CBD oil for pain relief - live pain-free using the power of plants

CBD is known for its many beneficial properties, but one hears again and again that it should help especially to relieve pain. Is this really the case? Is there any scientific evidence or proof that cannabidiol actually has an effect on pain itself or on its perception?

To get to the bottom of these questions, we have evaluated studies and field reports and are now happy to share our knowledge with you.

Definition - What is pain?

Nearly everyone experiences pain on an almost daily basis. In medical terms, pain is an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage. Accordingly, acute pain has a crucial warning function and helps protect the body from harmful or dangerous influences. Chronic pain, on the other hand, doesn't fulfill this function and is a disease in its own right.

Pain is a subjective experience and doesn't necessarily have a physical cause. Mental stress can cause pain too. In this case, we speak of psychosomatic pain.

In addition, the psychological condition influences the perception of pain, even if its causes are physical. Accordingly, sadness or dejection can increase sensitivity to pain, while positive feelings, on the other hand, can reduce it.

Causes of pain

The causes of pain are many and varied and can be both external (e.g., cold, heat, or an injury) and internal, for example, inflammation. It should be noted, however, that the perception of pain requires complex processing by the nervous system. Accordingly, pain can also have psychological causes.

Pain perception begins with the so-called nociceptors, sensory neurons distributed throughout the body that react to various stimuli such as heat or pressure and send messages to the central nervous system (CNS). This is where the spinal cord comes into play, triggering a quick reflex to protect the body from further damage.

The pain message then travels along neural pathways and reaches the brain, where the thalamus, responsible for the emotional evaluation of pain, interprets it.

The message is then transmitted to the following brain regions:

  • Hypothalamus - regulates blood pressure, breathing, and sweat production.

  • Pituitary gland - is responsible for the secretion of stress hormones

  • Cerebral cortex - is responsible for the conscious or rational perception of pain.

The brain can also modulate the intensity of pain messages through nerve fibers that connect it to the spinal cord, enabling the body to respond flexibly.

Depending on its cause and duration, pain can be divided into six categories:

  1. Acute pain - Occurs suddenly and lasts for a short period of time. The cause is usually identifiable.

  2. Chronic Pain - Lasts at least 3-6 months and tends to get worse over time.

  3. Neuropathic pain - Is caused by a nervous system disorder.

  4. Nociceptive pain - Is caused by tissue injury.

  5. Inflammatory pain - Draws attention to inflammation, thereby ensuring that the affected area is spared as much as possible.

  6. Psychosomatic pain - Is liked to psychologically stressful situations.

Pain symptoms

Pain manifests itself in many different forms. Headache (migraine), back pain, stomach ache, toothache, and the like make our daily lives difficult. Chronic pain is estimated to affect almost 20 percent of people in Europe. Against this backdrop, the use of cannabis as a healthy and natural remedy is becoming increasingly popular these days.

But the cannabinoids THC and CBD were known to help manage pain much more earlier. It is believed that CBD interacts with the body's endocannabinoid system and thus might reduce pain transmission and fight the cause of pain. The result is that you experience less pain and can enjoy life to the fullest again.

Pain diagnosis

Since pain perception is subjective, the diagnosis involves a detailed discussion with the person concerned. For this purpose, aids such as the visual analog scale (VAS) can be very useful. A pain diary is another proven tool for tracking how pain evolves and thus assessing how well treatment is working.

In addition, neurological and neuropsychological tests can be conducted. Finally, imaging procedures such as magnetic resonance imaging and X-rays can also provide information about the cause of pain.

CBD for pain management

CBD oil is a versatile active ingredient, and people use it to manage many different types of pain: back pain, nerve pain, all types of chronic pain, period pain, migraine, headaches, and joint pain (rheumatism or arthritis).

But how exactly does CBD support the body's response to pain?

CBD interacts with the body's endocannabinoid system (ECS), which plays an important role in regulating pain perception, inflammatory response, and many other physiological processes. Through this interaction, CBD might trigger an analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect, making it the perfect complement to conventional pain management.

For example, a systematic review published in 2022 showed that CBD has great potential when it comes to managing chronic pain. Experimental studies also indicate that CBD can be helpful for neuropathic pain while also promoting healthy sleep, which in turn reduces stress-related pain.

Benefits of CBD oil for pain management

Thanks to its interaction with the ECS, CBD can influence various endogenous processes. These include sleep, mood, inflammation, and pain perception. Consequently, cannabidiol can, in principle, be used for all types of pain.

In addition, this active ingredient rarely causes side effects. In most cases, these are very mild and are basically associated with excessive dosage.

Also, CBD does not cause physical or psychological dependence, and you can, therefore, take it over an extended period of time. Among the many existing CBD products, CBD oil is by far the most popular.

Testimonials and studies on CBD oil for pain

Especially people with chronic pain report that they could achieve excellent results using CBD oil or CBD capsules. One reads that CBD also helps with menstrual pain, migraine, and joint pain. According to users, the dosage is the most important factor - in the case of severe pain, a comparatively high amount of CBD is required to achieve the desired effect.


People with severe pain tend to take medicine and use CBD as a supplement, and in some cases, they could significantly lower the dosage of painkillers. Whether you want to keep chronic back pain, migraine, or inflammatory pain at bay: CBD can help! The role of cannabis in pain management has been the subject of numerous studies that showed how helpful this plant can be.


Many studies stress the potential of hemp oil for neuropathic pain. Moreover, cannabidiol might be particularly useful in managing peripheral neuropathic pain, which is often a consequence of chemotherapy. Pain might also lead to insomnia, depression, and anxiety. By interacting with serotonergic receptors, CBD can support the body's reaction to these disorders.


CBD can not only increase general well-being, but it is also said to lighten the mood and boost the immune system - all without THC. In addition to interacting with serotonin, CBD might also establish a connection with adenosine receptors, which are involved in the transmission of pain messages. CBD is also recommended to manage inflammatory pain. In fact, CBD can support the body's reaction to inflammation and thus help prevent many inflammatory disorders from worsening.


A study conducted by the university "Università degli Studi dell'Insubria", showed that cannabis extract and CBD can inhibit the production of cytokines, molecules responsible for inflammation. Cannabidiol can also influence the production and secretion of anandamide, a cannabinoid made by our body, which plays a role in pain perception. Research has shown that CBD is safe and well-tolerated.


A study published in the Journal of Pain on the long-term safety of medical cannabis in patients with chronic pain underlined that CBD has hardly any side effects. The potential of CBD is not limited to chronic, neuropathic, and inflammatory pain. This active ingredient is believed to help with disorders that can be treated only to a certain degree with conventional medicines (e.g., multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, insomnia, and schizophrenia).