Sort out the ins and outs of this new (actually old) medicine
I am all about natural, holistic and integrative therapies for healing in general and all things specifically related to female pelvic issues. I have seen so many of my patients on the “Dr. Roadshow,” given medications, injections, and surgeries whose side effects are worse than the conditions they come in to see me with in the first place. I personally have been on medications, pain meds and antidepressants and I can say with all honesty that this road to healing is full of broken promises, empty pockets, and serious side effects.
My patients are on the cutting edge of all things. Maybe its NYC but they come in every week with a new therapy they have discovered or tried. So when my patients started telling me they were taking CBD oil to manage some of their pelvic issues I became curious as a cat. In all, there were 5 women in my practice that started taking CBD oil. They were taking the one that doesn’t’ get you high. I started tracking them like a hunter tracks animal prints and this is what I discovered. They were reporting less pain, less anxiety and depression. So I decided to use myself as a guinea pig and started to experiment with CBD oil but first….
Let me tell you a story
Death can knock on your door at any time and it knocked on mine.
It was one of those crazy hot summers where you could feel your skin burn and sweat poured down my face at every moment. It was mother’s weekend at my daughter’s camp. Ella goes to an all-girl camp and during the summer they have a huge celebration with all the mothers and we play games and do a lot of athletics.
During the weekend I started to get a massive headache and by the time my husband picked me up, I was weak and could barely walk. Like any logical person, I thought I was suffering from dehydration. When I returned home on Sunday I felt like crap. At the dinner table that night I passed out and found myself in the emergency room with IV stuck in my arms.
The doctors told me I was having a heat stroke. They ran my bloods and found only a low platelet count. I went home and for the next week I couldn’t get out of bed, I couldn’t eat, I couldn’t walk and I couldn’t even sit up and maybe it was my female intuition but I knew I didn’t have a heat stroke. I knew the doctors got it wrong. What else is new?
So, of course, I go on my own “Dr. Roadshow” for months only to discover I had a Lyme and almost no hemoglobin left in my system and needed a transfusion. This story gets even better but I’ll save that for another time.
Long story short I was left with residual pain all over my body and a big bout of the antsy-pants. So when my patients started coming in telling me that the CBD oil they were taking made dramatic changes in their health. I had an AHA moment and started to experiment with different brands trying to find the “right” now. I have been on the CBD oil (the non-psychotropic) for a couple of months and I feel SO much better. I have less pain, less anxiety, less inflammation and a sense of overall peace
I was so excited about the benefits of CBD oil I pitched a story to US News and World Report and they ran with it. Here is the article I was featured in>>>
CBD Basics
Cannabidiol is extracted from cannabis plants (marijuana plants) and can be used as a medicinal oil without the “getting-high” effects. CBD oil is rich in substances called cannabinoids that bind to specialized receptors in the brain and throughout the body. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), is the best-known cannabinoid, causes the “high” when people smoke, vape it or ingest it. Now you can get all the good benefits from the Cannabidiol without the high. The way this is done is by keeping CBD oils low in THC. To legally sell CBD oils in most states vendors must keep their THC levels at .03%. At this low level of THC, not only is the oil legal to buy in 50 states but it also still contains many of its medicinal properties. Right now, it is the wild-wild west out there in the market and everyone is jumping on the bandwagon. So if you are thinking about purchasing an oil, make sure the company is reputable and uses a CO2 extraction process. It is also important that it is organic and independently tested by an outside lab with a verifiable lab report.
CBD oil is edible and can be used as a cooking oil or added to food. People may also take it as a medication by consuming a few drops. I use my CBD oil in two ways, via capsule form or sublingual. Both work great and have helped me to feel less pain and anxiety.
5 Proven Benefits Of CBD Oil (There are more, but these 5 relate to pelvic pain and dysfunction)
- Relieves Pain and Inflammation
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22585736 - Reduces Anxiety
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22729452 - Relieves Nausea
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21827451 - May Treat Seizures and Other Neurological Disorders
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4157067/ - Promotes Cardiovascular Health
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22670794
As Seen in Cosmopolitan – Positions to try if Penetrative Sex is Painful for You