3 Potential CBD Benefits for Nurses

In recent years, using cannabis products to treat medical or physical ailments has develop into increasingly accepted within the healthcare and scientific community. Cannabidiol, or CBD, a kind of cannabinoid derived from hemp plant oil, has been federally legalized in Farm Bill 2018. Since legalization, using CBD has increased in popularity. To comply with federal law, hemp-derived CBD products must contain lower than 0.3% THC, the essential psychoactive ingredient present in cannabis plants that causes the high. While human research on the uses and effectiveness of CBD still must be intensified, some research and anecdotal evidence indicates that there are at the very least three potential advantages for nurses from using CBD.

Relieving muscle pain and arthritis

Nurses often work long hours and do plenty of heavy lifting when helping patients or moving equipment during their shifts, which regularly causes a wide range of pain. According to Morgan Cox, co-owner of the corporate, CBD has been shown to be a natural anti-inflammatory that may help alleviate neck, back and muscle pain experienced by nurses. CBD statistics, an LGBTQ-owned family business that sells CBD-based products resembling oils, topical creams and muscle roll-ons, co-owned by her spouse, Leah Greenwood, RN, and her father, William Cox. Although research on this topic stays somewhat limited, some research support the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of CBD in reducing pain and inflammation. Morgan Cox, who has a bachelor’s degree in exercise science and has spent most of her profession in athletics, exercise, anatomy and nutrition, said cannabidiol may appeal to nurses and others who don’t need to depend on prescribed drugs or painkillers to alleviate pain. pain. “It’s actually a healthier alternative than taking acetaminophen or ibuprofen every day,” she said. “We’re trying to create a more natural option [for pain relief]Tina Vinsant, a travel nurse from Tennessee, has been using CBD products for over a year to relieve foot and heel pain caused by plantar fasciitis. She learned about the potential benefits of CBD from a podcast she hosts for nurses and from a friend who is also a nurse.

“I have had terrible foot pain for years, caused by standing on my feet for long periods of time while working shifts,” she said. “I was just incredibly shocked at how effective it was.”

Vinsant said she applies CBD ointment to her feet within the evening before going to bed, which helps relieve the muscle tension and pain she often experienced. “It relaxes the tissue so it’s not as tight. I’m just glad it works. I really love it.” Greenwood, who along with co-owning CBD Stat, works full-time as a nurse, has found that using CBD topicals has helped her cope with the aches and pains of her nursing profession. “When I got home, I had terrible pain in my shin and eyebrow and had to elevate my leg for an hour,” she said. “I now massage the soles of my feet at the end of each shift and since then I haven’t had to lift my feet. I no longer have arch pain after a long shift and have noticed a huge reduction in the amount of pain I deal with every day.” While CBD is utilized in topical products to alleviate common neck, back and other pain, Morgan Cox said lots of their customers have also provided feedback on the way it helps them manage symptoms of chronic pain attributable to conditions resembling inflammation joints, fibromyalgia and sciatica. Some research also suggests that CBD may help relieve chronic pain. AND latest study within the July 16 issue of the magazine Cureus included a scientific review of research on the effectiveness and safety of CBD for chronic pain over the past five years. The study authors concluded that “CBD is an excellent alternative to opioids [addressing] chronic pain because CBD in its pure form is not intoxicating. More clinical trials need to be conducted to prove the clinical and statistical significance of CBD.”

Alleviating the results of stress and anxiety

Anxiety, stress and burnout are common amongst nurses, and the Covid-19 pandemic has only made these problems worse. William Cox, who along with being the co-founder of CBD Stat, can be a chemical engineer and vp of business development at IMPACT Technology Development, the corporate that developed the proprietary hemp extraction process for CBD Stat products, said CBD can stimulate the body’s endocannabinoid system (ECS), which affects mood test recognized as “an outstanding promoter of emotional homeostasis, mediating the neurophysiological and behavioral consequences of stress.” Stimulating the ECS can improve sleep quality and reduce stress, anxiety and depression, which may very well be helpful for nurses, he said. However, the study acknowledges that further research could be useful to assist understand how genetic variation and psychosocial aspects may influence a person’s response to cannabinoid-based medicines. Another study suggests that CBD may reduce stress and anxiety amongst nurses and other healthcare employees. In 2021 Brazilian researchers conducted a randomized trial to research the effectiveness of CBD in relieving stress amongst doctors, nurses, and therapists who treated COVID-19 patients in a Brazilian hospital over a four-week period. A complete of 120 health care employees were randomly divided into two groups, about half of whom received a 300-milligram dose of CBD twice every day plus standard care, and the remaining received only standard care. The study found that every day administration of CBD combined with standard care “reduced symptoms and diagnoses of anxiety, depression, and emotional exhaustion among frontline healthcare workers working with Covid-19 patients.” “Cannabidiol may act as an effective agent for reducing burnout symptoms in populations with significant mental health needs worldwide,” the authors wrote. However, the study noted that a small variety of participants treated with CBD experienced serious unwanted effects and noted the necessity for further research into the advantages and potential unwanted effects.

Improving sleep and relieving insomnia

Another potential good thing about CBD for nurses is improving sleep and reducing insomnia. Greenwood said she began taking CBD oil before going to bed after long nursing shifts to enhance her sleep quality and it helped her loads.

“I needed something that would help me fall asleep quickly and not make me feel groggy the next day,” she said. “When I started taking it, I had been working the night shift for years, and CBD oil helped me sleep uninterrupted during the day. My sleep quality has been great since I started using CBD oil, whether I work the day or night shift.”

– said William Cox tests indicates that CBD may help treat many sleep disorders, including insomnia, REM sleep behavior disorder, and excessive daytime sleepiness disorder. “The exact mechanism by which CBD affects sleep is still under investigation,” he said. “Experiences and results vary and appear to depend on the dose for each person.”

Other considerations for using CBD for nurses

Because CBD is a cannabinoid, some nurses worry that it may very well be detected during pre-employment testing or other drug tests administered by employers. However, William Cox noted that since CBD oil is now legal to be used on the federal level, it mustn’t pose an issue for nurses most often. “Because CBD is non-psychoactive, it should not interfere with normal occupational activity or cognitive abilities, especially with transdermal topical CBD used to reduce inflammation,” he said.

Since most CBD products usually are not subject to federal regulation, nurses should check the label to make sure that the products they use don’t contain THC, as some products contain small amounts of THC which will show up on drug tests.

“Typically, healthcare professionals undergoing testing prefer the THC-free option,” Morgan Cox said, noting that every one CBD Stat products are 100% THC-free. Until now USA Food and Drug Administration has approved just one CBD product — a prescription drug that treats seizures — and is monitoring illegal marketing practices through which products containing cannabis or its compounds violate federal law or put consumers in danger. Although hemp-derived cannabidiol containing not more than 0.3% THC is currently legal on the federal level, some states and native municipalities can have their very own laws and regulations regarding using cannabis products. William Cox encourages nurses to review these regulations and procure prior approval from their employers before using CBD products in the event that they have concerns. “If they are concerned, we advise you to go to your supervisor and ask him if it is OK to use the product,” he said. “I think they would welcome the use of only natural products that would help their employees work better and feel better.” While CBD is mostly secure, William Cox said, it will probably cause drowsiness in some people and diarrhea when taken in large amounts. He said it is vital for nurses to follow dosing guidelines, concentrate on potential unwanted effects and seek the advice of a health care provider before use to avoid negative interactions with other medications.