These days, it seems that everywhere you turn, people are extolling the virtues of cannabidiol (CBD), swearing that it holds the key for improving a host of issues, from anxiety to chronic pain. And you want to know whether there’s anything behind the hype.
McHugh Plastic Surgery’s own Dr. Thomas McHugh certainly believes so, which is why we offer a line of CBD products here at our practice.
In this month’s blog post, we’re going to take a closer look at why so many people are turning to CBD to successfully resolve a wide range of health and wellness issues.
One of the reasons why CBD is so successful in addressing certain health and wellness issues is because it works with existing systems in your body. In this case, we’re referring to your endocannabinoid system (ECS), which is best described by this research paper published in 2021:
“The endocannabinoid system is a neuromodulatory system responsible for partial regulation of cognitive and emotional processes in the human central nervous system such as behavior, mood disorders, and neurologic disorders such as epilepsy. The endocannabinoid system is also prevalent throughout the peripheral nervous system…”
In plainer English, your ECS oversees a number of physiological processes in your body, such as:
Your ECS communicates using neurotransmitters called endocannabinoids that attach to certain receptors throughout your body to regulate these processes. CBD works by attaching to the same receptors as your natural endocannabinoids.
Since CBD has the ability to interact naturally with your ECS, it can influence the different areas of your health that were outlined above.
For example, one Canadian study found that CBD can be beneficial for moderate to severe anxiety, depression, and pain.
A metaanalysis of 18 trials reported that 15 of them found a “significant analgesic effect of cannabinoids as compared to placebo.”
Studies are ongoing on the effectiveness of CBD in addressing some common health concerns, but we feel there’s ample evidence to date to support the use of CBD. Not to mention, humans have been using cannabis to relieve pain for millennia — it’s been referenced as early as 2,900 B.C.
The most common uses for CBD today include addressing:
Aside from helping people with these myriad issues, another reason why CBD is so popular is that it’s been found to be perfectly safe for most people. Bear in mind, though derived from cannabis (hemp), CBD doesn’t have any psychoactive effect.
If you’d like to explore whether CBD can play a role in your health and wellness, we invite you to come in for an evaluation. We offer a line of CBD products called UltraCell®, which come in different oils and creams.
To schedule your appointment, please contact our office in The Woodlands, Texas.
