What is Neuropathy?

Peripheral neuropathy occurs when the nerves that are outside the brain and spinal cord (peripheral nerves) are damaged. This condition often causes weakness, numbness, and pain (usually in the hands and feet). It can also affect other areas and body functions, including digestion and urination. The peripheral nervous system sends info from the brain and spinal cord, also known as the central nervous system, to the rest of the body through motor nerves. The peripheral nerves also send sensory information to the central nervous system through sensory nerves. Peripheral neuropathy can happen when you go through traumatic injuries, infections, metabolic problems, inherited causes, and exposure to toxins. One of the most prevalent causes of neuropathy is diabetes. Most patients with this condition have described the pain as a stabbing, burning, or tingling feeling in the hands or feet. Symptoms can improve on their own, usually if the cause of the condition is treated. There are many medical treatments and medicines that can help reduce the pain from neuropathy. About 2.4% of people globally have a form of peripheral neuropathy. Among people 45 and older, that percentage rises to between 5% and 7%.

Symptoms of neuropathy

Tingling, prickling, or numbness in the hands or feet, the sensation that you’re wearing a glove or sock that’s too tight, sharp pain, a weak or heavy feelings in the arms and legs, increased sensitivity to touch, drop in blood pressure, constipation, digestive issues, sexual dysfunction (particularly in men).

CBD & how it can help

CBD comes from the cannabis or hemp plant; this plant being most commonly known for producing THC. The difference is that with how CBD is extracted from the plant, with that it doesn’t have the part of the plant that can cause a psychoactive effect like THC. CBD as a compound is used for medicinal purposes, generally used for insomnia, pain, inflammation, anxiety, depression, stress, etc. It is legal in most states in the USA (most states require it to be used medicinally), which helps make sure it’s accessible to most people. The most common types of products that CBD is used in are gummies, creams/lotions, capsules, and tinctures (gummies being the most popular). CBD has been used to manage and reduce pain for centuries. CBD binds CB1 and CB2 neuropeptides and thus helps manage and relieve pain and inflammation.

With CBD’s ability to help reduce pain and inflammation in the skin, it’s usually seen as a really helpful alternative to regular pharmaceutical medications. The most recommended way to use CBD for neuropathy would be in a topical or cream form. When using a topical, it’s recommended to use a formula with CBD and CBG together or with Full Spectrum CBD/CBG. This is because CBG can be used for pain symptoms and to relax the body. When two cannabinoids are used together in a product, they help make each other more effective.

Regardless of how you would like to go about your treatment plan, we always recommend speaking to a health care specialist if you feel you have any serious/persistent symptoms.

What is long haulers syndrome?

Long hauler syndrome is a condition distinguished by several chronic symptoms after a COVID-19 infection. These long-term symptoms show up after the initial infection, and may last for weeks, months, or even a year. In rare cases, it can last longer than that. This condition has been dubbed “long haulers” by the medical community. There is a mix of cases that are shown to be mild or severe, the severity affecting people differently. Unfortunately, long hauler syndrome is quite common. While the majority of individuals who acquire COVID-19 experience mild symptoms with relief from most of their symptoms in about two weeks, data shows that approximately 1 in 13 adults in the U.S., or roughly 7.5%, will have to deal with long COVID symptoms. Regardless of how healthy or unhealthy someone is, they are susceptible to long haulers, though there are ways to help with managing and recovering from the condition.

Symptoms:

The CDC lists the symptoms of long COVID as:

Tiredness or fatigue, Difficulty thinking or concentrating (sometimes referred to as “brain fog”), Headache, Loss of smell or taste, Dizziness on standing, Fast-beating or pounding heart (also known as heart palpitations), Chest pain, Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, Cough, Joint or muscle pain, Depression or anxiety, Fever, & Symptoms that get worse after physical or mental activities.

CBD & how it can help:

CBD comes from the cannabis or hemp plant; this plant being most commonly known for producing THC. The difference is that with how CBD is extracted from the plant, with that it doesn’t have the part of the plant that can cause a psychoactive effect like THC. CBD as a compound is used for medicinal purposes, generally used for insomnia, pain, inflammation, anxiety, depression, stress, etc. It is legal in most states in the USA (most states require it to be used medicinally), which helps make sure it’s accessible to most people. The most common types of products that CBD is used in are gummies, creams/lotions, capsules, and tinctures (gummies being the most popular). CBD has been used to manage and reduce pain for centuries. CBD binds CB1 and CB2 neuropeptides and thus helps manage and relieve pain and inflammation.

For Covid prevention, it’s actually recommended to use a product with CBD-A AND CBG-A (we have an additional article going into further detail on the topic). https://www.ahealthysolutionwellness.com/cbda-and-cbga-what-are-they/

Four proteins are known to be altered by COVID. The first protein is called ACE2. ACE2 is actually the primary target of the COVID virus. The virus finds the ACE2 protein floating on the surface of a cell and binds it to it in order to enter the cell. Once inside, the virus begins to replicate itself using the cell’s own genetic machinery.

The second protein affected by COVID is the cytokine Interleukin-6 (IL-6). IL-6 is an important pro-inflammatory cytokine that is needed during the initial inflammatory reaction by the body following assault by the virus.

