CBD: All-natural pain relief for periods

CBD is an option for managing period pain during “that time of the month” by being a natural anti-inflammatory. Photo by Matt Siciliano-Salazar | The Signal

Several studies suggest that CBD can help with several types of inflammatory pain. CBD is reported to help with migraines, muscle spasms and aches, but can this chemical help with period cramps? 

For lots of people, period pain is a regular monthly occurrence. According to the Journal of Pain Research, 84% of women experience menstrual pain. 

This pain can make it difficult for people to live their day-to-day lives due to intense cramping. While over-the-counter pain medicines can help reduce the pain of periods, recent studies show that CBD offers a much more natural solution to relieving menstrual cramping pain.

For Georgia State freshman Grace Hogan, CBD helped them manage their period pains. Hogan, an avid CBD user, explains that nothing else gets rid of their pain as CBD oils do, using it for menstrual pain, migraines and anxiety. 

“For me, CBD eliminates pain,” Hogan said. “Everybody reacts differently to things, but when I use CBD oil, I feel like it makes coping with normal pains such as periods really easy. “ 

Annie Vender, a Georgia State graduate, always tries to choose the most natural remedies to treat pain. Vender discovered CBD after one of their friends from high school recommended it, and they continue to take the compound to this day.

Vender has endometriosis, which affects the tissues that usually line the inside of a uterus. The pain involved with endometriosis occurs not only during the menstrual cycle but also during ovulation.  

Vender’s endometriosis pain started when they were in the fifth grade, and they have tried several medications to soothe their pain, and the only thing that worked was CBD. 

“I used to have such bad pains that when I would get out of bed, I would just throw up,” Vender said. “Ibuprofen never helped much, and I would take so much of it that my body would just get used to it. CBD is the only thing that has really helped.”  

Michelle Harrison, a nurse at WellStar Medical Center, explained the several benefits of using CBD. She expressed that it is her favorite method of relieving period pain due to the compound’s naturally anti-inflammatory properties. 

“There are lots of benefits to using CBD,” Harrison said. “Once you take out the hallucinogenic part of marijuana, CBD is just medicine.”  

Harrison explained that there is a negative stigma around CBD because it comes from the marijuana plant; however, she explained that the compound is just an herb with anti-nausea and anti-inflammatory qualities that are “very beneficial to the body, mind and soul.”

“There are a lot of really good properties that come with CBD and most definitely can help with the symptoms that come with a period,” Harrison said. “CBD is an anti-inflammatory, an antiemetic and overall can help with the anxiety that comes with pain.”