CBD is reported to be helpful for a variety of different uses. Some people are dealing with insomnia, are coping with large amounts of stress or related conditions such as anxiety or depression, or are dealing with a lot of pain and inflammation. CBD is often recommended as a natural homeopathic approach to improve existing treatment or act on its own in order to help alleviate the symptoms associated with certain medical problems.

While CBD is said to have a rather broad scope, we are going to focus on one problem in this article: sciatic nerve pain. Sciatica can be a very painful condition and if you have been looking into Cannabidiol as a potential way to help you deal with some of the symptoms associated with sciatica or to help a loved one, we are going to look closer at what exactly sciatica is and how CBD may be able to help.

WHAT IS SCIATICA?

The longest nerve in the body is known as the sciatic nerve. This nerve starts at the lower back, slowly working its way down the buttocks, the hips and branching out into both of your legs and feet. Being the largest nerve, it can easily have a huge impact on the body if the nerve is disrupted by other parts of the body. That being said, what can cause sciatica to develop within an individual?

Causes

Your spine is made up of a series of vertebrae that are separated and protected by flexible, cushioned connected tissue that is shaped into flat, round discs. For some individuals, these small discs may be worn down over time due to simply being used or due to an injury. When these discs become worn, the center of the disc can begin to force its way out of its harder exterior and become a herniated disc. Herniated discs have the potential to put pressure on the nerves around it and one of the nerves that it may end up putting pressure on is the large sciatic nerve.

That being said, this is not always the main cause of sciatica. Sometimes, sciatica can also be caused by bone spurs that put pressure on the spine, the narrowing of the spine (called spinal stenosis), a tumor that happens to be growing along the spinal cord and is in contact with the nerve, or even diabetes. Once someone is dealing with sciatica, the effects will be felt almost instantly.

Symptoms

Sciatica is not a condition that remains hidden and you will know immediately if you are dealing with sciatica. This nerve pain is often a pain that can range anywhere from a mild, dull ache to a burning, shooting electric shock that travels down from the lower back through one or each of the legs. It generally stops at the hips and buttocks along the way. Even more interesting, sciatica typically only affects one side of the body, although you may feel discomfort on both sides with one side being more extreme.

Other symptoms of this condition include:

·         Pain located throughout the lower back

·         Pain in the leg or buttocks that gets worse when you take a seat

·         Pain in the hips

·         A burning or tingling sensation that travels down the leg

·         A feeling of weakness or numbness that makes it difficult to move a leg or foot

·         A consistent pain that only affects one of your buttocks

·         Shooting pains that travel down the leg and make it difficult for you to stand up

If you feel any of these symptoms it is important to seek medical help so that the condition isn’t allowed to worsen. If it progresses and becomes problematic, dangerous signs include severe weakness in your legs, feet, and toes, complete or partial numbness in the leg, loss of bowel or bladder control, and severe pain in your lower back or leg.

How CBD Can Help With Sciatica Nerve Pain?

Now that you have a better picture of what sciatica is and what it does to the body, let’s take a look at what CBD may be able to do to help you relieve some of the sciatic nerve pain.

Less Nerve Pain

Sciatica is caused by nerve pain. One of the characteristic benefits associated with Cannabidiol is that it is said to help relieve pain throughout the entirety of the body. Considering that sciatic nerve pain is often known to be rather terrible, CBD may help to lessen the severity of this pain when taken regularly.

In addition, CBD is said to help calm nerves down and promote reparation and healing. This may help to enhance your current course of treatment so that you are able to experience both less pain and better healing. While this still needs to be looked into more, this is good incentive for you to start trying out CBD as well.

Possibly Reduce Opioid and Other Medications

Although not necessarily related to the condition itself, CBD may be able to help you reduce the number of opioids and other prescription medications that you are currently taking. If you live in the United States, you have most surely heard of the opioid epidemic that is taking place due to the wide availability of these substances and the overall addictive properties of popular and more powerful pain medications.

CBD may help to battle this on two fronts. First, by relieving pain and making it so you have to take fewer overall medications. Second, it may help to keep you from becoming addicted in the short time that you do need to take certain medications. Overall, this is another great reason to consider CBD for your sciatica.

How to Take CBD for Sciatica Pain

The CBD market is extremely popular and this popularity has resulted in a wide variety of products that you will be able to take. Here are some of the more popular methods and some of the best methods that may be able to help you battle your sciatic nerve pain.

CBD Lotions

CBD lotions are products that are simply lotions combined with oil in order to help the user receive more topical benefits from the product. Using a Cannabidiol lotion, you will be able to apply the product directly to the area that is dealing with significant pain so that it can be absorbed down into the affected area via the skin above. These lotions come in a wide variety of scents are non-greasy ways to get your CBD where you need it most.

CBD Oil

CBD oil is one of the most popular products on the market and it comes in various forms. Those using CBD tincture oils will be able to take them sublingually in order to experience rapid and widespread benefits. You can also typically enjoy this method of tincture oils since they come in all kinds of flavors and may be added to food or drink to help it go down as well.

Simply take the amount of Cannabidiol that you want using the dropper, apply it under the tongue, and hold it under the tongue for around 30 to 60 seconds to allow it to be absorbed into the bloodstream. It’s very simple.

Vaping

There are also CBD vape oils that allow for quick absorption. With CBD vape oils, the oil is placed into a vaporizer that heats up the Cannabidiol so it can be inhaled into the lungs. Once inhaled, the CBD is quickly dispersed throughout the body from your bloodstream so that it can take effect. Like with tincture oils, CBD vape oils come in many different flavors so that vape enthusiasts can truly enjoy them. 

Dry Flowers

If you’re someone who prefers smoking and isn’t too impressed with the current options available on the market, the good news is that you can also smoke your CBD. There are strains of hemp flower that are naturally high in CBD levels and these flowers can be harvested and then smoked in a similar way to marijuana. All you have to do is grind the herbs down, roll them into a paper or place them into a smoking tool like a pipe or a bong, and start smoking!

Capsules

There are also users who want to take their CBD like a supplement rather than having to engage in any of these other activities. If you can relate to the above statement, you can also find supplements that place CBD in pill form. The best thing about these products is that they are easy to take, easy to dose, and require no hassle. In addition, these products tend to be rather potent as they are typically made from CBD isolate.

Conclusion

Sciatica nerve pain can be debilitating but with the right treatment and attention, you may be able to lessen its impact on your life. While CBD still needs further study in areas like this, it may be a way to supplement your current treatment plan for improved results or be used on its own to battle some of the major symptoms. Regardless of how you plan on using it, make sure to read over this guide to get a better idea of what CBD may be able to do for you if you or a loved one are currently suffering from sciatica.