Cannabidiol (CBD), a derivative of the hemp plant, has been used medicinally for centuries. Physicians in ancient India, China, and other oriental countries used CBD often to treat a variety of ailments.
But in the 20th and 21st centuries, CBD Oil has been given the third degree. Healthcare providers saw it as a recreational drug with little medicinal benefit and potentially addictive properties. Therefore, it was very little used in clinical settings.
That’s all changing. Now, CBD oil is making surprising waves in the healthcare industry, not only in the United States but in countries all over the world. CBD is still not a globally accepted pharmaceutical, nor has it been clinically researched to the extent it should, but it’s still being used in healthcare, challenging what we thought we knew about hemp and cannabis products.
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CBD Provides Real Relief for Severe Epilepsy Cases
CBD lovers have been pushing for the medical community to accept CBD for years, but the real interest started when it was discovered that CBD could help epilepsy patients treat seizures. Particularly severe cases of seizures like Dravet syndrome affect children. They may have up to 300 seizures per week, and some have hundreds of small episodes per day.
Many parents were scouring black market treatments to help their children overcome their seizures and live a somewhat normal life. Many discovered CBD and it was a gamechanger.
After several bouts with healthcare providers and legal entities, the parents of these children reigned supreme, helping to bring about the legality of CBD as a treatment for epilepsy. In 2018, the FDA finally approved a CBD-based drug called Epidiolex, the first and only approved CBD-based drug on the market.
This has been a game-changer for CBD as a medicinal entity. Now, researchers are exploring the different benefits that CBD might offer, examining its impact in mental, physical, emotional, neuroprotective, and preventative capacities. It’s also becoming legal in other countries for medicinal purposes.
Pharmaceutical Companies Research CBD
The noise that CBD is making in the healthcare community is drawing attention. Pharmaceutical companies are potentially squirming at the number of people that are turning to CBD over their prescription remedies. In general, people tend to look for reasons not to use pharmaceuticals, whether it’s because of the expense, the side effects on the body, or another stigma. According to a Brightfield Group survey, 42 percent of CBD user respondents said that they have stopped using prescription and over-the-counter medications in favor of CBD. They said it was more effective at treating pain, anxiety, and other ailments compared to what they were already taking. As such, pharmaceutical companies are taking advantage of lowered restrictions on CBD study. They’re diving into test-tube and animal studies until they have the okay to start clinical trials on drugs that might be able to help with chronic pain, anxiety, and so much more. It will be years, maybe even decades until these tests yield a product, but it’s exciting news for fans of CBD.
More CBD-Friendly Physicians in the U.S.
Years ago, you couldn’t bring up the words cannabis or CBD in a medical facility without raising red flags. You might be accused of using drugs or warned of the dangers of recreational drug use. But that’s all changing, and we’re seeing more CBD-friendly physicians throughout the U.S. These physicians recognize that there could be some real benefits to using CBD as a treatment for a variety of ailments, and they might encourage patients to try it and monitor their use as they do.
Of course, you’ll run into more of these CBD-friendly physicians in states where cannabis dispensaries are legal like Colorado and Washington, but you might be surprised to see how many there are in a community near you. The online sale of CBD has made it accessible to virtually everyone, and many healthcare professionals are striving to keep up with the interest fo the benefits of their patients. This is very good news because the CBD industry is largely unregulated, and patients need some guidance as to how to purchase CBD and use it for a certain affliction. It might also interact with certain prescription medications, and healthcare providers who are knowledgeable about and open to the use of CBD can help to prevent harmful interactions and the wrong dosages. Doing so gives patients the confidence they need to take CBD without as many harmful effects.
CBD Is Voluntarily Replacing Prescription Medications
Prescription medications have a definite place in healthcare, but the less a person is dependent on these strong medicines, the better. Many people are choosing to replace their prescriptions with CBD because they feel the effects are just as strong with fewer side effects. For example, a recent survey showed that CBD users with anxiety preferred CBD as a treatment for their disorder over their prescription medications. More than half of those in this category opted to stop taking their anti-anxiety medications in favor of using CBD because they liked the way it worked with minimal side effects.
CBD is also being used to replace other prescription medications like anti-depressants, anti-inflammatories, acne medications, and more. It’s made a big scene in the pain killer industry, especially for those who want to avoid addictive opioid painkillers. CBD is believed to be an effective painkiller without the addictive properties of opioids.
In most cases, patients choose to replace their prescriptions with CBD voluntarily, although healthcare providers will occasionally make the request. It depends on the level of knowledge and experience a provider has with CBD.
The Healthcare Community Can No Longer Ignore CBD
CBD is making noise in healthcare, and it can’t be pushed aside like it was for so many years. The legality of CBD is much less restricted with online access all over the United States, and healthcare providers are responsible to learn more about how CBD might help their patients in order to provide holistic care.As such, further research and education are being required in healthcare centers all over the world. Whether or not they believe it’s a useful substance, healthcare providers and clinics must understand what the best CBD oil could do, and that’s changing the entire healthcare landscape as we know it.
Honestly, CBD oils can do wonders for your health as long as you are using the best CBD oil with the highest quality on the market. Whether you are dealing with pain or anxiety, it might help you obtain relief.
