In the world of medicine, the priority is to treat any disease that affects a certain individual, in order to improve their state of health and quality of life, so every time a compound is discovered that has apparent medicinal properties , is included among the thousands of drugs, but first, it must go through a series of tests and scientific studies, which will ensure the effect or effects of said medication.
CBD is one of these medications and for some time now, it has been entering the world of curative medicine, forming part of numerous treatments for various diseases, even for the most complicated and incurable, as a method of relief for the patient and a support for conventional treatment, however, there have been cases where said treatment is usually replaced, due to the low side effects of Cannabidiol.
Diseases such as those of the neuronal system are some for which CBD has symptom-mitigating advantages. In this article, we will comment on neuralgia and migraines, we will include CBD as an adjuvant treatment of symptoms, and we will understand how this can compound of cannabis, help our health.
Differential diagnosis: neuralgia and migraine
Before starting, we must establish basic concepts. To do this, we will explain the definition of migraine and neuralgia, as well as some of their causes and symptoms, and then outline a difference between these two conditions.
Neuralgia
Basically neuralgia is a pain, which is characterized by being sharp, similar to an electric shock, which is located in a specific area of the face, neck or head, due to damage to the nerves that lie there; It is considered a very common neuropathy.
This condition can be divided, among its most common types, into postherpetic and trigeminal, the former usually occurs after an outbreak of herpes zoster and the latter is usually an involvement of the trigeminal nerve caused by aging, tumors that compress the area, multiple sclerosis or similar to this, where the myelin sheath that protects some nerves is damaged, this nerve is responsible for connecting the sensations of the face with the brain.
We also have other uncommon types, but no less important, where we include glossopharyngeal neuralgia, Hunt's neuralgia, occipital neuralgia among others; As well as we also have other more general causes such as: irritation from chemicals, porphyria, trauma, infections, some medications, diabetes, chronic kidney disease and in some cases it is usually idiopathic.
This nerve condition can cause symptoms such as weakness or paralysis of the muscles that have the affected nerve, pain that radiates throughout the nerve route, and may be intermittent or constant, it also produces an increase in the sensitivity of the skin. where the affected nerve is located, being quite painful when experiencing any type of contact.
Migraine
This condition is also defined as pain, but with pulsating characteristics in the head unilaterally, which in turn can cause side effects such as nausea, photophobia, vomiting and sensitivity to sounds; It usually appears between the ages of 10 and 45, although it can appear earlier or much later in life.
The causes of this disease are still not completely clear, however, it is associated with poor functioning of brain activity, affecting blood flow in the organ and surrounding tissues; There are various types of migraine, among them we can find migraines with or without aura, and in some cases a worsening of the episodes can develop, turning it into a chronic disease.
Among its most common symptoms we can find the beginning of a deafening pain, worsening from minutes to hours, the sensation is more intense in one place on the head radiating to the back of the eye, head, or neck, throbbing, throbbing sensation or a strong latency, these can last from 4 to 72 hours.
In some cases there are usually symptoms such as chills, increased urination, loss of appetite, sweating, fatigue and others.
Differential diagnosis
Thanks to the above information we can establish certain parameters to establish a correct diagnosis, such as: neuralgia occurs due to a purely nervous condition and is located in the area innervated with said affected nerve, most commonly it occurs in the face, carrying the name of trigeminal neuralgia, causes sensitivity in the skin where the nerve is located and does not usually come with side effects.
While, in migraine, the pain is specifically located in the head, either on one side or the other, in some cases it is usually both sides, but the patient experiences much more pain on one of them, it is mostly accompanied by other symptoms and their causes are said to be related to poor functioning of brain activity, which affects blood flow.
Studies supporting the interaction of cannabinoids with neuralgia and migraine
Studies in animals with neuralgia have shown that a synthetic cannabinoid called WIN55,212-2 is highly effective in reducing this type of pain, interacting with the endocannabinoid system and activating CB1 receptors, demonstrating that this cannabis compound could be considered an effective treatment for neuralgia.
