Migraine is a very unpleasant disease that is associated with severe headaches, is often associated with stress and can last for a very long time. Many common activities can make a migraine even worse. While most available painkillers can only relieve the symptoms, they can also give you various side effects. Migraine is one of the conditions that CBD can be a great help with, it has already been proven to be effective for many ailments and migraine is one of those where it has great potential to help.
What does the research say?
Research on the effect of CBD on migraine is limited, with a large number of studies looking at the combined effect of CBD and THC (tetrahydrocannabinol). Studies investigating the effect of CBD alone on migraine are not yet available. This is partly due to the fact that research is limited by current regulations concerning CBD and the legalisation of cannabis. Even so, laboratory studies suggest that CBD oil tends to help with all forms of chronic and acute pain, including migraine.
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In 2017, they were on 3. Congress of the European Academy of Neurology (EAN), a group of researchers presented the results of a study (link to study) on cannabiniods and migraine prevention.
Phase I
In Phase I of their study, 48 people with chronic migraine were given a combination of two compounds. One compound contained 19% THC, while the other contained 9% CBD and virtually no THC. The compounds were administered orally. Doses below 100 mg had no effect. When doses were increased to 200 mg, acute pain was reduced by 55%;
Phase II
Phase II of the study focused on 79 people with chronic migraine or cluster headaches. These 79 people with chronic migraine received a daily dose of 200 mg of the Phase I THC-CBD mixture or 25 mg of the tricyclic antidepressant amitriptyline;
Forty-eight people with cluster headaches received a daily dose of 200 mg of a phase I THC-CBD mixture or 480 mg of verapamil, a calcium channel blocker. The treatment period lasted three months and follow-up occurred four weeks after the end of treatment;
The results of the study
The THC-CBD combination reduced migraine attacks by 40.4%, while amitriptyline led to a 40.1% reduction in migraine attacks. The THC-CBD combination also reduced pain intensity by 43.5%;
Participants with cluster headaches experienced only a slight reduction in the severity and frequency of their headaches. However, some experienced a 43.5% decrease in pain intensity. This decrease in pain intensity was only seen in participants who had migraine attacks that began in childhood.
The researchers concluded that cannabinoids were only effective against acute headaches if the person had experienced migraine attacks as a child;
Further research on cannabis
A lot of research has been conducted to see how medical marijuana works to manage migraine attacks. Studies show that about 40% of people experience relief, but the downside is the side effects, including drowsiness. Many people suffering from migraines, headaches or arthritis use cannabis to replace opiates or opioids.
How does CBD work against migraine?
CBD interacts with the body’s cannabinoid receptors (CB1 and CB2). Although these mechanisms are not fully explored and understood, they can greatly affect the immune system;
For example, CBD can prevent the body from metabolising anandamide, which is linked to pain control. Keeping high levels of anandamide in your blood can reduce your feelings of pain;
CBD is thought to reduce inflammation in the body, which may also help reduce pain and other immune system reactions.
How to use CBD
Cannabis has been used in alternative medicine for 3,000 years, especially to reduce pain, neurological problems and inflammation. CBD oil can be used by vaping, ingestion or topical application.
If you’re new to CBD and haven’t tried it yet, you can start by putting a few drops of the oil under your tongue, taking CBD capsules or ingesting a CBD product. Vaping CBD oil has proven to be very effective for migraines, the inhalation process gets the compounds into the bloodstream much faster than other methods. There are currently no prescribed dosages for what is appropriate to use for migraine attacks, so you can try it yourself to see what dose is good for you or consult a doctor. If you try taking CBD without consulting a doctor, always start with the minimum dose, which you can gradually increase to help your body get used to CBD oil and avoid the risk of side effects;
