CBD Oil for Pain: Everything You Need to Know

Although CBD is new to the mainstream market, the Cannabis sativa L. plant has been a part of medicinal remedies throughout history. The earliest recorded use was around 2700 B.C.E. 

So why the history lesson? Because today, pain is one of the broadest and most common symptoms potentially treatable with CBD. One survey by the health educators at Single Care revealed that out of the 33% of Americans who have used CBD, 64% take CBD for pain and inflammation..

But don’t toss your medications and fire your doctor just yet. 

Incorporating CBD into your wellness routine isn’t a simple decision. It takes time, discipline, and consistency. 

Whether you use CBD oil for pain or any other condition, it’s vital to understand CBD and correctly find the product that suits your needs.

To answer this and more, we’ll take a closer look at pain and see if and how CBD might help.

Types of Pain

Pain isn’t a single condition. It can appear as headaches, muscle soreness, joint pain, back pain, and more. 

Depending on the nature and severity of your discomfort, your condition can fall under acute, chronic, or neuropathic pain. Odds are you may already know that as a pain patient.

What you might not know is which CBD products are appropriate for each type of condition. We’ll address CBD soon, but for now, let’s quickly outline each kind of pain. 

Acute Pain

According to the University of California, acute pain refers to any localized discomfort, such as injury, surgery, or strains.  This condition needs to last less than three months (with some exceptions), at which point the classification changes.

Chronic Pain

Chronic pain is consistent or frequent discomfort lasting more than three months or beyond the expected healing time. 

Unfortunately, chronic pain can cause long-term or permanent damage as the body takes a while – possibly indefinitely – to heal. The University of California warns about chronic pain’s potential consequences, including:

• Appetite changes 
• Mental and physical tension
• Mobility issues
• Emotional distress

Neuropathic Pain

Neuropathic pain can start from several causes, but its source is the same. Specifically, symptoms occur from damage to the nerves. 

Unfortunately, neuropathic pain can be challenging to live with, as symptoms include discomfort beyond aching. Some classic signs are:

• Intense pain
• Burning
• Tingling
• Numbness
• “Pins and needles”
• Inability to sense temperature

Unlike (some) acute and chronic pain, neuropathic pain isn’t something doctors can fix with a cast or bandage. Surgery is an option in some cases, but many people have to live with this debilitating condition.

Consequently, pain medications are the only solution for most patients. Although doctors are wary, they still prescribe opioids in some cases, which many people would rather avoid. 

How to Use CBD Oil for Pain

To use CBD oil for pain, you need to choose the right product and pinpoint your dose. This isn’t as easy as it sounds – unless you know the process. Speaking of which, let’s address that now. 

Find Your Dose

Conventional wisdom tells us that a higher dose will produce more potent effects. But this couldn’t be further from the truth. 

CBD is biphasic, meaning its effects get weaker if you exceed the correct dose or “sweet spot.” This isn’t uncommon for many substances, including prescription medications or supplements. 

Consequently, if you overshoot your dose, it’s just as useless as not taking enough. But amounts vary between people, so how do you find yours?

This is where “start low and go slow” comes in. As it implies, you need to begin with a very low dose and gradually increase it over several weeks. Start with no more than five milligrams and add more every week until you notice changes. 

Once you’re ready to go, feel free to check out our CBD dosage calculator to help crunch the numbers.

CBD oil may be the default for most people, but there are other ways we offer CBD better suited for certain types of pain.

Products

CBD companies can infuse or pack CBD into a vast spectrum of products. These range from practical ones like oil to novelties, such as candy and e-liquids. 

With so many options, it’s impossible to list them all. But whether you have acute, chronic, or neuropathic pain, there’s still a product perfect for you. 

CBD Tinctures

CBD entering the body through ingestion or inhalation provides a generalized effect, ideal for neuropathic pain or any other widespread bodily discomfort. 

Often used interchangeably with “oils,” CBD oil tinctures are popular among CBD enthusiasts.  The critical difference between conventional oil and tinctures is tinctures are taken sublingually before swallowing. 

By holding the tincture under your tongue for 60 to 90 seconds, membranes and capillaries in the mouth can absorb part of the CBD, sending it directly to the bloodstream. This process partially bypasses the liver and triggers faster effects – usually hitting in 15 to 30 minutes.

A significant advantage of tinctures is that their effects can last up to eight hours, providing long-lasting relief. 

CBD Softgels

CBD softgels are an alternate method of delivering CBD oil, employing capsules instead of a dropper. Like tinctures, pills are suitable for general body pain. 

Many people use CBD capsules or softgels for pain. Some prefer these because they don’t have to taste the oil. Full-spectrum and broad-spectrum oils retain the cannabis aroma, which many don’t enjoy. 

Mess-free, pre-measured doses are also a significant advantage.

The downside is that these are among the least bioavailable, meaning most CBD gets processed and expelled, leaving you with bioavailability between 10 to 20%. 

CBD gummies, capsules, and similar edibles also take longer to start working, with most users reporting a wait time between 30 to 45 minutes – although it could easily be longer. 

On the other hand, CBD softgels also have the longest-lasting effects, making them excellent for prolonged relief.

CBD Topicals 

CBD topicals are the only exception when it comes to pain relief. Hemp oil primarily focuses on ingestible CBD, but capsules, tinctures, and other oral products don’t address acute pain or some forms of chronic pain as effectively.

Since you apply topicals directly to the affected area, it keeps symptom relief focused in one spot. This significant difference makes it a must-have for things like joint pain, injuries, sore muscles, and more.

For some interesting information about CBD for arthritis pain, check out our earlier article.

Nano CBD: The Tessera Naturals Difference

As we mentioned, a massive problem with regular CBD oil is its bioavailability sits at 20% or less. This means if you consume 100 mg of CBD, your body won’t get to use more than 20 mg – although this can drop into the single digits.

When using CBD for pain, you want to squeeze everything you can out of the product. Our nanoemulsion process breaks down CBD oil into tiny particles, skyrocketing bioavailability in the process.

If you deal with any kind of pain, nano CBD is your best option for maximum relief. You can learn more about our natural, THC-free hemp oil.

Where to Buy the Best CBD Oil for Pain

You can get the best CBD oil for pain from vendors who go above and beyond the conventional CBD formula. Most companies use clean extraction and natural ingredients, but nanoemulsion is still a rare practice.

Not only does Tessera Naturals faithfully implement this into our manufacturing, but we managed to refine the process. As a result, our technique breaks down CBD into smaller pieces for maximum absorption. 

Conclusion

In an increasingly saturated and competitive market, it can be hard to find the right CBD oil for pain. Lots of companies do an excellent job choosing ingredients, extraction, plant sourcing and more.

But no technology is stagnant, which is why CBD continues to improve. Thanks to innovations in CBD extraction and processing, a select few CBD products go above and beyond the otherwise weak capability of CBD oil.

CBD isn’t about fancy flavors and novelty items – at least not to us. CBD’s therapeutic value lies on what’s inside the product, even if we don’t directly see it. 

Key Takeaways

• There are three types of pain CBD may address: acute pain, chronic pain, and neuropathic pain.
• Different products are suitable for certain types of pain
• Oils and other ingestible CBD products work best for neuropathic pain.
• Acute or chronic pain may respond better to topicals, if the pain is isolated.
• Oil and other edibles aren’t very bioavailable
• Nanoemulsion improves bioavailability
• Tessera Naturals uses a proprietary method that works better than conventional nanoemulsion