CBD for Headaches

woman with headache

Cannabidiol (CBD) oil might reduce inflammation and ease pain, and certain studies suggest CBD might even help with headaches, like migraines.

A migraine attack goes way beyond the typical allergy-related or stress-related headache. Migraine attacks can last between four to 72 hours. And, symptoms can become amplified by even the most mundane activities, like being around light and noise, or moving. While pain relievers can temporarily help to ease migraine symptoms, you might have concerns about their side effects.

Fortunately, this is where CBD steps in. It just may relieve your migraine attack symptoms, but without the side effects. CBD oil has gained much attention lately, due to its strong pain-relieving qualities, especially since the use of cannabis has become legal in various states.

What Is CBD?

CBD is one of hundreds of active compounds you find in the cannabis plant. It's increased in popularity as being an alternative treatment for certain medical conditions. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the compound in the cannabis plant that produces the psychotropic effects, not CBD. But, depending on how CBD products are made, they could contain very little THC, or none at all.

CBD is believed to limit body inflammation, which might also help decrease pain and other responses of the immune system.

Because of the debilitating effects and pervasiveness of migraine headaches, there's been a great deal of clinical research conducted with the goal of trying to identify an efficient treatment to reduce migraine frequency, and ease the pain.

CBD properties that could help ease migraine pain are:

  • Antiemetic properties (prevents nausea and vomiting)
  • Strong analgesic properties (pain relieving)
  • Strong anti-inflammatory effects

Research on CBD for Headaches

Some research suggests CBD might help ease pain, especially neurological pain associated with a variety of conditions.

According to a report by the American Migraine Foundation (AMF), CBD oil shows a lot of promise as a migraine treatment. And, while AMF acknowledges there isn't any scientific proof proving this, it points out it might be because of a lack of formal CBD research. The foundation made the conclusion CBD might still be a good topical choice for some individuals with muscle and joint pain linked with migraine.

In a 2016 study published by Pharmacotherapy, researchers found out of 48 surveyed individuals, 39.7% said they experienced fewer migraines after the use of CBD.

Potential Side Effects of CBD

Overall, research shows CBD’s side effects are very minimal. This is one of the primary reasons why individuals are saying no to prescription or over-the-counter pain medicines.

Still, there are chances you could experience side effects like:

  • Drowsiness
  • Fatigue
  • Upset stomach
  • Changes in weight and appetite

Your side effects risk might depend on the method you use CBD as well. For instance, vaping could cause irritation of the lungs, leading to:

  • Breathing difficulties
  • Wheezing
  • Chronic cough

These are things you’ll want to discuss with your doctor, particularly if you have asthma, or some other form of lung disease. Your doctor will likely tell you to not vape your CBD, and to use a different method instead.

How to Use CBD

You can use CBD oil through various methods, including:

  • Ingested
  • Vaped
  • Topically applied

You're less likely to experience side effects by taking CBD orally than you would vaping it; therefore, if you're just starting out with CBD, you might want to try it orally first, and leave vaping to the well-seasoned users.

To take CBD orally, you can:

  • Take CBD capsules
  • Place several drops of CBD oil under your tongue
  • Consume a treat infused with CBD (brownies, cookies, etc.)

If you're suffering with a severe migraine at home and don't plan on going anywhere soon, vaping CBD oil might be beneficial.

According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the inhalation method will deliver the compounds more quickly to your bloodstream than other methods.

Presently, there aren't any formal proper dosing guidelines for a migraine attack. The best thing you can do is to consult with your doctor before trying any CBD treatment.

Try a CBD Pillow

If headaches are keeping you up at night, you could benefit from CBD by using a CBD-infused pillow. CBD pillows are infused with CBD through a micro-encapsulation technology process. This technology actually embeds millions of microcapsules of CBD into each pillow, and then the pillow slowly releases CBD microdoses all night long, unlike edibles or topicals that wear off after a few hours.

As you're lying on the CBD pillow, friction from your hair follicles and skin cause the CBD capsules to break and release CBD, which is absorbed into your body as you sleep. This results in a calming, relaxing experience, which might help ease your migraine pain, and help you fall asleep.

Order your CBD Pillow today through CBDPillow.com.