Written by Jordan Donohue

Back pain is the leading cause of disability in the United Kingdom, accounting for 11% of the total disabled population. Despite a range of treatments being available, a third of cases develop into chronic back pain, which costs the UK economy £10 billion a year.

Due to standard treatments often not providing the relief sought, open-minded consumers are now exploring alternative ways to manage back pain, with changes in lifestyle, exercise and the use nutritional supplements such as CBD oil topping the list.

Keep reading to learn how to use CBD oil for back pain and to explore the studies where CBD was shown to be effective.

CBD oil is a health supplement made up of 2 ingredients: a CBD rich Cannabis Sativa L. extract and a carrier oil.

Cannabidiol, often abbreviated to ‘CBD’ is a naturally occurring compound found within the cannabis plant. It belongs to a family of compounds known as the phytocannabinoids, of which hundreds have been identified to date.

Learn more about CBD oil in our beginner's guide to CBD oil.

Studies have indicated that supplementing with CBD oil may have some therapeutic potential in areas such as neuropathic pain and inflammation, which could be beneficial for people suffering from back pain [1]. Furthermore, a recent study in the journal of opioid management showed that when applied to the skin, CBD reduced back pain in patients recovering from compression fractures and degenerative disc disease [2].

CBD oil can be a confusing supplement at times due to its multitude of uses. However, there are only 2 ways to use CBD oil for back pain:

1. Consume the CBD oil orally as a nutritional supplement.

2. Apply it directly to the skin on the back.

We recommend doing both at the same time as part of a holistic approach to back pain. That way you are targeting the back pain locally when applying to the skin and systemically when consuming the oil orally.

If you are not sure how much CBD oil to supplement with check out our beginner’s guide to CBD oil

The answer is yes. Any CBD oil that can be consumed orally can also be applied to the skin. We do not recommend doing this with flavoured CBD oils.

To apply to the skin simply take a few drops of CBD oil and massage it into the affected area.

CBD is effective whether taken as an oral supplement or when applied to the skin directly. For best results we recommend using both at the same time.

When applied to the skin, CBD oil is equally effective as a CBD cream or balm. However, many consumers do not like the feeling of oil when applied directly to the skin and thus choose to go with a CBD cream or balm.