WAITING ROOM Dr. Kirsten Shepard

BY DR. KIRSTEN K. SHEPARD, LMT, DC

Ibegan testing CBD products because of a deeply personal experience: my father, Luke Shepard’s, mesothelioma diagnosis. From nausea to pain, depression to appetite suppression, I witnessed firsthand the damaging effects of chemotherapy and radiation. My dad was prescribed opioids that made him sleep, “feel like a zombie” and unable to interact with us. I found many international research studies to support the effectiveness of CBD and quickly developed a regime of CBD tincture for my father. While there were clear improvements in his symptoms, he did not like the taste of the oils. So I began applying them topically and combined them with different bases to form TrueStopper’s current CBD line.

If you’re like me and many other Americans, you’re frustrated with the current “sick care” system in the U.S., especially when looking at how our country treats general pain and chronic degenerative diseases like neck, back, joint and muscle pain. We are witnessing this system firsthand with the opioid epidemic, which killed over 100,000 people in 2021.(1)

This epidemic is not dwindling. According to the Centers for Disease Control, the amount of victims killed by the opioid epidemic in 2021 increased over 28.5% compared to 2020. Quite evidently, many pharmaceuticals only mask dysfunctions in the body, rather than fixing them.

Cannabinoids, the therapeutic compounds in cannabis, are completely safe natural medicines, effective for a wide variety of applications. Before 1937, cannabis was a main ingredient in over 50% of the medications in the U.S. Before cannabis was illegalized, pharmacists and the American Medical Association lobbied congress not to ban cannabis. Thankfully, a number of cannabis-derived hemp products are legal in all 50 states. CBD, CBG and CBN are the most well-known cannabinoids because they have many therapeutic properties and are nonpsychoactive (meaning they don’t cause a “high”). Of the three, CBD is the most commonly utilized. Here are a few simple reasons to incorporate it into your wellness routine.

CBD’s pain-relieving properties have been shown to be beneficial for chronic conditions such as joint disease and arthritis. Using a topical such as a pain patch, roll-on or salve will allow for simple targeted application.(2, 3)

Many conditions result in excessive inflammation, which can cause discomfort and joint pain. Research has shown that CBD has anti-inflammatory properties that may help provide comfort and relief from excessive inflammation. Ingestibles such as tinctures, gummies and tablets can provide systemic relief.(2, 4, 5)

Nausea and appetite loss are frequently encountered in patients with kidney disease, cancer or chronic digestive conditions. CBD and CBG have been shown to decrease nausea, which can help restore appetite.(6, 7) Tinctures and edibles can help provide the balance you need.

A number of conditions may cause anxiety or stress. Common causes include PTSD, separation anxiety, test anxiety or social anxiety. CBD research has shown it can provide calming effects in stressful situations.(8, 9) Calming CBD tablets may be combined with melatonin and chamomile.

CBD and CBN have neuroprotective properties and are associated with improvement in many neurological disorders, such as seizures and spasms.(10, 11) The natural healing properties of CBD tinctures can naturally help your body repair and recuperate.

If you have been hesitant to add CBD to your wellness routine due to fears of liver toxicity, a recent study showed there is no evidence to support that claim.(12) So now is the time to start incorporating natural options into your wellness routine. Just make sure you are using a reputable source since the FDA has yet to regulate CBD products and over 70% of the products are mislabeled.(13)

Sources: 1. kut.org/2021-11-17/drug-overdose-deaths-in-the-u-s-have-topped-100-000-f or-the-first-time?_amp=true 2. (PDF) Cannabidiol (CBD) and its analogs: A review of their effects on inflammation 3. Cannabis and Pain: A Clinical Review 4. Cannabidiol and palmitoylethanolamide are anti-inflammatory in the acutely inflamed human colon | Clinical Science | Portland Press 5. Cannabidiol attenuates alcohol-induced liver steatosis, metabolic dysregulation, inflammation and neutrophil-mediated injury 6. Cannabinoid Regulation of Acute and Anticipatory Nausea 7. Cannabinoids suppress acute and anticipatory nausea in preclinical rat models of conditioned gaping - PubMed (nih.gov) 8. Cannabidiol regulation of emotion and emotional memory processing: relevance for treating anxiety related and substance abuse disorders 9. Plastic and Neuroprotective Mechanisms Involved in the Therapeutic Effects of Cannabidiol in Psychiatric Disorders 10. Efficacy and safety of cannabis for treating children with refractory epilepsy 11. Cannabidiol attenuates seizures and social deficits in a mouse model of Dravet syndrome 12. Observed Impact of Long-term Consumption of Oral Cannabidiol on Liver Function in Healthy Adults 13. Penn Study Shows Nearly 70 Percent of Cannabidiol Extracts Sold Online Are Mislabeled - Penn Medicine Photo by Matthew Brandford.

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