CBD the ultimate multitasker.

Find out how.

 Written By Dr. Chantelle Davidson, Pharm.D

chemist, pharmacist, skin care formulator

Author Bio 

CBD works ON and IN the skin to restore balance. Restoring normal balance to over excited pain-sensing nerves. CBD is able to work such wonders because this plant made molecule is almost identical to our own body’s calming and balancing hormone: anandamide. CBD is a micic of this calming hormone, one our body cannot distinguish. 

It is all about supply and demand 

When we are in pain, especially chronic pain, our body’s supply of our natural balancing hormone is low, used up, or just plain can’t keep up. This is where the science and seemingly magic of CBD comes into play. CBD is able to take the place of anandamide and help restore balance to the nerves.

When applied to the skin, CBD works two ways. This dual action work of CBD is like having your cake and eating it too. Not only does CBD calm inflammation to reduce pain, it also calms the pain signals reaching the brain, which is then perceived as less intense pain. 

First, in the actual skin cells themselves, when CBD is absorbed, it binds to a cellular receptor inside the skin cell called CB2. When CBD attaches to a CB2 receptor, it is like the key that is unlocking the door. In this case, then the door of CB2 opens, it releases a hormone called beta endorphin.

CBD -> CB2 = Beta-endrophin 

Beta endorphin has one job. Its sole purpose to find the closets pain-sensing-nerve cell, and SLOW IT DOWN. (Scientific explanation here) Just like many other senses in life, once its slowed down, then it is less intense. Such as if a car slows down, a voice slows down, or a temperature slows down, then it calmer.

Beta- endorphin = Calm -> Less Pain

When beta endorphin encounters a nerve that is firing away, rapidly sending pain signals to the brain, beta endorphin slows down the signal. Our brain interprets this as less pain.

Second, when the CBD slides past the skin cells, and is absorbed by the muscle below the skin, it also finds itself an easy cellular target to attach itself, and this time, instead of opening a door to release calming hormones like the skin cells did, CBD actually shuts the door on these muscle receptors.

CBD -> inside cells -> prevents inflammatory hormones 

When CBD is working in an inflamed muscle cell, it slows the release of pro-inflammatory mediators. (Scientific explanation here) Pro-inflammatory mediators such as cytokines and chemokines are hormones that act like tipped over dominoes, traveling one cell at a time, communicating to the cell next door to become inflamed, and in tun complain to the brain about it with pain signals. Tattle tale. CBD to the rescue. CBD stops the inflamed cell from tipping its domino-like-cytokines into the next cell. Thus stopping inflammation, AND stopping more cells from complaining to the brain.

CBD has so much more to offer. Since she has become legal, CBD clinical trials have produced some amazing results. Check out my video on YouTube about how CBD works, at the Tres Keikis. Don’t forget to login to YouTube so you can subscribe and see many more semi-funny and very educational videos.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hY9O1KPe0wU