A Natural Way to Help with Pain and Inflammation

Aging and the ripple effect that can occur over the passage of years and decades can add a tremendous burden of inflammation that can be accompanied by what feels like “an achy breaky body.” Patients who visit our clinic waiting rooms often complain of pain, tiredness, and brain fog. Low-grade inflammation is a common potential root cause.

As clinicians, we recognize that pain relief is crucial for maintaining a high quality of life. Below is a discussion on how CBD, curcumin, and beta-caryophyllene, when available with enhanced bioavailability, can be particularly helpful in extinguishing the fire of inflammation and supporting a healthy pain response.

But first, let’s discuss the widespread effects of pain and why it’s important to support a healthy inflammatory response.

An Epidemic Among Our Patients

Ongoing pain and pain that gets in the way of life or work activities (high-impact ongoing pain) are the most common reasons adults visit healthcare practitioners. Pain has a huge impact on quality of life and can lead to opioid abuse, anxiousness, feelings of sadness, and mental health needs that aren’t met.

Statistics show that pain is an all-too-common problem among patients:

• In 2023, 24.3% of adults suffered from ongoing pain in the past three months, and 8.5% of adults had high-impact ongoing pain.¹
• Women were more likely to suffer from ongoing pain than men. According to a recent study, 25.4% of women had ongoing pain and 9.6% had high-impact ongoing pain while 23.2% of men had ongoing pain and 7.3% had high-impact ongoing pain.¹

It Only Gets Worse With Aging

Pain and high-impact ongoing pain both increase with aging¹ to the point where may researchers refer to “inflamm-aging,” the increased inflammation that occurs as we age. Inflamm-aging is a chronic, low-grade inflammation that develops with advanced age and contributes to the development of age-related diseases as well as the development of pain. It arises from persistent immune response to internal stressors and cellular damage.

As I share with my patients, low-grade inflammation is like the effects of wind and rain against a mighty mountain. Over the years, the erosion of even the mightiest structures, including the body, will deteriorate.

Without testing, most individuals will not even know that this process is eroding their health until the threshold of damage starts to manifest in signs and symptoms. Clearly, as clinicians, we don’t want to wait for that moment. Thus, supporting the natural protective mechanisms of the endocannabinoid system and incorporating high-absorption, bioavailable supplementation to augment a health-promoting diet is of paramount importance.

Inflamm-Aging: an Insidious Robbing of Vitality and Life

Inflamm-aging is a silent contributor to multiple chronic conditions, including:

• Cardiovascular Disease – Inflammation contributes to atherosclerosis (hardening of arteries), increasing heart attack and stroke risk.²
• Type 2 Diabetes – Inflammation disrupts insulin signaling, contributing to insulin resistance.³
• Neurodegenerative Diseases – Inflamm-aging is linked to Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and other cognitive decline due to chronic brain inflammation.⁴
• Osteoporosis – Inflammatory cytokines promote bone loss by activating bone-resorbing cells (osteoclasts).⁵
• Sarcopenia (muscle loss) – Inflammation accelerates muscle breakdown and impairs regeneration.⁶
• Immunosenescence – Weaker immune responses to infections and vaccines due to immune system stress.⁷

Common Symptoms or Signs of Inflamm-aging

Though often subtle or overlapping with aging, symptoms may include:

• Fatigue or low energy
• Cognitive decline (e.g., memory issues, slower thinking)
• Mild joint or muscle pain
• Poor sleep quality
• Digestive issues (bloating, constipation, or mild GI inflammation)
• Slow wound healing
• Increased susceptibility to infections
• Elevated inflammatory markers (like CRP, IL-6, TNF-α in blood tests)

Controllable Risk Factors

• Sedentary lifestyle
• Obesity, especially visceral fat
• Unhealthy diet (high sugar, processed foods)
• Chronic stress
• Poor sleep
• Exposure to pollutants or toxins
• Untreated infections or gut dysbiosis

Support a Healthy Inflammatory Response

Combining powerful botanicals to support for healthy inflammatory and pain responses.  Hemp Oil Extract rich in cannabidiol (CBD) and other phytocannabinoids found in hempseed oil that are increasingly recognized for their beneficial effects on the body. CBD can promote the body’s natural inflammatory response along with restful sleep, something that often is lacking in patients experiencing discomfort.^8,9

In addition to cannabidiol from hemp oil, beta-caryophyllene (BCP) is one of the first known dietary cannabinoids. It is a sesquiterpene responsible for the spiciness of black pepper and is also found in cloves, rosemary, and cannabis. It was among the first hemp-derived substances shown to bind directly to endocannabinoid receptors, and plays a role in a healthy inflammatory response.¹⁰

Curcumin is also becoming known as a powerful nutrient that supports many areas of health including the joints, brain, heart, liver, and skin. Curcumin supports a healthy inflammatory response and stabilizes muscle soreness after exercise.¹¹ It’s also been studied extensively for its beneficial effects in supporting joint health.¹² Other research shows curcumin can maintain the brain’s normal structure to support cognitive health.¹³

Supporting the body’s natural pain response is a common mechanism of action for both hemp oil and curcumin. Thus, including both of these ingredients in one effective formula is a convenient way to support the body’s natural pain management mechanisms.

