How Can CBD Capsules Help Concussion and Traumatic Brain Injuries?
Posted by Lewis Olden on
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As there is more research carried out into the potential medicinal benefits of cannabis and cannabinoids such as CBD, the use cases for the plant and its derivatives grows.
What is a Concussion?
A concussion is a particular type of traumatic injury, typically caused by direct impact to the head i.e, getting punched or falling on the ground. The concussion itself is actually caused by the brain rattling around within the skull, damaging brain cells.
What Are the Symptoms of Concussion?
There are a wide range of diverse symptoms that concussion can cause. As a result, it's imperative that you keep an eye on the possible symptoms and immediately seek medical advice if you have identified any of the following:
- Dizziness
- Slurred speech
- Headaches
- Sensitive to light
- Confusion
- Blurred vision
- Behavioural changes
- Difficulties balancing
- Difficulties concentrating
- Vomiting
- Ringing in ears
In fact, it is also strongly recommended that you always seek medical help even in the absence of the above symptoms. This is because it can often take days, or even weeks, for the symptoms to manifest.
The wide ranging nature of the symptoms reflects the complexity of the brain and highlights the sheer level of control it has over every facet of our body.
How Do You Diagnose Concussion?
Frustratingly, concussion cannot be diagnosed by any type of brain scan. The most likely path for diagnosis as it stands is the answering of a standardised questionnaire related to potential symptoms.
While a brain scan does not flag concussion, it can be reassuring to confirm that there is no bleeding on the brain.
Therapeutic Advantages of Cannabis
Cannabidiol more commonly known as CBD is one of over 150 cannabinoid compounds that is found in the cannabis plant. While research into CBD is still in its infancy, many therapeutic benefits can be achieved by using CBD. There are some clinical studies that support the use of CBD in health conditions such as epilepsy and symptoms relating to multiple sclerosis. There is also emerging evidence that supports using CBD to manage chronic pain conditions, anxiety and Parkinson’s disease. However, there is still a lack of understanding about how CBD could prospectively treat concussion and post-concussion syndrome.
Cannabis & Concussion
The vast majority of research carried out into the relationship between cannabis & concussion has been limited to animal studies. A 2012 study on rats discovered that administering CBD after a brain injury had a long-lasting, positive effect on the brain and it reduced the severity of the injury. It also helped to restore neurological function.
This was backed up 3 years later in a study published in 2015 that reviewed all existing experimental evidence of the neuroprotective properties of CBD. They stated that "cannabinoid-based medicines may serve as a novel therapy able to delay/arrest neurodegeneration in acute and chronic neurodegenerative conditions."
More specifically, a 2017 study found that CBD was an effective treatment for headaches caused by brain injury. Not only does it work directly by reducing the inflammation that causes the headache, but also reduces the severity of the pain. We know that our endocannabinoid system directly impacts the response to pain of our central nervous system, as well as our immune system. The research states that any exogenous stimulant of the endocannabinoid system (i.e. CBD) "have been shown to alter pain in acute, chronic and neuropathic conditions, including migraine and are expected to play a large role in the headache and other pain conditions resulting from concussion."
An additional study, also published in 2017, found that CBD protects the brain through its anti-inflammatory properties. Concussion generally causes inflammation of the brain, which in turn can lead to severe headaches. The study found that CBD is effective at reducing inflammation in the brain, allowing the neuropathways to heal post TBI.
In recent years, medical cannabis is becoming more widely used in humans. A 2018 study found that medical cannabis may present an option to treat concussion related chronic pain and specifically headaches.
Future Cannabis-Concussion Research
There are numerous researchers that are interested in advancing the treatment of concussion and head injuries. There is an ongoing study into CBD in combination with anaesthetics for people with traumatic brain injuries.
What are CBD Capsules?
CBD capsules are a convenient way to take CBD and are consumed in the same manner as a normal capsule or pill. Typically, CBD capsules are taken in the morning and at night and the dosage typically varies between 10mg and 30mg of CBD per capsule. The CBD is often combined with MCT oil or coconut oil in order to maximise efficacy. Cannacares Capsules are vegan and 100% natural. You can purchase the CBD capsules in units of 30 capsules or 60 capsules.
CBD capsules are great for head injuries and concussions as you can simply take a CBD capsule like you would a standard tablet or painkiller.
Conclusion
CBD is often considered to be a promiscuous compound as it produces various effects through dozens of molecular pathways. CBD has been shown to reduce brain damage and improve recovery in animals who have had strokes and TBI.
CBD produces no intoxicating side effects and does not get the user high. It is THC that causes users to get high. Long-term CBD use does not lead to a tolerance.
The existing evidence suggests that CBD should at least be a consideration in terms of a treatment for TBIs and concussion. While more research is of course required, the early signs are indeed promising.
