The Case:  Paulina is dealing with tension and constant pain in her upper back and neck.  She’s also experiencing frequent sleep interruptions, headaches and her body is in a constant state of inflammation. Paulina tried adjusting her work set up, saw doctors and a chiropractor, following their advice to take NSAIDs and anti-inflammatory medications but they left her with a sore stomach and still in pain. Natural anti-inflammatories (like fish oil and curcumin) only dulled the pain without decreasing inflammation. When it comes to inflammation and pain, many things are at play and like most things in health, things are interconnected. We often talk about inflammatory cytokines but my instinct was that there really was more going on and we had to dig to find the root cause.   The Investigation My instinct was to focus on the endocannabinoid system, which I suspected might assist in understanding and solving Paulina’s case.  When I went over the history and looked at all the things that she tried for inflammation, my sense was that she may not be able to process the inflammation properly because another system was dysregulated. Pat Gawrysiak is a formulation scientist and the Founder and CEO of RSPrecision Pharma, a pharmaceutical manufacturing and compounding company and President of 7 Leaf Compounds, (a company that grows and manufactures CBD products). I knew he’d be the ideal person to speak with about this. Endocannabinoid System and Clinical Endocannabinoid Deficiency Endocannabinoids are a system of cell receptors. This molecular system balances many body processes, such as immune response, cell communication, appetite, mood, metabolism, memory, and sleep. Phytocannabinoids are plant molecules, such as Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), CBD-A, CBD-G, and CBD-N. The phytocannabinoids are from plants, and endocannabinoids are from mammals.  High quality CBD products are known to activate the CB-1 and CB-2 receptors.  Clinical endocannabinoid deficiency is a medical theory which suggests that a deficiency of endocannabinoids is the underlying cause of migraines, fibromyalgia, and irritable bowel syndrome.   Not all CBD Products are the Same Many people are familiar with CBD but may not really know how or why it works.  And, while many may have tried CBD, they may not have gotten the results they were looking for because they were  not taking ones that are fully broad spectrum. Or, they may have gotten their dosages wrong for their weight. Anyone taking CBD for inflammation should ensure the product has proper testing (cannabinoid content, metals, pesticides) and is grown organically to get the best results. There can also be different results depending on the person. Treatments can be designed for balancing or acute treatment with doses varying for the desired effectivement.  This is why it’s important to consult an expert. The recommended dosage is 50-100 mg for an average adult.    Proper Absorption and Bioavailability Proper bioavailability is important and the method of consumption and dosage will impact this. You always want to work with an expert to ensure you are getting the right dosage for your body. CBD is similar to a water soluble vitamin in that there’s only so much that the body can absorb. The rest of the cannabinoid will be rejected by the body if it is not needed. Despite there being little to no risk of overdosing on clean CBD, it’s vital to get the right dosage to avoid feeling unwell.    Mystery Solved Because Paulina was so sensitive to anti-inflammatory medications, I knew that we had to look at her gut. However, while we were waiting for those results to come back, I recommended we start with a potent CBD both orally and topically to get the inflammation under control.  Paulina had never tried CBD before because she didn’t really know how it worked, but after I explained the pathway, she was excited to try it. She took 50 mg of the Physicians Only CBD twice a day and she applied a little topical cream to h