There are many ailments that would not kill a person. However, these diseases cause much pain and distress. They cause significant disability. Thus, sciatica not only causes severe lower back pain but also causes considerable disability. Since those affected by the condition may even find it painful to walk. Not only that, painkillers do not provide sufficient relief for the condition. Naturally, people then seek other ways of pain relief.
It is true that CBD oil or CBD pens (vape pens) are not meant for the treatment or curing of medical conditions. But, there is also little doubt that they can positively influence health. People report many benefits of using these products.
Moreover, if CBD cannot cure the condition, neither can medications. Medications also aim to just reduce pain and inflammation, reducing mental stress.
In most cases of sciatica, patients make a recovery over time. In a small number of cases, patients may even need surgical treatment.
Sciatica is pretty common, and it may affect as many as 40% of adults during their lifetime. Sciatica is caused by compression and damage caused to the largest nerve in the human body, called the sciatic nerve. It is a massive nerve that is longer than one meter in adults! It is quite thick, too.
It passes from the lower spine via the buttocks and back side of the thigh, innervating the whole of the lower leg. It contains both sensory and motor nerves. Thus, any compression of this nerve causes pain and altered movement.
It is a common belief that all low back pains are due to sciatica. This is wrong, and only a small number of back pains are due to sciatica. Back pain may occur due to many other reasons, like lower spine injury.(1)
Sciatica is so difficult to treat because it occurs for so many reasons. In some patients, it occurs due to slipped disks; in others, it is due to the narrowing of buttock muscles. It may also occur due to injury or tumours in a few cases.
Bed rest is not recommended for sciatica, and mild to moderate exercise is helpful. Doctors try to treat it with the help of exercises that might reduce nerve compression. For symptomatic relief, doctors would often prescribe painkillers.
So, as one can see, there is no specific non-surgical cure for the condition. The primary treatment is physiotherapy, along with pain relief. Hence, it is fine to consider various natural remedies.
No it doesn't, however, the answer depends on in what context one uses the term “cure.” Generally, doctors are very careful to use the term cure, as they think this is a big claim. Hence, most health specialists would say that although CBD would not cure sciatica, it may aid recovery and enhance the quality of life of those living with sciatic pain.
Sciatic pain would last, often for weeks and sometimes even for months. So, it not only causes physical disability but also emotional distress. Such pain is also felt during rest, which means disturbed sleep.
It means that just regular painkillers are often insufficient. Moreover, the most commonly used painkillers do not provide complete pain relief for nerve pain. This is the reason why even using painkillers at higher doses is not essentially going to help.
All this means is that CBD does have a role in sciatica management. It can help lower pain sensation a bit. It may also help due to its relaxing effect. It may enhance sleep quality and also help prevent emotional disorders.
Although there are no robust clinical trials in humans regarding CBD use in sciatica, mice studies show that it may provide long-lasting relief in chronic nerve pain.(2)
It won't cure the cause of your nerve pain but it can provide you with relief, when considering CBD oil for sciatica, it is good to use full-spectrum CBD oil or CBD pens. Since full-spectrum CBD is better for pain relief, it also has more potent anti-spastic properties. Further, its ability to improve mood and enhance sleep may also help.
Hence, CBD must be a part of a long-term sciatica management strategy. It would only provide mild relief in the short run. But, in the long run, it may be pretty good. Moreover, in the long run, it may have a role in preventing nerve damage.
Generally, it is better to use CBD oil. It is vital to choose high-quality CBD products that are tested by third-party laboratories. Such products are known to contain what they claim. CBD pens are only good for those who smoke or vape, as we do not encourage vaping.
To sum up, CBD oil is not a sciatica cure but a helpful tool. It is something that can reduce nerve pain and provide prolonged relief. It is best used along with medications and lifestyle interventions like exercise, stretching, and practising mindfulness.
CBD oil can help counter muscle spasms and enhance nerve function. It can also improve sleep quality. It can promote nerve recovery once the nerve pressure has been relieved. So, if someone is living with sciatica or prone to prevent low back pain episodes, it is good to use CBD oil regularly.
This article was authored by: 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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