Conclusion

I share with my patients the following philosophy: “It is far better to be proactive than reactive,  since a proactive individual can better avoid reactive medical care. On the other hand, once we are in full-fledge reactivity, we are lying on a gurney, asking if someone will see us soon.” Being reactive also is much more expensive, both in terms of quality of life and from a healthcare perspective. Consequently, it is advantageous to promote a healthy inflammatory response to counteract inflamm-aging and all its unwanted effects.

FROM THE SPONSER:  TruEase + Curcumin – Superior Purity and Bioavailability

TruEase® + Curcumin is made using a state-of-the-art extraction and purification process called Simulated Moving Bed (SMB) Chromatography. Chromatography is the process of separating materials, allowing phytocannabinoids such as CBD, CBN, and CBG to be isolated and concentrated. SMB has been clinically proven in a number of industries for its purification results and success in recovering active ingredients. SMB’s efficiency is unmatched and there is no need for the use of excessive solvents.

TruEase® + Curcumin is powered by VESIsorb® delivery system. This leads to higher absorption of the ingredients, which translates into maximum support for joint, brain, and immune health, as well as the body’s natural inflammatory response. The bioavailability of oral CBD is usually between 6% and 20%. The VESIsorb® delivery system substantially enhances this bioavailability.¹⁴

This method of delivery is also advantageous for curcumin. Many of the components of turmeric (including the curcuminoids) thought to be responsible for its beneficial effects are poorly absorbed by the body. Their fat soluble nature and other chemical characteristics can make absorption across the gastrointestinal tract a challenge. However, when incorporated into the VESIsorb® delivery system, these challenges can be minimized.

References

1. Lucas JW. Chronic Pain and High-impact Chronic Pain in U.S. Adults, 2023. CDC National Center For Health Statistics. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db518.htm. Published 2024. Accessed June 4, 2025.
2. Guo D, Zhu Z, Zhong C, et al. Prognostic Metrics Associated with Inflammation and Atherosclerosis Signaling Evaluate the Burden of Adverse Clinical Outcomes in Ischemic Stroke Patients. Clin Chem. 2020;66(11):1434-1443.
3. Lontchi-Yimagou E, Sobngwi E, Matsha TE, Kengne AP. Diabetes mellitus and inflammation. Curr Diab Rep. 2013;13(3):435-444.
4. Kosyreva AM, Sentyabreva AV, Tsvetkov IS, Makarova OV. Alzheimer’s Disease and Inflammaging. Brain Sci. 2022;12(9).
5. Iantomasi T, Romagnoli C, Palmini G, et al. Oxidative Stress and Inflammation in Osteoporosis: Molecular Mechanisms Involved and the Relationship with microRNAs. Int J Mol Sci. 2023;24(4).
6. Jimenez-Gutierrez GE, Martínez-Gómez LE, Martínez-Armenta C, Pineda C, Martínez-Nava GA, Lopez-Reyes A. Molecular Mechanisms of Inflammation in Sarcopenia: Diagnosis and Therapeutic Update. Cells. 2022;11(15).
7. Pająk J, Nowicka D, Szepietowski JC. Inflammaging and Immunosenescence as Part of Skin Aging-A Narrative Review. Int J Mol Sci. 2023;24(9).
8. Irving PM, Iqbal T, Nwokolo C, et al. A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled, Parallel-group, Pilot Study of Cannabidiol-rich Botanical Extract in the Symptomatic Treatment of Ulcerative Colitis. Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2018;24(4):714-724.
9. Shannon S, Opila-Lehman J. Effectiveness of Cannabidiol Oil for Pediatric Anxiety and Insomnia as Part of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Case Report. Perm J. 2016;20(4):16-005.
10. Mazzantini C, El Bourji Z, Parisio C, et al. Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Cannabidiol and Beta-Caryophyllene Alone or Combined in an In Vitro Inflammation Model. Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2024;17(4).
11. Tanabe Y, Chino K, Sagayama H, et al. Effective Timing of Curcumin Ingestion to Attenuate Eccentric Exercise-Induced Muscle Soreness in Men. J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo). 2019;65(1):82-89.
12. Shep D, Khanwelkar C, Gade P, Karad S. Safety and efficacy of curcumin versus diclofenac in knee osteoarthritis: a randomized open-label parallel-arm study. Trials. 2019;20(1):214.
13. Yi LT, Dong SQ, Wang SS, et al. Curcumin attenuates cognitive impairment by enhancing autophagy in chemotherapy. Neurobiol Dis. 2020;136:104715.
14. Knaub K, Sartorius T, Dharsono T, Wacker R, Wilhelm M, Schön C. A Novel Self-Emulsifying Drug Delivery System (SEDDS) Based on VESIsorb(®) Formulation Technology Improving the Oral Bioavailability of Cannabidiol in Healthy Subjects. Molecules. 2019;24(16).