Migraine headaches are very common, and they can be very severe and debilitating. Although headache is its prime symptom, there are many other symptoms of the condition like nausea, vomiting, blurred vision, eye pain, flashing lights, and more. This article will explore the role of CBD oil for migraine, UK.
As the condition causes throbbing pain felt on one side of the head, ancient doctors and even researchers in the 20th century thought it occurred due to some issue with blood vessels in the brain. However, over the years, doctors have learned more about the condition.
Doctors now understand that the condition is quite complex. It is clear that it occurs due to some changes in the brain activity levels and certain brain chemicals. That is why symptoms like fear of light, aura, and blurred vision occur. Those experiencing these headaches have many other issues, like dizziness, weakness, and difficulty concentrating.
People often experience migraine attacks, causing severe headaches that may last for a few hours to even a few days. What is worse is that the condition is chronic, and those diagnosed with the condition may experience frequent headache attacks.
Quite often, these migraine attacks are triggered by stress, bright lights, certain sounds, smells, and so on. Triggers of migraine may differ among individuals.(1)
There are two things that any treatment must do, firstly, prevent migraine headaches. Secondly, helps abort migraine headache attacks.
The first reason to consider CBD oil is that despite the availability of so many medications, many people fail to respond to the treatment. Treating migraine is quite challenging. Thus, doctors often begin with lifestyle changes, identifying triggers, and teaching patients to avoid triggers. These measures often help, and using CBD along with lifestyle interventions may have additional benefits.
However, if lifestyle interventions fail, doctors opt for different drug therapies like painkillers, antidepressants, and drugs specifically approved by the FDA or UK MHRA for treating migraine headaches.
However, there are a few issues with drug therapies. Sometimes, even multiple medications fail to provide sufficient relief. Secondly, many patients develop drug tolerance, and they stop responding to medications. Moreover, selecting the right drug is challenging, and doctors do not know which drug will work for which patient. So, there is much trial and error involved. However, all this means much patient distress.
Since migraine headaches are so difficult, considering natural remedies like CBD is worth it. One can use CBD oil or CBD vape pens to both prevent migraine attacks and manage migraine headaches.
There are some studies regarding the use of medical marijuana in managing migraine headaches. Those studies show that cannabis extract is as good as some of the commonly used drugs and can help reduce migraine frequency in about 40% of cases. However, it appears that medical cannabis has a limited role in aborting migraine attacks and may help only in a small number of cases.(2)
Of course, one can use CBD oil for headaches. Can CBD oil help with migraines? Yes, probably. It is worth understanding that CBD is much milder than medical cannabis. It means that CBD oil will be less effective. Nonetheless, studies regarding medical cannabis confirm that cannabinoids can help prevent migraine headaches.
Migraine headaches are pretty challenging to manage and prevent. Even the most potent drugs can barely help in half of the cases. For many, migraine means frequent and debilitating headaches with not much relief from medications.
Considering clinical trials regarding medical cannabis, it would be right to say that CBD will have a small benefit in managing or aborting migraine headache attacks. However, CBD would be quite good for preventing future migraine attacks and reducing their frequency.
Therefore, to get rid of migraine, use CBD regularly. It is vital to consider using CBD oil even if one does not experience migraine headaches. Just keep in mind that CBD is safe for prolonged use, and it is better at preventing migraine rather than overcoming migraine headache attacks.
To sum up, though CBD is not a treatment or cure for migraine headaches, it does have a role in managing the condition. It is not a perfect choice for managing migraine headaches, but a pretty good choice for preventing future migraine episodes.Â
This article was authored by:Â Dr. Preet Pal Singh Bhinder.
This article was peer-reviewed by Dr M Mansoor Siddique (PhD). Dr Siddique has over eight years of experience working with CBD and CBD products.
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