Probably no pain is enjoyable, but especially headaches can be paralyzing and interfering with our every-day lives. What’s even worse is the severe, pulsating headache in one half of the head–called migraine. Migraine is connected to a number of other symptoms, even enhancing the hopelessness we feel when migraine attacks. In the last few years, CBD (cannabidiol) has been discussed a lot, especially in medicine and fitness. A lot of studies have revealed the treatment potential of CBD. Will the time come when we call CBD a new cure for migraine?
Headache vs. Migraine
Because headache is one of the primary symptoms of migraine, the two terms are often interchanged. Compared to headache, migraine usually lasts longer and presents with intense, pulsating pain in one half of the head. It also produces many other symptoms, such as nausea, increased sensibility to light, diarrhea, constipation, speech or sight disturbances etc. Several types of migraines are known, and a great variety of diverse symptoms exists. Moreover, the migraines vary in their duration, which can be up to several days. Approximately one-third of the affected people have aura, which is a short period of symptoms signaling that the migraine will occur: nausea, vomiting, sight disturbances, blurred vision or sudden mood changes.
Migraines and Headaches Treatment
To determine the appropriate treatment, it is important to diagnose the migraine in time and correctly. Migraine is induced by one of many triggers. Each patient can have a different trigger, but most often it is stress, lack of sleep, depression, anxiety, alcohol (or other addictive substances), hormonal changes etc. The treatment of migraine, or generally headache, is very difficult. Nowadays, there is no effective cure that would rid you of the disease forever. That’s why doctors usually prescribe Ibuprofen, beta-blockers, antidepressants or Botox injections. You could find many cases when these cures resulted in even worse headaches, or even the occurrence of another health problem. Patients have therefore high hopes for natural treatment, including cannabidiol, a substance occurring in cannabis plants. Does CBD help with headache and migraine treatment?
What Is the Cause of Migraine?
There is a large number of possible migraine causes. The most common causes are stress, lifestyle changes, lack of sleep, dietary changes or increased consumption of alcohol. Migraine can also be connected to another health problem or disease. The exact causes of migraine are unknown, experts however agree that it is the combination of several factors, such as genetics, psychological aspects or environmental aspects. For thousands of years, cannabis has been used for headache treatment in many cultures all over the world. Today, scientists are trying to answer the question whether CBD could treat migraines.
CBD Effects: How Does It Help with Pain?
Whether you prefer CBD cannabis, CBD oil or another product containing cannabidiol, the process of cannabinoids’ attachments in your body is always similar. The interaction happens in the endocannabinoid system (ECS), which has receptors not only in the skin, central nervous system, several organs and immune system, but also in the brain. After finding out that CBD is present in the area responsible for soothing pain, you might foretell where it could help. Human body is able to naturally create substances called endocannabinoids. One of the best-known endocannabinoids is anandamide, which has a similar function to some migraine medications. CBD increases the level of anandamide, which causes the alleviation of pain. Research has shown that CBD can be used in pain treatment, be it chronic or acute.
CBD and Headache Research
With regard to pain treatment, cannabis is studied rather as a whole. That unfortunately means that there is no research studying only CBD as an effective migraine cure. In 2007, the Neuropsychopharmacology journal presented a study showing decreased levels of anandamide in the migraine affected patients’ cerebrospinal fluid. There are several explanations why that happens; one of them is that the ECS doesn’t work correctly. As we have said above, CBD positively affects the correct function of the ECS and is able to increase both the production and effectiveness of anandamide. Therefore, it seems to be a very good option for patients suffering from migraines.
The Effects of CBD: What Can We Look for in the Future?
In 2019, the renowned journal Current Opinion in Neurology published a review offering an interesting overview. The authors deal with the effect of cannabinoids and the endocannabinoid system in migraine treatment. The review conclusion says: “The modulation of endocannabinoid-system (by CBD) … may prove a well-tolerated and pharmacologically sound therapeutic option for migraine.” More studies are needed, especially those that would reveal the exact progress of the processes which occur when migraine affected patients use CBD. However, it is already absolutely certain that this cannabinoid provides relief. And soothing pain is only one of its positive effects; CBD is also proved to regulate moods, help with anxiety and decrease muscle tension. It has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects and keeps a lot of vital functions in balance.
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2007 study