Cancer is a devastating disease that often requires difficult treatment regimens to try to reverse the spread of malignancies, reduce the size of tumors, and eliminate cancer cells. Because of the serious nature of various types of cancer, the treatments that might be used can also have severe side effects. One of the most common issues people with cancer face is pain from both the disease and the treatments they undergo. Doctors might prescribe pain medications to help alleviate pain, but some of these drugs also come with side effects and can be addictive.
Some people have turned to cannabidiol (CBD) as an alternative pain remedy for cancer-related pain. CBD is a natural chemical substance that is derived from the cannabis plant. Unlike tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), CBD does not have psychoactive properties and will not produce a feeling of high. While many people claim that CBD provides relief from pain, including cancer-related pain, more research needs to be completed before a definitive answer can be given about its effectiveness for cancer pain relief. Here is what you need to know about the research on CBD as a potential pain-relief alternative for those suffering from cancer.
Understanding Pain
People experience pain when a pain receptor is triggered to send a signal along the nerves to the brain. The causes of pain can be complex and originate from numerous factors. The levels of pain someone might experience can vary from minor to debilitating, and pain can also be experienced for short or long periods. (1) Chronic pain involves persistent pain that continues for longer than six months. It can also have multiple underlying causes, including inflammation, nerve damage, and other problems associated with cancer and its treatments.
Best CBD For Pain
CBD and Pain
Because of restrictions on the use of cannabis and the types of research that can be conducted with it, research on the potential benefits of CBD has been limited. As an increasing number of states move to legalize cannabis, and the federal government considers potentially moving it off of the list of Schedule I drugs, more thorough research with humans will likely be conducted. However, current research on CBD as a potential pain relief drug is in its infancy.
CBD is a type of cannabinoid, which is a compound found in the cannabis plant. It is one of more than 100 of these types of compounds. All cannabinoids can interact with a system within the body called the endocannabinoid system (ECS), which is found in all mammals and helps to regulate bodily processes. The body naturally produces endocannabinoids that bind to various receptor sites within the ECS to regulate such functions as metabolism, the immune system, sleep, and mood. CBD and other cannabinoids can also bind to the receptor sites and activate systems within the body. It is thought that CBD might be able to change the way the brain perceives pain.
Studies on the Effects of CBD on Pain in General
A recent literature review was conducted to assess the potential of CBD for relieving pain. However, the authors noted that most of the research has looked at a combination of CBD with THC in nabixmols to relieve pain. They noted that there hasn’t been much research yet about CBD as a standalone treatment for pain relief. (2)
A 2021 study looked at the effects of various cannabinoids on pain. The researchers induced heat pain and then measured the response of the nervous system to it. They found that pure CBD isolate didn’t reduce the level of pain, but it made the pain less noticeable and bothersome. (3)
CBD Oil and Cancer Treatment Pain
Cancer pain can be associated with both the underlying disease and the treatment used to treat it. Cancer can cause pain by damaging the nerves, placing pressure on organs, or causing inflammation. Severe cancer pain can develop a resistance to opioid drugs.
Dealing with the side effects of cancer treatment is among the most challenging issues faced by individuals with the disease. The treatments might vary, but they commonly include chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and hormone therapy. These types of treatment can cause numerous side effects, including a lack of appetite, nausea, vomiting, and pain. (4) Cancer-related pain is frequently chronic and persistent.
In a 2013 study, researchers looked at how a combination of CBD and THC worked for pain relief among patients with advanced cancer who were suffering from chronic, severe pain. They found that the combination of the CBD-THC extract together with opioids provided more pain relief than opioids did alone. (5)
While the research on CBD as a potential alternative medicine for relieving pain in cancer patients is promising, significantly more research needs to be done before its effectiveness can be determined. To date, the Food and Drug Administration has not approved CBD for pain relief of any type, including for cancer pain. However, there have been anecdotal reports that it might be beneficial.
If you are considering adding CBD to your pain treatment regimen, you should discuss it with your doctor before doing so. If your doctor approves, you should be careful with where you source it. While you might find many CBD products in stores, most are not sent through rigorous quality control regimens. You should obtain CBD oil from a trusted source like Sugar Bottom Hemp. All of our CBD products go through extensive quality control measures by a third-party lab. To learn more about our products, take a look at our full lineup today.
References
[1] Mills, S. E., Nicolson, K. P., & Smith, B. H. (2019). Chronic pain: a review of its epidemiology and associated factors in population-based studies. British Journal of Anaesthesia, 123(2), e273-e283. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bja.2019.03.023
[2] Boyaji, S., Merkow, J., Elman, R. N. M., Kaye, A. D., Yong, R. J., & Urman, R. D. (2020). The role of cannabidiol (CBD) in chronic pain management: an assessment of current evidence. Current Pain and Headache Reports, 24(2), 1-6. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11916-020-0835-4
[3] De Vita, M. J., Maisto, S. A., Gilmour, C. E., McGuire, L., Tarvin, E., & Moskal, D. (2021). The effects of cannabidiol and analgesic expectancies on experimental pain reactivity in healthy adults: A balanced placebo design trial. Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology, 30(5), 536–546. https://doi.org/10.1037/pha0000465
[4] Altun, I., & Sonkaya, A. (2018). The most common side effects experienced by patients were receiving the first cycle of chemotherapy. Iranian Journal of Public Health, 47(8), 1218-1219. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6123577/
[5] Johnson, J. R., Lossignol, D., Burnell-Nugent, M., & Fallon, M. T. (2013). An open-label extension study to investigate the long-term safety and tolerability of THC/CBD oromucosal spray and oromucosal THC spray in patients with terminal cancer-related pain refractory to strong opioid analgesics. Journal of pain and symptom management, 46(2), 207-218. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2012.07.014
