Women have a busy schedule at all stages of life. But they suffer from most chronic pain conditions, and that too to a greater extent than men. Additionally, they suffer from female-specific pains, including period pain (dysmenorrhoea), pelvis pain, and pain associated with diseases like endometriosis.
This blog aims to help manage pain and optimize the quality of life for women suffering from chronic pain. Let us understand the mechanisms of pain generation and the interaction between hormones and pain.
Understanding Pain and its Types
Pain is an unpleasant feeling that restricts a person’s capabilities to work. It is indicative of something not right with the body. As pain originates in receptor-bearing cells, the nerve sends a message to our brain about pain in a particular part.
Pain may be acute, short-lived, or intense and chronic, persisting from a few days to years. For acute pain, like inflammation and discomfort, doctors typically prescribe opiates or narcotic drugs.
However, for chronic pain, opiates are not so effective. The side effects of opiates include nausea and sedation. Also, over the longer term, people with chronic pain develop tolerance to opiates and need to increase the dosage gradually.
Worldwide, patients are seeking better pain relievers. So let us explore to know if Vijaya can be the right drug to help improve the quality of life for the sufferers.
The Endocannabinoid System
The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is a critical biological system in our body that helps regulate and control important functions like emotions, memory, immunity, sleep, temperature, pain, hunger, and inflammatory responses.
The Endocannabinoid System consists of three parts-
- Cannabinoid receptors (CB1 and CB2) – Cannabinoid receptors are a part of the endocannabinoid system located throughout the body. They are involved in various physiological processes, including appetite, pain sensation, and mood.
- Endogenous cannabinoids – Also known as endocannabinoids, are similar to cannabinoids but produced by our body that engages with cannabinoid receptors.
- Endocannabinoid enzymes – Many endocannabinoids metabolic enzymes facilitate the breakdown and use of cannabinoids.
CB1 receptors are found predominantly in the central nervous system (CNS), which includes the nerves of the spinal cord and brain. They play a role in sending the signal of pain to the brain via the spinal cord, impacting a person’s pain experience. Physiologically CB1 receptors can affect your memory, emotions, functioning, and reward. CB1 is the receptor predominantly responsible for the psychotropic effects of cannabis.
CB2 receptors are found in both immune cells, peripheral tissues, and the CNS but at much lower levels than CB1 receptors. They possess anti-inflammatory and analgesic or pain-relieving properties. Working via the body’s immune system, CB2 receptors activation reduces the release of proinflammatory cytokines and enhances the anti-inflammatory cytokines. These small proteins are involved in pain signaling.
How does Vijaya Work?
Vijaya seems to interact with the body’s endocannabinoid system and modulates the body’s desire to stay balanced and stable, known as homeostasis. It plays a key role in neuronal and immune cell function, which are crucial to pain perception.
Vijaya constitutes the plant’s naturally occurring cannabinoids that act directly on the CB1 and CB2 receptors. But it interacts with the body’s natural cannabinoid receptors reducing pain signaling and perception.
Receptors are like tiny proteins attached to your cells that receive signals and help them respond. This response creates anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving effects, hence helping manage pain.
Chronic pain stemming from systemic inflammation, such as back pain, rheumatoid arthritis, etc., may benefit from Vijaya’s anti-inflammatory properties.
Vijaya as Trailokya Vijaya Vati
Hempstreet’s Ayurvedic formulation of Vijaya helps provide easy relief from neuropathic pain. It is also effective for chronic pains, joint pains, muscular spasms, and sciatica pain. As per Ayurveda, the medicine directly affects the motor neurons or ‘VaatVaahini Naadi’ and provides a quick relief or ‘Aashukari.’ Hence, it offers quick relief from various types of pain.
Vijaya vs. Opiates
Studies have shown that cannabinoids have high potential in pain management. Peripheral nerves in our body are responsible for detecting pain sensations and contain abundant receptors for cannabinoids. The cannabinoids block peripheral nerve pain, as experimented on animals. Even the side effects of Vijaya are limited to headache, nausea, and minor effects.
Whereas opiates and other conventional NSAIDs are addictive and can cause harmful effects on long-term usage. A Canada study found that Vijaya can even help reduce the dependency on prescription pain medicines and opioids in patients by up to 78%. Vijaya has been effective in reducing addiction and improving the overall quality of life of patients.
Conclusion
If your mother or any woman is living with a joint, migraine, back, or pain and is struggling with consecutive anxiety and insomnia, you should seek help and gather more information from our expert doctors. As Vijaya is getting more acceptance, it is also being used as a complementary treatment to other care regimens and therapies.
Reference:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK224384/
https://www.webmd.com/pain-management/guide/pain-types-and-classifications
