Migraines—a recurring type of headache that can cause severe pain and other debilitating symptoms, such as increased sensitivity to light, nausea, vomiting and pain when sneezing or coughing—can make managing daily responsibilities challenging. While there are several known migraine treatments, including medications, injections, supplements and acupuncture, researchers are taking a closer look at cannabidiol (CBD) as an alternative treatment option.
What Is a Migraine?
Migraines are a type of headache that cause moderate to severe throbbing or pulsing pain, often on one side of the head. Pain may also occur on both sides of the head, in the front or back, in or around the eyes, or behind the cheeks.
Common symptoms of migraines include:
- Moderate to severe head pain that causes a throbbing or pounding sensation
- Head pain that gets worse with movement
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Weakness
- Sensitivity to light, noise and smells
“A migraine is more than a bad headache, and the cause of migraines is complicated and still yet to be fully understood,” says Jessica Cho, M.D., an integrative medicine physician and internist at Wellness at Century City in Los Angeles. Migraines happen when specific nerves in a person’s blood vessels send pain signals to the brain, triggering the release of painful inflammatory substances, adds Dr. Cho.
Migraines are considered a neurological disorder and affect roughly 15% of the population, according to research in the Journal of Headache and Pain[1]. Due to the list of symptoms that render people unable to complete routine activities, Dr. Cho says migraines are the sixth most disabling disease in the world.
Research shows migraines can be genetic, though certain factors and substances can trigger the condition, including:
- Hormonal changes in women
- Stress
- Anxiety
- Strong smells
- Loud noises
- Bright or flashing lights
- Certain medications
- Overuse of medications
- Too much physical activity
- Sudden weather changes
- Too much or not enough sleep
- Tobacco use
- Caffeine use or withdrawal
- Consumption of alcohol, monosodium glutamate (MSG), chocolate, aged cheeses, fermented foods, yeast and/or processed meats
The Science Behind CBD and Migraine Relief
CBD is one of the most well-known compounds in hemp and cannabis sativa plants. While delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) causes an intoxicatingly psychoactive high, CBD alone does not.
Research links cannabis to headache and migraine relief; one 2021 literature review reports that a combination of CBD and THC had encouraging short- and long-term outcomes for people suffering from migraines[2].
When examining CBD alone, studies show the cannabinoid can be an effective treatment option for chronic pain. One survey conducted by Axon Relief—a company developing products for migraine relief—found CBD may lead to a reduction in migraine days and help decrease the impact of migraines[3]. While further research is needed, the American Migraine Foundation reports that CBD oil may be a viable topical solution for neck and joint pain often associated with migraines.
Beyond pain relief, CBD may help reduce nausea and inflammation often associated with migraines, says Chantel Strachan, M.D., a board-certified internal medicine physician and headache specialist at ColumbiaDoctors and Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York.
How CBD Works
When it comes to CBD and migraines, the benefits look increasingly optimistic. “There is promising scientific research that CBD may be effective in easing migraine symptoms through CBD’s interaction with the body’s endogenous cannabinoid system (ECS)” says Michael Lewis, M.D., president and founder of the Brain Health Education and Research Institute and medical advisor at CV Sciences, Inc., a company researching and developing CBD products.
Cannabinoids, including CBD, interact with the ECS—a neuromodulatory system that plays a role in central nervous system development and the body’s response to both endogenous and environmental threats—through receptors found throughout the body. “Cannabinoid interaction with these receptors causes cells to reduce inflammation, relieve pain or just make us feel good,” says Dr. Lewis. What’s more, clinical evidence shows people with chronic migraines (at least 15 headache days per month) have lower levels of endocannabinoids—neurotransmitters that naturally exist within the body and bind to cannabinoid receptors—which may help explain how CBD may benefit people with migraines.
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