Another study, conducted by researchers from Huazhong University and Technology in Wuhan, China, used the same synthetic cannabinoid (WIN 55,212-2) to evaluate the inhibitory effects of this cannabinoid on vanilloid receptors, where they showed the mechanisms to relieve peripheral pain. in the ganglion cells of the trigeminal nerve.
An investigation carried out by scientists at the Neurological Institute of London discovered that the activation of CB1 receptors causes an inhibition of the nerve cells responsible for controlling the blood vessels of the trigeminal nerve, this allowed them to conclude that CB endocannabinoid receptors could have a potential as a treatment for headaches.
On the other hand, in 2015 a study was carried out where it was noted that the use of cannabinoids could play an important role in the treatment of various diseases, where chronic pain was specifically mentioned, which includes headaches such as migraines.
In 2016, 121 patients with a diagnosis of migraine were specifically evaluated, of which 103 reported a lower frequency of migraines, under the use of cannabis compounds, in turn, of these 103, 11,6% showed a complete migraine prevention.
There is evidence that, during the years 1839 and 1937, cannabis was used as a mitigating medicine for migraines and other pain, a 2017 study summarized the practices that were carried out during the time when this compound was legal, after 1937 the government banned its use.
Benefits of cannabis compounds for headaches
Both CBD and THC can benefit the patient in the treatment of their condition, be it neuralgia or migraine, below we will name some of these properties:
- Analgesic: Thanks to the analgesic properties of THC in relation to algesia at the cranial level, which has been proven by research, it can be said that this cannabis compound can be an effective treatment for neuralgia and migraine, acting on the CB1 receptors of the system. endocannabinoids.
- Anticonvulsants: There have been a number of patients diagnosed with chronic migraine, who can sometimes suffer from severe seizures, and thanks to the anticonvulsant properties of CBD, it can be an excellent adjuvant in these cases.
- Anti-inflammatory: One of the properties of CBD is to be anti-inflammatory, which would be very useful in cases of neuralgia caused by inflammation of the nerves or inflammations that cause compression of them.
- Price quotation: This is one of the quite striking benefits of cannabis components, and has been shown in previously mentioned studies, since these can cause the prevention of migraines, as well as a reduction in their frequency.
- Reduces nausea: Another of the properties of CBD is that of relieve nausea, as well as mitigating vomiting, thus helping the patient combat the side effects of migraines.
- Reconciliation of sleep: One of the problems in cases of migraine or severe neuralgia is the inability to fall asleep due to the strong pain caused by the condition. It has been shown that CBD has relaxing abilities for the body, allowing the patient to improve their sleep cycle, as well as their quality of life.
With this we can say that…
The main components of cannabis, such as CBD and THC, are effective in the treatment of painful conditions such as neuralgia and migraines, and although these work differently, they tend to produce very similar symptoms, especially pain in the area. of the head.
Acting in separate ways, these components can help alleviate the symptoms of these conditions, either by their activation of vanilloid and CB1 receptors by THC or by the activation of CB2 receptors by CBD or cannabidiol, however, it is good Keep in mind that if you want to take advantage of the properties of both without having psychoactive side effects from THC, it is advisable to use CBD oils with a 20:1 ratio where the CBD is greater than the THC.
It is recommended that you consult a health specialist to obtain a better decision about the use of these compounds, since this will allow you to evaluate your tolerance to the medication, as well as its interaction with conventional medications.
I suffer from Occipital Neuralgia, it is so intense that it grabs my ear and TMJ, I am undergoing NO Surgery, they decompressed my large Occipital and a minor one. I take a lot of chemical medication and they give me horrible pain attacks. I took CBD in the past, but they didn't tell me how I should do it. It helped me relax and sleep better. Can you help me in what quantity and % should I take?
