CBD For Menstrual Cramps: Can CBD Reduce Period Pain?
If you have been considering using cannabidiol (CBD) for pain, then you are not alone. CBD has been reviewed multiple times as a powerful anti-inflammatory [1]. Many individuals are turning to CBD for pain relief, especially those people who suffer from menstrual cramps and period pain. But should you use CBD for menstrual cramps, or is it more of a placebo when compared to tried-and-true ibuprofen? Today, we are going to take a look at research pertaining to cannabidiol and menstrual pain, so you can decide whether CBD is the best option for you.
What is CBD?
For those who are new to cannabidiol, it is important to know what it is and where it comes from. Cannabidiol, or CBD, is a cannabinoid — a chemical compound — that is found within the cannabis plant. Another known cannabinoid is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which gives medical cannabis its psychoactive effects. CBD does not induce a high and instead interacts with the body in a more therapeutic manner.
How Can CBD Help With Menstrual Cramps?
Most people with a monthly cycle often turn to non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen and Midol to relieve symptoms that can be painful at best or severely disruptive at their worst. Unfortunately, NSAIDs do not work for everyone, especially those who suffer from severe cramping and bleeding. If you have primary dysmenorrhea (PDM), you may be prescribed prostaglandin-blocking NSAIDs, but about 20–25% of patients given this medication experience refractory pain — pain that cannot be controlled despite aggressive treatment.
Thus, people turn towards natural alternatives like medical cannabis and CBD. Most have heard the fact that Queen Victoria used medicinal cannabis to relieve her menstrual aches.
Clinical studies are currently underway to determine if cannabidiol is better for pain relief than ibuprofen, but the results are still hazy [2].
Otherwise, research on CBD alone has yet to determine whether it is useful in reducing the severity of menstrual cramps and other period symptoms. A review from 2020 on generalized chronic pain found that CBD alone did not significantly reduce pain, but it did improve the quality of their sleep and life [3].
Another review from 2020 noted that most clinical trials have used CBD in combination with THC, and thus, it is difficult to say whether CBD alone affected pain [4].
That said, as mentioned earlier, CBD is a powerful anti-inflammatory, one that has been proven effective repeatedly. For instance, a review of studies on the antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties of cannabidiol from 2020 found that CBD affects a broad chain of enzymes within the body [5]. Additionally, CBD binds to numerous receptors, inhibiting certain pro-inflammation genes and mediators.
Thus, while there has yet to be any significant findings on how CBD affects menstrual cramps directly, there is evidence of cannabidiol decreasing pain and inflammation.
Can CBD Help With Dysmenorrhea?
About 90% of pre-menopausal women are affected by dysmenorrhea to some degree [6]. Dysmenorrhea, or painful periods, can be caused by chemical imbalances that affect contractions in the reproductive organs or by a gynecological disease, like endometriosis. Most of the time, dysmenorrhea is treated with hormonal contraceptives or prescription analgesics, but these treatments can lead to a slew of side effects.
According to research, various receptors within the endocannabinoid (EC) system, including CB1R, CB2R, and TRPV, play a role in muscle contractions. It is believed that certain cannabinoids, like THC, trigger myometrial relaxation [6]. Unfortunately, most research looks into THC and CBD together, not just CBD. More research needs to be done to see if CBD alone can trigger the same relaxation response.
Can CBD Reduce Endometriosis Pain?
According to a 2019 study that asked Australian women with endometriosis about cannabis or CBD oil found that both were more effective that other self-managed interventions [7]. The downside to this study was that cannabis and CBD oil were not separated.
A study from 2021 looked into the efficacy of medical cannabis for endometrosis pain [8]. 252 participants with endometrosis reported 16,193 sessions of cannabis use between April 2017 and February 2020. It was found that inhalation provided the most pain relief, while edibles worked best for gastrointestinal or mood related symptoms. Furthermore, the THC to CBD ratio showed some correlation to effectiveness, but overall, THC and CBD both had a positive effect on pain and other endometrosis symptoms.
