How Pain Impacts the Brain: How Much CBD to Take for Pain

You’re your own toughest competition, mentally and especially physically.

But whether it’s from the treadmill, a physically demanding lifestyle, or general discomfort, always pushing yourself harder doesn’t have to be synonymous with “no pain, no gain.” Your relief needs to meet you at the bar you’ve raised. It’s hard to bring your A-game when everything hurts. So, you need something that works, naturally. Find out more about what pain does to the brain, problems caused by pain, and how much CBD to take for pain.

What Pain Does to the Brain

Much like stress, pain incites the body’s fight or flight response, which is essentially an influx of the stress hormone, cortisol. This is useful to avoid damage to the body, but if cortisol levels remain elevated, it can cause unintended damage.

The continual build-up of cortisol can lead to a number of health problems such as weight gain, hormone imbalances, digestive issues, bone density problems, heart disease, diabetes, and more. When cortisol builds up in the area of the brain called the amygdala, it stimulates anxiety. This is the brain’s “fear center,” which contributes to emotional processing. When stress builds up in this area it increases the activity level between neurotransmitters and increases anxiety.

Pain and Emotions

Physical pain and emotional pain exist on similar circuitry in the nervous system with common links to the brain. The presence of continual pain is often linked to emotional changes.

Stress, Anxiety, and Pain

The fight or flight response derived from a cortisol influx is the same for both stress and pain. The problem with pain is that the stressor is internal, physically attached, and difficult to escape. Even when chronic pain is relieved, pain sufferers may still experience anxiety about the potential return of the pain.

Pain-Induced Depression

There is a strong link between pain and depression. The general consensus is that withdrawing from social interaction provides an environment that is needed to heal. Again, when the source of stress is pain, it is difficult to hide away from. This could evolve into a sense of loss of control and spiral into depression.

Body Awareness

Sometimes when the brain is continually activated by a pain response, this can cause increased pain tolerance. Likewise, it can also result in decreased pain tolerance. When pain tolerance is low, the body becomes more aware of every discomfort that is being experienced. Lower pain tolerance can cause even minor discomfort to become debilitating.

Cognitive Impact

Cognition is a complex function of the brain that involves learning and understanding through experience, thought and sensory input. Several scientific studies note that continual pain can negatively impact cognitive function and cause changes in the brain.

Problems Caused Pain

There is more to pain than just discomfort. Here are some of the statistics about pain and how they affect our daily lives.

50% of adults claim to suffer from chronic headaches.

• Chronic pain and depression statistics reveal that 77% of people suffer from depression as a result of feeling constant high-impact pain.
• 78% of emergency room visits in the U.S. are related to pain complaints.
• The four most common types of pain include Low back pain (28%), knee pain (19%), headache (16%), and neck pain (15%).
• 20% of Americans report that pain disrupts their sleep at least a few times a week.
• 66% of pain sufferers expect to live with some pain for the rest of their life. 38% expect to become pain-free from a cure or treatment.

The Benefits of CBD for Pain

There are countless issues that could be contributing to your pain. Pain as a whole is not a medical condition, but if left unaddressed can lead to a number of medical conditions.

• CBD provides a natural option that can supplement virtually any pain relief routine or schedule to help you get on track and stay there.
• There are no reported significant side effects in normal doses. CBD for pain can also help quiet your mind at night, which can lead to less stressful days.
• Relief of physical discomfort may also be an added bonus of CBD when trying to reduce stress. The same receptors that restore balance in the mind can also help deal with inflammation in the body.

How much CBD Oil should I take for pain?

Everyone’s endocannabinoid system is a little different. Just as one person may take one over the counter pain pill and find relief for their headache and another may need two, or how two people of the same size can have different alcohol tolerances.

For moderate pain, we recommend taking 33mg of CBD for pain, which is the amount present in one dropper of Receptra Serious Relief 33 + Turmeric tincture. For more intense pain, we recommend 66mg, which is the amount in Receptra Serious Relief 66 + Turmeric. These amounts are based on studies evaluated by our research and development team to determine the proper dosage for pain.

Topical CBD for pain

The skin is the largest organ in the body. Contained in this system are endocannabinoid receptors that are present just under the dermal layer. The skin produces its own endocannabinoid molecules such as anandamide (AEA) and 2-AG. These endocannabinoids are constantly released in specific amounts, depending on the “healthy need” of the organ, resulting in the skin’s cannabinoid tone. Endocannabinoid molecules are synthesized by several cell types in the epidermis, hair follicles, and sebaceous glands. Check out Receptra's CBD Topcial ranking from OriGym.

“I suffered a severe ankle and knee sprain and no broken bones or torn tendons, but the sprains were incredibly painful and the CBD 800 mg Targeted Topical has helped relieve the pain in my knees and ankle. I use it daily.” - Jerry B.

Transdermal topical CBD with arnica like Receptra Naturals’ Targeted Topical is designed to reach these endocannabinoids and receptors. The addition of CBD helps to relieve muscle and joint soreness, which happens quickly, providing the pain relief you need when you need it.