A third protein, transmembrane serine protease (TSP), can activate COVID; its level is elevated in long-haulers.

The fourth protein affected in COVID long-haulers is called NRP1. NRP1 plays an important role in COVID infection in humans by assisting the virus’ actions. Blocking the NRP1 interaction with the virus reduces its infectivity. A recent investigation targeted the proteins ACE2, IL-6, TSP, and NRP1 that are known to be damaged or upregulated by COVID. Two different molecules found in the cannabis plant, cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabivarin (CVN), were investigated for potential use in long-hauler COVID patients. Using many different sophisticated molecular docking and simulation studies, scientists found that CBD and CVN can efficiently bind to these proteins and downregulate them.

Regardless of how you would like to go about your treatment plan, we always recommend speaking to a health care specialist if you feel you have any serious/persistent symptoms.

Let’s start with what CBD is. CBD, or Cannabidiol, is one of the many active compounds found in the cannabis plant. Luckily, CBD is non-psychoactive and has many of the same medical benefits as Tetrahydrocannabinol (aka THC), another active and more well-known compound thanks to its psychoactive properties. This compound being the one that gets you “high.” CBD allows you to take advantage of the healing benefits without leaving you with the inebriated feeling that often goes hand in hand with THC. There has also been research that has shown that CBD is a very powerful painkiller and has anti-inflammatory properties that help make internal and external pain much more
manageable. What’s also nice about this compound is that it is not addictive and very safe for you to take. Even if you take too much, at worst you will have a headache or diarrhea. Though when taking CBD for topical pain, those symptoms do not usually occur.

So why should I use CBD cream? What makes it so special is that with its anti-inflammatory properties, it can reduce the symptoms you may be experiencing on your skin. It can go through about four layers of skin to improve deeper pain you may be experiencing. CBD cream evades the CB1 and CB2 receptors and heads straight for a neurotransmitter middleman that blocks signals for pain and itch by working through agents called anandamide and 2-AG. Sidestepping the CB1 and CB2 receptors means that CBD can mute pain without the high sensation delivered by THC. CBD can significantly reduce intense pain, sharp pain, itchy sensations, and cold. Other research also suggests that topical CBD may be useful for treating joint and muscle pain associated with other conditions, such as migraines. Topical CBD may also benefit certain skin disorders. CBD cream has been shown to help with cases such as eczema and arthritis. Depending on what level of pain you may be having, we will surly have something that can help with your needs.

At AHS, we have two different creams that can help you with different levels of pain. We use a 1-10 scale to represent pain, for example, 1 would be the lightest amount of pain while 10 would be considered some of the worst pain you can experience. We have two different creams to accommodate both levels of pain. We have our 1500mg cream that would be good for pain that is a 5 or lower, and our 2500mg cream that is for 6 and higher levels of pain. Luckily, it’s very easy to apply to the skin as well! Our creams come with little spatulas that can help you scoop up a tiny bit of cream, a little bit can go a long way! You just apply a little bit to your affected area, and it will help elevate the pain within half an hour to an hour, depending on the person. Always be careful where you put the cream though, never put it near your eyes or near more sensitive areas of your body (such as genitalia.) Our 2500mg cream does contain menthol in it, so be warned if you either have an allergy or are sensitive to this ingredient. At AHS, we have many specialists and a nurse on staff who can answer any additional questions about CBD or how to take it if you are on any medications.

One of the bigger questions we get at AHS is, “How long does it take for CBD to take effect?” The answer is luckily fairly simple, depending on the product you take.

For something like our gummies, that can take anywhere between half an hour to forty-five minutes, depending on the person. The gummies go through your digestive system, allowing the CBD to help with potential inflammation in your body as well as anxiety and stress. This is usually a go-to for CBD consumption because of how easy it is to ingest and how easy it is to carry around.

Along with that, we have CBD vapes. This is the fastest way to get CBD into your body. What’s so great about these vapes is the do not cause popcorn lung in anyone who uses it, which makes it a better alternative to cigarettes and other vapes alike. Like regular vapes, they also come in many different flavors. They don’t give you that feeling of intoxication either, with any CBD product in out store, everything with any form of THC is within the legal limits (0.03%). So you don’t get that “high” feeling, but will feel more relaxed and clearer headed over all. These are a good way to quickly get CBD into your system and have a quicker relaxation.

We also have CBD cream that takes about thirty minutes or so to take full effect. This product is used for topical pains such as back pain and skin irritation. The cream can go about four layers into the skin, allowing it to work deep into the tissue, though you should not put this product near your eyes or other sensitive areas on your body. We also have is our CBD patches. These work very similarly to the cream
and can be a good alternative in case you don’t like the creamy feeling on your skin. In addition, the patches can help with fatigue, irritation, and muscle tension.

There are also our tinctures/CBD oil, that can be held under the tongue for thirty seconds to a minute. This allows the CBD to enter the blood stream easier and take effect. While you can put the oil in either food or drinks, it will take most of the efficiency away from the product. Otherwise, the oil stays in your system for longer than most other products, especially if you take it in the morning and at night. This is another popular form of intake due to the CBD to go through the entire body and stay in your body for longer.

If you have any questions about CBD or how it can interact with any medication you may be taking, we have many specialists and a nurse on staff at AHS who can help with whatever you may need.