CBD has become a big buzz word over the last couple of years and many people are finding it to be a helpful adjunct to chiropractic care. We have decided to carry it in the office and I wanted to give some information on the product as well as what went into our decision to carry it.
CBD is short for cannibidiol. That’s one of the main compounds found in a marijuana plant. Another more well known compound is THC or tetrahedrocannibinol. This is the compound that that gets you “high” or “stoned”. CBD doesn’t have that same effect. However, it does a have a lot of the same therapeutic effects of THC.
Both THC and CBD interact with the endocannabinoid system (ECS) of the body that influences the brain, central nervous system, peripheral nervous system and the immune system. Therefore, both of these compounds effect memory, cognitive performance, pain perception, stress management, mood regulation and immune response.
CBD has some amazing effects on the body. At lower doses, it has been seen to have a stimulating effect and at higher doses can be more of a sedative. There are 113 identified cannibinoids, however CBD and THC are the most widely studied.
Typically, a cannabis spectrum is used to label the types of CBD. There is CBD isolate which means that that this is a very pure form of the compound. Broad spectrum contains CBD plus 111 of the other cannibinoids except for THC which is removed during the initial extraction. This will give an “entourage effect” as the other 111 cannibinoids also have therapeutic effects. And then there is full spectrum which contains all 113 of the cannibinoids, including THC. However the THC is less than 0.3% and thus doesn’t have any of the psychoactive effects. This helps to amplify the health benefits of each individual cannabinoid. A note about full spectrum, however, if you are taking this in large amounts daily, you can produce a false positive on a drug test.
The product that we are carrying in the office is from Farmacy Bliss and is a full spectrum product. I have tried numerous different CBD brands and delivery systems and by far have found this to be the most effective. What works for one person may not work for everyone, however, so we are offering trial sizes in the office as well as full size. We have had amazing feedback from the patients that have tried it. We have both soft gels and tinctures available.
The best way that I can describe how this product makes you feel is that it’s like “letting out a big sigh of relief”. It feels like it takes you down a notch. I don’t notice any drowsiness or any lightheaded or any other strange symptoms. Just takes the edge off a bit. I have been taking it for a while for arthritis in my knees and have found it to make the pain a lot more manageable. I also sometimes take it before bed if I think I’m going to have any issues sleeping. Other patients have noticed a great difference in sleep quality without drowsiness the next morning as well as a decrease in anxiety.
Again, the product works differently for everyone. I recommend starting with the trial size and playing around with time of day that you take it as well as dosing. Somewhere in there is the sweet spot for you. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask. We can definitely talk more in the office to see if it’s the right fit for you!!
- Dr. Cait