Choosing CBD For Menstrual Cramps
If you are looking to try CBD for menstrual cramps or period pain, here are some things to consider:
CBD Types
When you are struggling with severe cramping and pain, CBD alone may not be enough to reduce pain. You may want to consider a full-spectrum option that has CBD and THC, so you receive the benefits of the entourage effect [9].
Since you are targeting menstrual pain, you want a product that is going to affect the whole body. Choose a sublingual tincture, edible, or capsule. A topical may be able to help with body aches that result from menstruation.
Third Party Testing
Since the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is not responsible for the regulation of CBD products, it is easy for companies to misrepresent their CBD as something it isn’t. When you are shopping around for high-quality CBD, make sure you look at the certificate of analysis (COA) for each product. Make sure the COA values match what is in the product.
If a company does not have COAs available, do not buy from them.
Looking For High-Quality CBD?
Can you use CBD for menstrual cramps? Because there is little scientific evidence showing that CBD helps with cramping, there are no guarantees. However, CBD does have potential for reducing pain, inflammation, and other period-related symptoms. Since the risk of trying CBD is minimal for most people, you can certainly give it a try. Be sure to speak with a medical professional first before seeking out top-quality CBD.
Sugar Bottom Hemp sources our CBD from US-grown, organic hemp that is minimally processed, ensuring our CBD is the purest it can be. Each product has been tested by an independent third-party. Whether you are looking for tinctures, edibles, or something else, you are bound to find something that you love among our full range of products. Check out our store today. Have questions about CBD or a product? We’re more than happy to answer.
Bibliography
- Henshaw, F. R., Dewsbury, L. S., Lim, C. K., & Steiner, G. Z. (2021). The Effects of Cannabinoids on Pro- and Anti-Inflammatory Cytokines: A Systematic Review of In Vivo Studies. Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research, 6(3), 177–195. https://doi.org/10.1089/can.2020.0105
- Mohan, H., Romano, R., Andersen, A., Vera, E., Iwasaka-Neder, J., Kajita, A., de Sousa, C., Mendes, V., Huang, M., Owoade, I., de Azambuja, A., Tilley, P., Guedes, F., de Macedo, A. V., & Menon Miyake, M. (2022). Efficacy of Cannabidiol Versus Ibuprofen in the Relief of Menstrual Pain in Females Living with Primary Dysmenorrhea: A phase II, Non-Inferiority trial. Principles and Practice of Clinical Research, 8(3), 68–76. https://doi.org/10.21801/ppcrj.2022.83.7
- Argueta, D. A., Ventura, C. M., Kiven, S., Sagi, V., & Gupta, K. (2020). A Balanced Approach for Cannabidiol Use in Chronic Pain. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2020.00561
- Boyaji, S., Merkow, J., Elman, R. N. M., Kaye, A. D., Yong, R. J., & Urman, R. D. (2020). The Role of Cannabidiol (CBD) in Chronic Pain Management: An Assessment of Current Evidence. Current Pain and Headache Reports, 24(2). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11916-020-0835-4
- Atalay, S., Jarocka-Karpowicz, I., & Skrzydlewska, E. (2019). Antioxidative and Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Cannabidiol. Antioxidants, 9(1), 21. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox9010021
- Seifalian, A., Kenyon, J., & Khullar, V. (2022). Dysmenorrhoea: Can Medicinal Cannabis Bring New Hope for a Collective Group of Women Suffering in Pain, Globally? International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 23(24), 16201. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms232416201
- Armour, M., Sinclair, J., Chalmers, K. J., & Smith, C. A. (2019). Self-management strategies amongst Australian women with endometriosis: a national online survey. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 19(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-019-2431-x
- Sinclair, J., Collett, L., Abbott, J., Pate, D. W., Sarris, J., & Armour, M. (2021). Effects of cannabis ingestion on endometriosis-associated pelvic pain and related symptoms. PLOS ONE, 16(10), e0258940. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0258940
- Anand, U., Pacchetti, B., Anand, P., & Sodergren, M. H. (2021). Cannabis-based medicines and pain: a review of potential synergistic and entourage effects. Pain Management, 11(4), 395–403. https://doi.org/10.2217/pmt-2020-0110
