CBD and THC are two major cannabinoids that are well-known for their anti-inflammatory properties. Cannabis has been used to alleviate many ailments such as fibromyalgia, side effects of cancer treatment, epilepsy among many others.
Chronic pelvic pain (CPP) affects up to 15% of women in the United States. According to one study, from a total of 240 patients were approached, with 113 responses (47.1% response rate). There were 26 patients who used cannabis (23%).
What is Chronic Pelvic Pain?
Chronic pelvic pain (CPP) is quite common among women. Chronic pelvic pain can have more than one cause. It can be a symptom of another medical condition, or it can be a condition in its own right. It is considered chronic when the pelvic pain lasts for longer than six months. According to Mayo Clinic, common CPP symptoms are:
- Severe and steady pain
- Pain that comes and goes (intermittent)
- Dull aching
- Sharp pains or cramping
- Pressure or heaviness deep within your pelvis
In addition, you may experience:
- Pain during intercourse
- Pain while having a bowel movement or urinating
- Pain when you sit for long periods of time
How Can Cannabis Help Alleviate its Symptoms?
The female pelvic organs have a high density of cannabinoid receptors, which means that cannabis can be very effective in alleviating pain in the pelvic area. Many women who suffer from CPP are self-treating their medical condition with cannabis.
Cannabis interacts with the endocannabinoid system and its CB1 and CB2 receptors. The pelvic area is rich in both CB1 and CB2 receptors, which means cannabis is specifically useful to treat pain in this area.
Many chronic conditions can also cause fatigue and insomnia. Cannabis can help people with these sleep disorders. Moreover, cannabis is also useful to treat cramps that often cause fatigue. Furthermore, many cannabis strains cause euphoria and will help you recover your energy as our endocannabinoid system helps us to balance our physiological processes.
CBD and THC interact with our endocannabinoid system. CB2 is our cannabinoid receptor for CBD. In other words, we produce our cannabinoids, and therefore, both CBD and THC are easily assimilated into our system. Our cells have receptors, and they receive chemical signals and respond to them. Both THC and CBD have anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving effects.
Which Cannabis Strains are Good to Treat CPP?
Inflammation is the body’s process to fight against something that harms it. For example, toxins, infections, or injuries can trigger an immune response that will cause inflammation.
To treat chronic pain, you can choose cannabis strains with a balanced CBD:THC ratio. In addition, if you don’t want cannabis strains with psychoactive properties, then you can choose CBD rich strains such as Charlotte’s Web.
For chronic pain, strains such as Cannatonic (1:1 CBD and THC cannabis strain) or Harlequin (a Sativa-rich strain with a 5:2 CBD:THC ratio) are also a good option to treat pelvic chronic pain.
Is Vaping Effective to Treat CPP?
Vaping is an effective cannabis intake method. In addition, it is very fast, and it has a high bioavailability. Moreover, there are many cannabis vapes, some more effective than others. For instance, Ispire has developed their own Ducore coils that utilizes dual ceramic coils for a better e-liquid absorption, flavor delivery and also better bioavailability than most of cartridges in the market. Furthermore, its bioavailability is better than other methods such as tinctures, edibles, or smoking. According to Royal CBD, vaping ensures that up to 56% of the cannabinoid content will enter your bloodstream. While other studies mention even a higher bioavailability.
Originally published at https://www.getispire.com on January 6, 2021.
