Being in pain is the worst. In addition to being — well — painful, it also distracts you from tasks at hand and the people around you.
Popping a pill sometimes seems like the only option. However, it can sometimes feel like painkillers aren’t making a big difference — leaving you with all the side effects and none of the relief. For those who are wary of taking unnecessary medications or prefer to go a more natural route, taking a pill might be the last resort.
Thankfully, however, there are some natural remedies that might do the trick. One, is hemp oil, which is derived from the cannabis plant but doesn’t contain THC. You can turn to this natural oil to soothe pain.
To learn more about how you can use hemp oil for pain, as well as get an understanding of why it works, keep reading.
How does hemp oil help with pain?
The term “hemp oil” can be confusing, and is sometimes misconstrued on purpose (thanks to clever marketing) to lead people into thinking that hemp seed oil has all the same properties and benefits of CBD oil.
The reason behind why it can be so misleading is because, while hemp seed oil is cold-pressed from the seeds, CBD oil comes from the plant. Hemp seed oil contains only trace amounts of CBD, whereas full-spectrum hemp oil is also made from plant parts — thus containing CBD.
Though the difference might seem small, it’s a crucial one. While hemp seed oil is completely legal and easily available at your local supermarket, full-spectrum hemp oil (or CBD oil) is only legal with a prescription. Depending on what kind of pain you’re experiencing, it’s up to you to decide whether or not you want to discuss the possibilities of using CBD oil with your doctor.
That said, both options provide pain-relief benefits. Both compounds are said to aid in soothing pain related to inflammation. Hemp seed oil has a three to one ratio of omega 6 to omega 3 fatty acids, “which has been scientifically proven to be anti-inflammatory,” the Cannabis Company reports. Full-spectrum hemp oil, takes this one step further Medical News Today shares, as “a 2018 review notes that CBD… and other cannabinoids show promise for the treatment of many types of pain.”
How to use hemp oil for pain
No matter which route you go — using hemp seed oil or full-spectrum hemp oil containing CBD — there are a number of different ways to use hemp oil for soothing pain.
If you choose to try hemp seed oil, dietary consumption and topical use together can be a powerful combination. According to the Cannabis Company, this approach yields “optimum effects.” Because the oil is non-comedogenic, you don’t have to worry about it clogging your pores and causing breakouts. As far as dietary consumption goes, just one teaspoon a day is enough to be beneficial.
For those with more severe pain who might get a prescription for full-spectrum hemp oil containing CBD, it is much the same. There are a number of topical creams out there, but it’s undetermined whether their alleged benefits are directly linked to the presence of CBD.
With these topical creams, it’s possible that other ingredients are helping with the pain or that it’s the placebo effect in action. In addition to creams, full-spectrum hemp oil can be ingested in capsule, spray or drop forms — according to a dosage prescribed by your doctor.