Neuropathy and Cannabis Topicals: What the Scientific Findings Say
The fall of prohibition laws in America has brought us a dizzying array of cannabis products and consumption methods. Vaporizers, oils, edibles and tinctures offer consumers countless ways to access the health benefits of cannabis without having to inhale smoke.
But topicals (cannabis extracts designed to be applied directly to the skin) have skyrocketed in popularity, and with good reason: They provide a plant-based, targeted approach without the psychoactive effects.
Topicals are ideal for consumers who are seeking relief but don’t want to get high.
Research suggests cannabis can aid pain relief, and many consumers report great success using cannabis topicals to handle common ailments like sore muscles and sports injuries. But more recent research, including a comprehensive review by The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, indicates cannabis topicals can also help people suffering from serious chronic pain, such as that caused by neuropathy.
What Is Neuropathy?
Neuropathy is a general term describing nerve damage or malfunction that can be caused by a number of different diseases and injuries. It’s estimated more than 20 million Americans suffer from it.
Neuropathy is often classified according to location of nerves that are affected. Peripheral neuropathy, for example, affects the nerves of the extremities. It can also be categorized by the disease causing it (as in the case of diabetic neuropathy or chemotherapy-induced neuropathy).
Symptoms of neuropathy include temporary or permanent numbness; tingling, pricking, or burning sensations; increased sensitivity to touch; and pain that feels electric.
Marijuana for Neuropathy
To understand how topicals can potentially help, we need to look at the endocannabinoid system (ECS). The body’s endocannabinoid system allows your body to process plant-based cannabinoids and even create its own, called endocannabinoids.
THC and CBD are the most famous cannabinoids, but they are just two of dozens of compounds found in cannabis. These compounds interact with your ECS, which has receptors located throughout the body.
So how does it all fit together when it comes to cannabis and pain? Online cannabis research resource Leaf Science got the details from Dr. Ethan Russo, a renowned researcher and former president of the International Cannabinoid Research Society (ICRS).
“The body contains two main cannabinoid receptors: CB1, the psychoactive receptor that also mediates pain and many other functions, and CB2, a non-psychoactive receptor that mediates pain and inflammation,” Dr. Russo tells Leaf Science. “Both are operative in the skin and affect pain, itch and inflammation associated with many dermatological conditions.”
Studies suggest cannabinoids have analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties, and in a limited clinical trial, cannabis was shown to be efficacious in providing pain relief.
So for neuropathy patients, cannabis topicals have the potential to provide pain relief and decrease the inflammation that may be causing pain. Best of all, using topicals allows neuropathy sufferers to apply a soothing remedy directly to the pain site, producing what Dr. Russo calls “a targeted, localized effect on the afflicted area” that doesn’t get the user stoned.
As with all cannabis medicine, we need more research and study, which is made extremely difficult by its classification as a Schedule I drug in the United States. But with more than 100 million Americans suffering from chronic pain and an unprecedented opioid crisis devastating communities across the nation, the need for non-addictive pain solutions has never been greater.
Cannabis topicals can offer neuropathy patients another option to try without causing a drugged feeling or any overdose risks.