Avad Chiropractic & Wellness

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Endocannibinoid System and CBD oil: What you need to know

The buzz in the health world right now is all centered around CBD oil and the endocannabinoid system. This system has many global affects on the human body and brain. So much affect that to talk about it here would be overkill but what we are want to accomplish with this post is talk about what it is and how CBD oil can help with some problems you may be experiencing.

First I want to talk about some myths surrounding CBD oil. It is not a psychoactive meaning it won't make you "high" like THC will. It is made from the hemp plant that has a very low concentration of the chemical THC, so it will have no effect on your functioning mind.  It is regulated to contain very minute amounts of that compound so no psychoactive effects can be achieved. The hemp plant contains cannabidiol which is not THC. This CBD oil contains many health benefits of which we will discuss. 

The CBD oil interacts with receptors of the endocannabinoid system which is a part of every part of the body which regulates things such as mood all the way to fertility. It has a big effect on the central nervous system. This has a great potential in things such as pain as well as anxiety and stress. The reason why this is so important is that it can help with pain instead of dangerous opiates. We will discuss a few specific things that this is great for and then some things at the end regarding legality of the oil. 

Stress Response

CBD oil has many affects on the central nervous system including calming down the stress response and anxiety. Why is this important? It helps to balance out the nervous system. It binds to those receptors we talked about earlier and then will send signals to the brain and nervous system to lessen the effects of stress on the body. This means you will feel less stressed and more calm. It has been particularly fascinating on what they are finding with people who suffer from anxiety attacks and it how it can calm down those overwhelming feelings of being anxious.

Pain Modulation

Another interesting and far reaching affect that CBD oil has is on the pain response. When we feel pain the nervous system sends signals to the brain and then we perceive what we know as pain. When we treat the cause of the pain we should feel relief when that is corrected. However many live with chronic pain because our bodies get used to the pain and a little thing can set it off. It is known as desensitization. When this happens it means your nervous system and brain are on "high alert" to anything and it can think that something like a poke is going to damage your body. You thus feel even more pain. It gets complicated but that is a simple way of thinking about it. 

CBD oil can help calm the nervous system down and help protect it. By taking this along with chiropractic care we can get that over sensitive nervous system some time to rest and heal. This is very promising especially with the opiate crisis and the over utilization of harmful drugs. Those types of drugs are addicting and can cause more harm than good. CBD oil does not work with the dopamine system (another system in the brain that deals with rewards) so it is not habit forming. The oil works on the endocannibinoid system. 

Neuroprotective properties

The importance of protecting and feeding your brain is very important. Can't stress that enough. By eating the right foods grown the right way it helps tremendously keep your brain young. But there is another step in what could be with CBD oil. It has a protective effect on the nervous system and has been shown in studies to help regenerate nerves to an extent. This has a huge potential in many neurodegenerative diseases, but still needs more research to make it certain.

This has a very good potential to help with many different states of nervous system health. It does not have a psychoactive effect and it is not addictive which gives it more appeal when talking about using this instead of opioid pain medications. 

I think along with chiropractic care this could help to better regulate the nervous system and has the potential to help with pain especially with a "high alert" nervous system that so many seem to have.