By Ellie Porter

Ellie@sleephelp.org

Yoga is a common practice for many people who struggle with chronic pain, and with good reason. It is a great way to stretch muscles and build strength without straining yourself with heavy exercise, but it is not the only way to help yourself deal with your issues. There is a new ingredient in many natural wellness products that might be able to help you deal with your chronic pain. That ingredient is CBD.

How Does CBD Help People with Chronic Pain?

Reduce Inflammation

A lot of the pain that becomes chronic is due to the human body creating inflammation to fight against what it perceives as an enemy - whether that’s an injury, an infection or some sort of virus. Unfortunately for some people, the body is not great at identifying when to stop inflammation. 

CBD coats the endocannabinoid receptors spread throughout your nervous system, which helps them to process better and produce less inflammation where it’s not needed. This helps you to have less pain overall. 

Improve Sleep

CBD can help you to sleep better by reducing your pain and triggering melatonin production when you use it. Both of these things mean that you will get a higher quality and quantity of sleep whenever you use CBD. By getting a better night’s sleep on a regular basis, you will be more able to handle your pain.

Helps You to Relax

CBD helps you to relax, which is key to being mindful and making the most of your yoga exercises. Since you will be in less pain, you are more likely to be able to do more exercise, and therefore work to deal with your chronic pain more often. You’ll still need to take care to listen to your body and not do more than your body can handle. 

What should Users Watch Out For with CBD?

CBD is not a cure-all of any sort. Anyone who says it is is probably trying to sell you something. Like any supplement, there are possibilities of issues with your body and CBD oil.

Before using CBD oil of any sort, you should make sure that the THC level is below the legal limit of a 0.3 percent concentration. Because these products are not currently well regulated, many companies include more THC than they should. You can ask for a certificate of analysis to ensure you know exactly what you are taking. 

You should also talk to your doctor before adding CBD to your medication regiment. There is a chance that you could be allergic to it, particularly if you struggle with allergic reactions to other types of grass. It could also cause problems for anyone with liver issues, or who takes medications that affect sleep, seizures, and pain. If you decide to vape your CBD, you put yourself at increased risk for mouth, throat and lung diseases. A doctor will be able to tell you if CBD is safe to take with your other medications or disorders and walk you through what to watch out for when you take it.