Booster injection: what is alternative medicine?
Complementary medicine, or alternative medicine, brings together unconventional care practices, often based on natural and homeopathic approaches. It is available in more than 400 disciplines, but four are widely popular in France:
- Acupuncture, which uses needles to stimulate specific points on the body;
- Homeopathy, which is based on principles of similarity and dilution;
- Phytotherapy, which relies on plant extracts;
- Aromatherapy, which uses essential oils to promote health and well-being.
These methods strengthen the body's natural healing mechanisms and offer less invasive treatments than those of traditional medicine, even if there is no consensus.
CBD and medicine: a history that goes back!
The first traces of the use of CBD in medicine were found in ancient China. Indeed, ancient texts, dating from 2737 BCE, indicate that cannabis was already used as a natural remedy against pain, inflammation and indigestion.
In ancient Indian Ayurvedic medicine, one of the oldest holistic healing systems in the world, cannabis was also used to relieve pain, anxiety and even epileptic seizures.
Around the 7th century, the plant arrived in the Middle East and quickly became an essential component of Islamic medicine and pharmacopoeia. Arabic medical texts of the time mention its use for pain relief.
During the medieval period, the reputation of cannabis spread to Europe, where it was listed in numerous works throughout the 19th century. At that time, it was widely used for medicinal purposes in the United States, until it was criminalized in the early 20th century.
Today, CBD has regained a prominent place in modern medicine. With the discovery of the endocannabinoid system in the 1990s, science was able to demonstrate how cannabinoids, such as CBD but also CBN, CBC and CBG, interact with the human body to produce soothing, analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects. Since then, many countries have legalized CBD for medical use (Germany, Italy, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, etc.), but also recreational use (EU countries, North America, etc.).
CBD, a valuable resource for alternative medicine professionals
If CBD is in the books of alternative medicine professionals, it is because it ticks all the right boxes: it is very well tolerated by the body, it is available for sale in books almost everywhere in France (at an attractive price), it does not produce side effects, and it is naturally extracted from the hemp plant.
Obviously, it is its virtues that make it a valuable resource, in particular:
- Pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory properties : a study published in the European Journal of Paindemonstrated that topical application of CBD reduces pain and inflammation in osteoarthritis patients. This role is also fulfilled by acupuncture, which stimulates specific points to relieve pain;
- Reduction of anxiety and stress: a survey published in Neurotherapeuticsconcluded that CBD can reduce anxiety and stress. Disciplines like aromatherapy also use essential oils for this same purpose. CBD can therefore provide synergy;
- Improved sleep: a study published in The Permanente Journal revealed that CBD can improve sleep in patients with insomnia and REM sleep disorder. Homeopathy also works for this relaxation.
