Do you know that every 40 seconds a person has a stroke? That is a pretty high frequency for a disorder that is accompanied by excruciating and a rather-difficult-to-treat pain. Most strokes can and may occur at any point in life irrespective of age. However, there is good news – now stroke is affecting fewer individuals worldwide than before in the past!
According to a 2019 Lancet review, global stroke incidence has decreased by 8.1% from 1996 to 2016. The statistics seem bright, but you must be wondering what one individual suffering from a stroke must do to relieve the infamously-agonizing stroke pain? Well, the general treatment involves a set of medications along with some other approaches to lessen the pain, but these methods seem to have failed due to patients, who are exploring other and natural options, one of which is cannabidiol (CBD)!
You must already be familiar with the pain-relieving properties of CBD, thanks to our very own ubiquitous Internet, but did you know that CBD could be effectively used in controlling stroke pain? Well, that wouldn’t have come off as quite a surprise to you considering the revolutionizing medicinal properties of CBD!
Stroke Story!
Before diving into the transformational pain-relieving effects of CBD on stroke, let’s talk about stroke a bit and inform you about the prevalence rate, disease pathogenesis of stroke and conventional medication used in its treatment so that you’ll be well-informed before choosing a treatment alternative. There is a bonus for all those who stick with us until the end. We have included a list of our favorite CBD products which are effective in relieving stroke pain.
1. What is a Stroke?
To put it simply stroke is a disease affecting arteries towards and within the brain. When defining in medical terms, stroke happens when the blood supply to your brain is interrupted or reduced. This obstructs oxygen and other nutrients from getting to the brain tissue, as a result of which the brain cells start dying in a matter of minutes. This condition, often referred to as a brain attack, is a medical emergency requiring immediate medical care and treatment. Only a timely therapeutic action can limit brain damage and control other complications.
2. What is the Cause of Stroke?
Most of you may already be familiar with the fact that stroke is known to be accompanied by an ache described as a burning, pounding, pricking, or darting sensation which might involve numbness, occurring in the stroke-affected side of the patient’s body. This stroke pain could begin right after the stroke but in most cases starts several months later. There are two causes of a stroke: rupture of a blood vessel (hemorrhagic stroke) or a blocked artery (ischemic stroke). In some cases, temporary discontinuation of blood flow also contributes to stroke.
3. How Common is Stroke?
Having grasped the general definition, and worldwide statistics about stroke, you probably want to know about the incidence of this disease, the causes of the occurrence of this disease, your susceptibility to this condition and then helping you choose the right pain reliever. Studies show that stroke affects approximately 795,000 individuals in the United States of America every year.
Wondering about the global facts? According to research stroke contributes to over 140,000 deaths yearly worldwide with one person dying of stroke after every 4 minutes.
4. Are Women at a Greater Risk Compared to Men? Yes!
We’re not saying that, statistics are! Figures state that the incidence of stroke deaths in females is higher as compared to males, with 60% deaths occurring in the former, and about 40% in the latter.
5. Sad News is that Chances of a Relapse are Higher!
Sadly, yes, you read that right! Approximately 1/4th of stroke survivors have a higher incidence of getting a stroke within the next 5 years.
6. The Traditional Treatment Used for Stroke
The treatment regimen of this pain involves a set of medications, along with other therapeutic approaches centered around alleviating the pain. The drug type recommended by your doctor will depend on the stroke type that affected you. The major goal of medications is to avoid the chance of a stroke occurring a second time, with some other medications dedicated to prevent a stroke from occurring.
Medications used to control stroke |
Surgical treatment for stroke |
| · Tissue plasminogen Activator or TPA
· Anticoagulants · Antiplatelet drugs · Statins · Blood pressure drugs |
· Mechanical Thrombectomy and Stent Retriever Therapy
· Detachable Coil Technique · Carotid Endarterectomy · Angioplasty and Stents · Surgical AVM Removal · Coiling (endovascular embolization) · The intracranial bypass treatment · Stereotactic radiosurgery |
There are Drawbacks or Limitations of Medications and Surgical procedures
Like any other medication or surgical procedure these also are accompanied by their side effects which include:
· Medications for stroke side effects
The major limitation of TPA is that only 3-5% of patients suffering from stroke can reach the hospital within time to get this treatment and it possesses a high risk for elevated intracranial hemorrhage. The preventive medications require constant monitoring and result in disruption of normal body function as these medications affect the body’s ability to clot, either directly or through platelet aggregation.
· The limitations of surgical procedures
There’s a 1-3% risk of stroke following surgery and it can also result in restenosis or re-obstruction of the carotid artery. A disadvantage of carotid stenting is a dysfunctional plaque particle (called embolism) roaming around, contributing to stroke. The risk of re-stroke due to a plaque obstruction during or after surgery is also high. Furthermore, instantly elevated blood flow through a formerly blocked artery can cause a hemorrhagic stroke.
There is a Better Way, Kevin; CBD!
