Neck and back pain is widespread in the general population, but the incidence of these types of pain is even higher among dental professionals. The reasons for this ubiquitous problem are not surprising. Dental care providers literally twist themselves into unnatural and uncomfortable positions all day in order to treat their patients. These daily contortions contribute greatly to common neck and pain triggers like arthritis, tendinitis, muscular injuries, nerve root compression, and thoracic outlet syndrome.
CBD as an Alternative Treatment for Muscle Pain and Discomfort
Unfortunately, even with the benefits of modern medicine, most current treatments for neck and back pain are lacking in one way or another. Conservative measures include ice, heat, oral anti-inflammatory medications, topical analgesics, and rest. Of course, the reality is that extended rest is not an option for many dentists and their assistants. So you’re left with other modalities that often don’t provide much relief or for very long.
You may be tempted to turn to more invasive treatments if your pain is severe or unrelenting. But as you know, invasive therapies like epidural injections, spinal cord stimulation, and spinal surgery, come with risks and lengthy recovery times. Even if you choose to endure these procedures and the recuperation period, you have no guarantee that they will succeed in relieving your pain. Cannabidiol, also known as CBD, may be a better option to treat your chronic pain.
CBD may be a Better Option
By now, you’ve likely heard of cannabidiol (CBD) oil. A hemp product, CBD oil may be beneficial for a number of medical problems. While CBD oil is not a miracle drug or panacea, it has been shown in animal and human studies to have a positive effect on muscle pain, arthritic pain, pain referred from headaches and cervical neck issues, and spinal pain.
One way in which the components of CBD oil help with pain relief is by mimicking the effects of soothing thermal compounds. Visit any pharmacy or grocery store, and you’ll find a plethora of products that stimulate the heat and/or cold receptors of the human body – cooling salves that contain menthol or eucalyptus or warming balms that use capsaicin (hot pepper) compounds. However, your body quickly becomes acclimated to these ingredients, and medications that contain these compounds lose their effect the more you use them.
This is not a problem with CBD products. Although CBD oil makes use of these same pathways, the active components in the oil have been shown to be long-lasting and effective over extended treatment. So before you schedule risky surgery or waste more money on ineffective over-the-counter remedies, consider the many pain-killing benefits of non-addictive, natural CBD oil.
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