Thanks greetings
I suffer from glossopharyngeal neuralgia, I am currently taking carbamazepine, is it possible to take CBD with this treatment?
Hello, the topic is very interesting, my mother suffers from trigenic neuralgia and takes medication for blood pressure (exforge), clopidogrel and cholesterol (Robotek).
I want to know if she could take CBD oil to help her with trigeminal neuralgia and how many drops of the oil should she take?
And if you can help us?
Hello German, CBD is a natural analgesic and anti-inflammatory so it can be of great help to you. Depending on the concentration of the oil you use, there will be more or fewer drops, for example with a 10% oil it would be 1 drop per 10 kilos of weight, and a 20% oil would be one drop per 20 kilos of weight.
My mother suffers from postherpetic neuralgia, could she use cannabis oil? And she would also like to know if, if she uses it, will she have to consume it throughout her life?
Hello Evelin, yes, it is also effective for that type of neuralgia. Cannabidiol is a powerful analgesic and natural anti-inflammatory that relieves pain such as neuralgia and migraines but temporarily (as long as it lasts in the blood), if your pathology persists you will have to continue taking it for relief. It is not a curative treatment. All the best.
I have atypical trigeminal neuralgia affecting the inferior alveolar nerve. They did a decompression because it rubbed an artery with the nerve, it took away my pain, now all the pain is concentrated in the lower jaw with very intense pain throughout the day. The medication doesn't feel good to me. Could this relieve me? and how to take
All the best
Hello Lourdes, without a doubt, we have many clients with the same case as you who use CBD as an anti-inflammatory and natural analgesic. It works very well.
How about good evening, I have a family member who has suffered from trigeminal neuralgia for several years, we have already tried medication and it does not have good results, is he a candidate for CBD?
Hello Juan, CBD could indeed give you good results, although most of the studies for trigeminal neuralgia are carried out with cannabis oils with THC and CBD since both act better than alone when treating this pathology, in any case it can be considered an oil with some CBD and very low THC to activate the CB2 receptors of our endocannabinoid system and relieve headaches and trigeminal nerve disorder.
My husband suffers from trigeminal neuralgia. Is he a candidate for CBD? If so, please give me detailed information and how many drops to take per day, thank you.
Hello Maria, please contact us by Whatsapp or email so we can offer you more personalized help, we need more details. All the best.
Very good,
After trying a multitude of “migraine” pills as prescribed by the doctor (most of them are anti-psychotics or anti-depressants with side effects of migraine relief) none of them took away my migraine completely, I always had episodes again that I had to treat with some anti-inflammatory.
I started smoking marijuana regularly (standard with THC) and since then the number and intensity of the episodes have been drastically reduced. I'm waiting to receive an order for CBD drops from your page to try it out. But of course occasional cannabis is better than pills daily and for life.
Hello Jesus! Thanks to the analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects of CBD, it is very possible that a treatment with CBD oil drops will be effective for you. Let us know how it goes. PS your order is in delivery, it should arrive today! 😀
Hello, I suffer from sporadic migraines on the left side of the head but for 20 years I have suffered from occipital neuralgia that lasts for many days with terrible pain in the left occipital, I take 2 drops of 40 percent cannabis every night but it doesn't improve, maybe I would have to take it several times a day. Neuralgia almost always appears when I am sleeping, I would like some advice, at one time I was better but now the pain is continuous, thank you very much, Susana
Hello, my father has been suffering from postherpetic neuralgia for a long time, he has sugar, and I would like to know how in these cases it is convenient to take or use CBD, I don't know if topical solutions, creams have done nothing for him, or if it is better to take it, and how it should begin. Thank you
Very interesting, thanks for sharing, my husband suffered 2 heart attacks, is he a candidate for this treatment?
Hello Carmen, yes, you are a good candidate since CBD facilitates normal blood flow through the body, reducing stress and thus reducing both the cardiovascular response and hypertension, helping you be less prone to it happening again.