How CBD can help keep those splitting headaches at bay
This week, PĒLL takes a look at migraines: their impact and astonishing prevalence in modern society; their potential connection with autoimmunity; and how CBD can be an effective part of migraine treatment plans.
Migraines – A Global Problem
Anyone who has experienced a migraine knows that they can be a uniquely challenging health problem. The intense pain and regularity of migraines can be close to unbearable, and their seeming lack of cause can leave sufferers feeling utterly helpless.
The effects of migraines are unfortunately not only limited to pain. Common side-effects include fatigue, nausea, vomiting, photophobia (aversion to light), decreased mental function, and a host of negative mental health outcomes. Clearly, migraines are a seriously debilitating condition, yet comparatively little is known about them when compared to similarly disruptive health concerns.
This is perhaps surprising, considering migraines are the second-largest global contributor to years lived with disability (YLD), a cumulative measure of an illness’ impact on human lives. It is estimated that over 700 million people on the planet suffer from migraines, with numbers rising significantly over the last thirty years and showing no signs of slowing.
Women are especially at risk, being up to three times more likely to suffer from migraines than men. It has been posited that this disparity, coupled with gender bias in medicine, may be one of the reasons that migraines have been historically neglected when it comes to medical research over the last two centuries.
Are Migraines an Autoimmune Condition?
Thankfully for migraine sufferers, recent studies have had some exciting breakthroughs when it comes to understanding the root cause of the issue. Inflammation within the brain is often the main trigger for migraines. The most common characteristic of autoimmune conditions is inflammation, and research suggests that migraine inflammation happens in much the same way as it does in other parts of the body when autoimmunity strikes. Indeed, several autoimmune conditions have been shown to cause migraines as part of their symptoms precisely because of this link.
Migraines and systemic autoimmune diseases are both two to three times more common in women and a link between the two has been frequently reported in research. A 2018 review found that headaches and migraines are more prevalent amongst those suffering from a range of autoimmune diseases including lupus, with the two also sharing a host of alterations in sufferers’ immune systems. All of this taken together makes it hard to come to any other conclusion than migraines should be considered an autoimmune condition.
CBD and Its Potential for Migraine Relief
We’ve previously explored the benefits of CBD for those struggling with psoriasis, as well as a host of other autoimmune conditions. Through the endocannabinoid system (ECS), it’s well documented that cannabinoids – such as the cannabidiol (CBD) found in PĒLL products – can regulate a host of bodily systems. Isolated CBD has been shown to be immune suppressive, directly controlling and limiting the activation of various types of immune cells, whilst also promoting the product of regulatory cells, which themselves can also exercise control over immune cells.
Medical science is just beginning to understand the potential of cannabinoids in treating migraines, but early signs seem promising. A 2021 review of a number of recent studies found that cannabinoids had a therapeutic effect in the alleviating of migraines in all thirty-four studies, with cannabinoids being consistently associated with a decrease in pain intensity, and both daily painkiller use and painkiller dependence.
Research shows that, through the ECS, phytocannabinoids (cannabinoids derived from plants) can control the neurogenic inflammation responsible for migraines. This occurs by inhibiting nerve signals from the immune system that falsely alert cells in the brain and initiate inflammation. As with any medical treatment in its nascency, wide-scale study is still needed to fully understand the role cannabinoids can play in fighting migraines, but all signs so far point to an exciting new pathway for treatment.
A Future Free From Migraines
There are several avenues available to migraine sufferers to ease symptoms and get their condition under control. It is always best to consult a physician if suffering from migraines and serious cases will likely need medication as part of a treatment plan. For milder or less frequent migraines, however, you may consider solutions such as changing your diet, which has been shown to have a considerable effect on the frequency and strength of migraines.
It is believed that some people have a genetic predisposition to certain substances that increases the chance of migraines when consumed. These so-called migraine triggers include mono-sodium glutamate (MSG), the artificial sweetener aspartame, processed and semi-finished foods, alcohol, high-carbohydrate foods, and trans fats. Instead, try to stick to eating unprocessed meat, fatty fish, eggs, organic dairy products, seeds, low-carb vegetables, and healthy oils.
As mentioned previously, there is a fast-growing body of research that suggests CBD has the potential to control migraine symptoms for many people, particularly if their migraines are autoimmune-related. At PĒLL, we’ve got everything you need to begin your CBD journey and start fighting back against the [scourge] of migraines. In fact, we’ve specially developed a Migraine Relief bundle to act as the perfect launching-off point for incorporating CBD into your treatment plan!
Our 30% Medium extract is designed to be used as and when needed, providing immediate relief when migraine symptoms strike. Our 10% Strong extract is intended to be used daily, providing the body with a baseline supplement of phytocannabinoids to keep migraines at bay. Together, the extracts form a powerful duo, giving you effective and flexible relief from migraines that you can depend upon. Take the plunge with PĒLL today – a happier, healthier you could be just around the corner!
References
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- Cavestro, C., & Ferrero, M. (2018). Migraine in Systemic Autoimmune Diseases. Endocrine, metabolic & immune disorders drug targets. 18(2), 124–134. https://doi.org/10.2174/1871530317666171124124340
- Eisenstein, M. (2020). Closing the gender gap in migraine research. Nature. 586, S16 – S17. https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-020-02867-4
- Fan, L., Wu, Y., Wei, J. et al. (2023). Global, regional, and national time trends in incidence for migraine, from 1990 to 2019: an age-period-cohort analysis for the GBD 2019. The Journal of Headache and Pain. 24, 79. https://doi.org/10.1186/s10194-023-01619-9
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