Select Page

Inflammation Healing: A Bonafide Therapeutic Strategy

Guest Post by Honey Colony

Inflammation – that dark, disfigured malady at the core of asthma, arthritis, IBD, tuberculosis, and so many other diseases – has finally met its match with CBD, or cannabidiol. CBD is emerging as a definitive therapeutic strategy for lessening the impact of inflammation and relieving otherwise untreatable pain.

Cannabis contains over 60 compounds that belong to a class of molecules called cannabinoids. Of these compounds, there is usually a higher concentration of CBD and THC, which makes these compounds more active in the herb. THC is the psychoactive compound responsible for the marijuana “high.” CBD, however, is far less psychoactive and is an amazing anti-inflammatory. In recent years, CBD has been isolated and crafted into potent essential oils – cannabinoids oils .

And now, instead of having to get a medical marijuana card and go to a dispensary to get this product, CBD is 100 percent legal to buy from the comfort of your home.

Dustin Sulak, DO – speaker at the free, online Holistic Cannabis Summit – who heals patients with integrative modalities including cannabis says that CBD has numerous anti-inflammatory effects that can decrease pain, “mostly by preventing the release of inflammatory signals from B and T immune cells, and in animal studies have been shown to prevent the development of hyperalgesia, or abnormally increased pain signaling at the site of an injury.”

He adds that CBD has also recently been shown in animal studies to speed the healing of injured connective tissue, and also has numerous anti-anxiety mechanisms that can indirectly influence pain and pain behavior. He says endocannabinoids, which are found in the body, and phytocannabinoids, which are found in cannabis, allow communication and coordination between different cell types.

“At the site of an injury, for example, cannabinoids can be found decreasing the release of activators and sensitizers from the injured tissue, stabilizing the nerve cell to prevent excessive firing, and calming nearby immune cells to prevent the release of pro-inflammatory substances.” This also works to reduce inflammation.

Marc Feldman at Imperial College, London, conducted an experiment where CBD was given to mice who had a version of rheumatoid arthritis. He found that the right dosage of CBD reduced inflammation by 50%. In another study, researchers decided to test the effect of CBD on four cell-signaling, or mediating, molecules associated with intestinal inflammation and oxidative damage to the gut. Their findings showed the reduction of iNOS and reactive oxygen species by CBD, along with the reduction of lipid peroxidation, confirming the important therapeutic actions of CBD in reduction of colonic inflammation by indirect reduction of oxidative damage. In addition, the restoration of the normal behavior of interleukins IL-1B and IL-10, is another powerful way CBD reduces colonic inflammation.

One chiropractor we spoke to was stunned by the results. “I have two collapsed discs in my low back and two crushed vertebrates L4, and L. I use both a sublingual preparation of CBD oil and an inhaled version of CBD oil. I have no back pain,” says Dr. Martin F Kuhls, a chiropractor Lakewood Colorado. “This claim has puzzled three chiropractic colleagues, two neurosurgeons, one orthopedic surgeon, and the radiologists who read the MRIs.”

From the many other research studies on CBD and inflammation, it appears that CBD is the most powerful natural anti-inflammatories, surpassing commonly-used natural remedies like omega-3 fatty acids, curcumin, anti-oxidants, proteolytic enzymes, and vitamin C. What’s more, CBD has very low levels of toxicity, which makes it impossible for anyone to overdose on. Unlike NSAIDs, CBD doesn’t adversely affect your gut lining, kidneys, or liver, and it has never been the cause of any deaths.

Photo by Hanf garten on Unsplash

Cannabis Speeds Recovery of Brain Injury Patients

Cannabis has been shown to support sleep and even improve the duration of deep, delta-wave sleep in the brain. Now, new research shows that the medicinal herb’s brain benefits extend beyond promoting rest. A recent study published in the journal Cerebrovascular Diseases shows that cannabis also minimizes the severity and speeds recovery time in those experiencing bleeding in the brain.

Read the full article. 

In the study, an international team evaluated demographic trends and patient outcomes of 725 people with intracerebral hemorrhaging. Those who ingested medicinal marijuana were linked to less severe symptoms and faster recovery. This research supports a previous UCLA study that showed increased survival rates for brain injury patients who previously consumed cannabis.

“Researchers reported that cannabis-positive subjects possessed “milder ICH presentation” upon hospitalization and presented “less disability” at discharge as compared to similarly matched patients who tested negative for cannabinoids.

Preclinical and observation trial data has previously indicated that cannabinoids may possess neuroprotective activity. Specifically, a 2014 UCLA study previously reported that Traumatic Brain Injury patients who tested positive for cannabis upon hospital admission possessed significantly increased survival rates as compared to patients who tested negative for marijuana.”

Read the full study, published in the journal Cerebrovascular Diseases, and titled “Prior Cannabis Use Is Associated with Outcome after Intracerebral Hemorrhage.”

Photo by Greta Schölderle Møller on Unsplash