Reading the limitations of standard stroke medications and surgical procedures must’ve had you rethinking your life decisions! You’d probably be confused as to why these procedures are still being deemed as the standard therapeutic methods. Well, that is a pretty long debate, so let’s not go down that road. For now, we can ensure you that we share the same feelings as you. However, there’s an easy way out of this apparent medical labyrinth. And that is CBD!
1. How is CBD better than the standard medications?
CBD is believed to palliate the excruciating pain of stroke. But, what is CBD? CBD is an organic chemical extracted from the hemp or marijuana plant and is known to possess transformational anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties. This chemical has high efficacy and little to no side effects due to which it is a better choice when compared to traditional drugs.
CBD is known to confer cerebroprotective action to the body due to its interaction with the endocannabinoid system (ECS), and its potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective properties. The endocannabinoid system is a molecular system comprising of receptors or cellular structures taking part in signal transmission and is responsible for nervous functions, immune responses, homeostasis among other functions.
2. Roles of CBD in Stroke Control
This interaction of CBD with ECS is proposed to play roles in pain relief, vascular effects, and symptom improvement of stroke. CBD also has been shown to have marked vascular properties contributing to vasodilation and hypotension, both of which contribute to stroke control according to a review article published in Surgical Neurology International.
3. Could CBD Reduce Brain Damage?
Research conducted in 2017 indicated a reduction in brain damage and overall functional recovery following the use of cannabidiol in an ischemic stroke rat model. We must however inform you that most of this research has been conducted on animals, and there is a need for more clinical research data on humans proving the efficacy of CBD use for stroke.
How to Use CBD & How Soon does it Show Improvement?
Having learned about all the cerebroprotective properties of CBD, you’d probably be wondering about its optimal dosage and direction of use. Even though CBD is yet not approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for stroke, research indicates that patients must start with a lower daily dose, and subsequently increase the dosage to no greater than 5-10 mg/kg per day, with sublingual CBD products more preferable than vape.
How long does CBD take to improve the stroke symptoms? Research indicates that stroke-improving effects of CBD are visible within a few hours of consumption. In a study, CBD indicated a pattern to reduce the infarct in less than 6 hours even with late administration after the stroke onset. Repetitive CBD treatment from 1st/ 3rd day to 14th day indicated improved functional effects and survival rates signaling the presence of the neuroprotective effect at later stages as well.
Our Recommendation; as Promised
As promised, we’re ready to present the best three of our favorite CBD products, which are appropriate for stroke pain.
· CBD Freeze Roll-On (1500mg)
The customer-convenient roll-on style of this product aids in conveying the CBD gel literally anywhere. This product will particularly come in handy when you are traveling long distances. It provides immediate alleviation of muscle tautness and soreness, contributed by stroke, and soothes the mind as well. Relaxing ingredients like menthol, aloe vera, peppermint, and camphor will help you to stay relaxed for longer durations.
· CBD Rejuvenating Pain Cream (1500mg)
This topical product is a mixture of pain alleviators and skin amplifiers. It contains 1500 mg of CBD obtained from purely organically-grown hemp. Other natural ingredients include shea butter, chamomile, camphor terpene, safflower seed oil, and aloe vera, which render this product a magical fragrance and feel light on the skin. This product can be used all over the body. These relaxing ingredients help in pain relief as well as help in calming the nerves.
· CBD SoftGels (1500mg)
Softgels are made with superior standard CBD which comprises terpenes and supportive cannabinoids. Consuming this product orally is the most convenient way to maintain your daily CBD level. At 1500mg CBD, you are getting 50mg per day of pain easing goodness. It is particularly useful for people who’re looking for a quick-acting variety of CBD oil. MCT oil, beta-caryophyllene, and gelatin capsule render further appeasing properties to this gel.
Summing it Up!
The bottom-line is CBD has a great potential to be used as a pain reliever and medicinal alternative for stroke (our readers must remember that this product is not FDA-approved), where all the other medications and surgical procedures seem to fall short. CBD is accompanied with little to no side effects when compared to the standard drugs. However, their interaction with other medications need to be studied more and should be regulated by one’s physician. Almost all the available research data regarding the use of CBD in stroke treatment is on animals, and there is a critical need for clinical data regarding CBD use on humans. Nonetheless, scientists believe that CBD has a higher potential in medicinal therapeutics.
References
- https//www.thelancet.com/journals/laneur/article/PIIS1474-4422(19)30034-1/fulltext#seccestitle10
- https//www.cdc.gov/stroke/healthy_living.htm#~text=Stroke%20is%20preventable.,by%20making%20healthy%20lifestyle%20choices.
- https//journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1111/ijs.12245
- https//www.stroke.org.uk/effects-of-stroke/physical-effects-stroke/pain-after-stroke#~text=Many%20people%20describe%20it%20as,been%20affected%20by%20the%20stroke.
- https//www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4036658/
- https//pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28012949/
- https//www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/STROKEAHA.118.023587#~text=CBD%20showed%20trends%20to%20infarct,6%20hours%20after%20stroke%20onset.&text=Repeated%20treatment%20with%20CBD%20from,at%20the%20late%20time%20point.
