How Veterans are Using CBD for Pain, Anxiety & Sleep

Many Veterans are dealing with combat-related chronic pain, PTSD and have difficulty getting a good night’s sleep. Most doctors typically prescribe various pharmaceutical medications that have devastating side effects and can be habit-forming.
Many Vets are seeking more natural alternatives without these side effects but with medical and scientific validation. There are many clinical trials along with anecdotal evidence on the effectiveness of CBD for helping relieve symptoms for Veterans.
Since the Farm Bill was signed into law in 2018 making hemp legal, CBD has skyrocketed in popularity and can be found in grocery stores, pharmacies and vitamin shops. Doctors, nurses and even the VA agree that there is an incredible opportunity to address the unique healthcare needs of Veterans through the use of CBD.
CBD started as a niche alternative healthy product but since has become a mainstream phenomenon. There is a growing body of clinical studies and industry statistics that support its growth and in this article, we will explore the most popular reasons for people to use CBD.
The Big Three
While CBD is used for almost everything, there is still a lot of work to do to validate the efficacy of CBD for many of these conditions. In fact, CBD is approved for use by the FDA to treat seizure disorders and the industry is waiting patiently for additional guidance from the agency. CBD has shown promise for treating chronic pain and anxiety as well as insomnia and arthritis. We have referenced some of the promising clinical studies below. The Big Three are the most popular uses of CBD and are pain, anxiety and sleep. One key factor driving the growth of the market is that many people are seeking alternatives to the side effects of traditional big pharma medications.
The Statistics
Here are just a few of the most recent statistics about the use of CBD:
- Consumer Reports estimate that as of 2019, 64 million people in the US have tried CBD
- In that same study, more than 20% of people aged 45-59 have tried CBD
- According to a SingleCare survey, almost 50% prefer tinctures, lotions or gummies.
- Over 30% of people bought their CBD from a retail store in 2019. (Consumer Reports)
CBD for Pain
The CDC found that 1 in 5 Americans or about 50 million people suffer from chronic pain. Pain management around joints and conditions like arthritis are very high on the list for people using CBD. Whether it is relief from sports injuries, car accidents or just the aches and pains from getting older, people are turning to CBD more and more. A study from the European Journal of Pain showed, using an animal model, CBD applied on the skin could help lower pain and inflammation due to arthritis. Another study demonstrated the mechanism by which CBD inhibits inflammatory and neuropathic pain, two of the most difficult types of chronic pain to treat.
CBD for Anxiety
Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the US, affecting 40 million adults over the age of 18. Anxiety has increased a lot lately due to the COVID-19 disease and associated social isolation so many people are turning to CBD for support of their immunity and mood disorders. According to a study, CBD was found to be an effective treatment for numerous types of anxiety including: GAD-Generalized Anxiety Disorder, PTSD-Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, PD-Panic Disorder, OCD-Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and others. The authors of one 2020 Article reviewed eight studies investigating CBD’s role in treating various anxiety disorders and found evidence to support the use of CBD as an effective monotherapy or complementary therapy for treating generalized anxiety disorder and PTSD.
CBD for Sleep
Consumer Reports has found that 70% or an estimated 164 million Americans have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep most nights. When we have difficulty sleeping, the results can affect all aspects of our lives and health including our immunity. Supporting good sleep is one of the top 3 reasons people reach for CBD and for good reason. A case study published in the Permanente Journal revealed that 67% of participants improved sleep scores and almost 80% had reduced anxiety scores after the first month.
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