What is Migraine?
Migraine is a neurological condition characterized by intense headaches. These headaches can be debilitating sometimes. Migraine has many other symptoms such as nausea, feeling difficulty in speaking, numbness feeling in the hands and feet, and vomiting. Some times patient starts feeling sensitive to light and sound. Migraine is an inherited disease and has the ability to run in families. It affects people of almost all ages.
The diagnosis of migraine is carried out by analyzing clinical history and symptoms. Migraine headaches have two common categories,
- Migraine with Aura (Common Migraine)
- Migraine without Aura (Classic Migraine)
Migraine can start developing from childhood and may appear after adulthood. The ratio of migraine headaches is high among women in comparison with men. If one family member is affected by Migraine, other family members and the next generation can be affected by Migraine also. Migraine cannot be confused with general headaches because it is severe and sometimes cause serious neurological consequences.
When we talk about Migraine Symptoms, there are three stages of Migraine symptoms. The first stage is the prodrome stage in which symptoms may begin one to two days before major headaches. The symptoms of prodrome stage are,
- Neck Stiffness
- Hyperactivity
- Muscle Fatigue
- Depression
- Food Craving
The second stage is the stage after the prodrome stage in migraine with aura. This stage includes the following symptoms,
- Difficulty in speaking
- Tingling sensation on the skin
- Feeling light flashes and bright spot
- Temporary vision loss
The third and final stage is known as the Attack phase. In this stage, severe headaches appear. Other symptoms of the attack phase are,
- Nausea
- Dizziness
- Half headed pain
- Pulsing head pain
- Vomiting
Can CBD Oil help in Migraine?
CBD Oil (Cannabidiol) is the chemical extract of hemp (Cannabis) plant. There is very little medical and scientific information available regarding the use of CBD Oil in the treatment of Migraines but people have used CBD Oil for thousands of years to treat headaches. Medical Science is silent about the CBD Oil used for treating Migraines but many independent researches have reported that CBD Oil has one or two ingredients that may have therapeutic benefits for migraines.
According to these independent researches, there is evidence that CBD oil has very strong anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties. CBD is very helpful in Arthritis pain and it may work similar to migraine. Some researchers have reported that CBD oil interacts with the Endocannabinoid system of the body. This system is responsible for pain reception by CNS (Central Nervous System). CBD Oil react with the receptors present in this system and decrease pain sensation.
What do the researchers say about CBD Oil for Migraines?
As we have mentioned earlier that there are some independent researches studies which have reported that CBD oil might help treat Headaches in Migraine.
A study (2012) has reported that CBD Oil might help relieve some chronic pains. Migraine is also a chronic type of pain, that is why we can say that CBD might be helpful in Migraine also. It is very important to mention here that this study did not related to migraine particularly.
In a second research, which was done back in 2016, the author particularly investigated the effects of CBD Oil on the frequency of migraine headaches. The results of this study were very satisfying and surprising as there was a reduction found in migraine pain after the use of CBD Oil.
However, in all these researches the exact dose of CBD Oil is not mentioned. The data about participants in these studies are also not available. So, in short words, we can say that CBD Oil might be somehow helpful for Migraines though it is not medically proven.
How can you use CBD Oil for Migraines?
There are some benefits of using CBD Oil for pain relief. CBD Oil is completely non-psychoactive and non-toxic which is why there is no fear of overdose. Still, you should consult with your doctor or physician to set a correct and useful dose of CBD Oil. You can use CBD Oil in different ways such as,
- You can sprinkle the CBD Oil on your food and take it as an ingredient in your drinks.
- You can take CBD Oil in capsule form. This is the best way of taking CBD Oil if you don't like to taste it.
- You can take CBD Oil through the Vaping method. In this method, you will inhale the vapors of CBD Oil. But there are chances of contamination in this method and it can cause specific dangers to the lungs.
- You can apply it on your skin in topical form.
- Put 4-5 drops of CBD oil in your mouth and it will dissolve automatically.
It is very important to remember that there is no such research study which is done on the human body for investigation of CBD Oil use in Migraine. For this reason, there is no standard dose of CBD Oil. But don't worry, CBD Oil is completely legal and you can set an appropriate dose with the help of your doctor. The best recommendation is to start with a low dose. It will be very helpful for you to find its effectiveness.
Conclusion:
There are research studies evidence available about the effectiveness of CBD Oil against chronic pain. Though it is not medically proving, CBD Oil might be helpful in relieving headaches in Migraines. The one possible mechanism of pain-relieving by CBD Oil is by its interaction with the body's Endocannabinoid System. You can take CBD oil in different mention ways.