleep can help reduce the frequency and severity of migraine attacks over the long term.
References:
- Emerging Article on the Role of (Endo)cannabinoids in Migraine
- CBD and Anxiety Disorders
- CBD for Anxiety and Sleep
- CBD for Chronic Pain, Sleep, and Inflammation
And maybe you're interested in knowing this that you didn't know about CBD with MCT , which will make you think why you didn't buy it before.
