The sciatic nerve, which runs from your lower back through the buttocks to the legs is one of the longest and widest nerves in your body. It innervates every muscle from your lower back to the toes. The pain associated with this nerve is called sciatic nerve pain or sciatica. The pain can either manifest as a mild tingling sensation in your feet to severe excruciating pain along the path of the sciatic nerve that may even lead to immobilizing back pain.
Chronic sciatica patients are conscious of the agony it causes to their life, as well as the health consequences it has on daily well-being. Hundreds of millions of Americans suffer from sciatica.
Traditional Sciatica Treatment
Sciatic nerve discomfort has a wide range of treatment choices, much like the medical problems that cause it. While some people find comfort with lower-back stretches and body-strengthening exercises like yoga and pilates, many others are forced to rely on strong prescription medicines. Physical therapy, as well as cognitive-behavioral therapy, are effective treatments for sciatica. Patients are ‘taught’ to respond differently to pain signals using CBT. While the concept is intriguing, the results might be hit or miss.
In the most severe cases, surgery may be the only option. Since CBD, a cannabinoid present in the cannabis plant, is proven to be an effective natural treatment option for pain and inflammation, studies have been looking into its effects in the treatment of sciatica.
CBD For Sciatica
The fact that CBD is a natural supplement is not the only reason why researchers are looking at it as an effective option for sciatica, it also has very few side effects when compared to other prescription painkillers. Studies have found that CBD’s interaction with the endocannabinoid system of our body is the main reason why it is very effective in pain treatment.
The effects of CB-1 receptors on pain perception were investigated in a 2005 study. The researchers studied the impact of nerve demyelination in rodents, which is one of the root causes of sciatica. The researchers sought to test if cannabinoids like CBD could help with sciatica pain. Sciatic nerve tissue investigation in the animal subjects revealed “marked degradation” of myelinated fibers prior to cannabis treatment.
Damage to neural tissue was reported to be minimized with concurrent administration of cannabinoid medication. This shows that cannabinoids, such as CBD, may aid in the healing of myelin tissue.