The 6 Best CBD Products for Sciatica in 2024

• Best cream: Extract Labs CBD Muscle Cream | Skip to review
• Best salve: FAB CBD Body Salve | Skip to review
• Best gummies: Sunday Scaries Extra Strength CBD Gummies | Skip to review
• Best capsule: Social CBD Gel Capsules | Skip to review
• Best oil: Aspen Green Bliss Organic CBD Oil | Skip to review
• Best THC-free/isolate oil: Soul CBD Oil Drops | Skip to review

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a chemical compound found naturally in cannabis plants. While research into its effects is ongoing, some studies suggest CBD may offer pain and inflammation relief. For this reason, some people use CBD to help relieve sciatica symptoms.

It’s important to keep in mind that while research suggests that CBD may help manage pain in general, there’s nothing that makes one CBD product better than another for managing sciatica specifically. Instead, you’ll want to focus on simply choosing a quality product overall.

We chose these products based on criteria we think are good indicators of safety, quality, and transparency. Each product in this article:

• is made by a company that provides proof of third-party testing by an ISO 17025-compliant lab
• is made with U.S.-grown hemp
• contains no more than 0.3% THC, according to the certificate of analysis (COA)
• passes tests for pesticides, heavy metals, and molds, according to the COA

As a part of our selection process, we also considered:

• the company’s certifications and manufacturing processes
• product potency
• overall ingredients and whether the product contains any additional ingredients that may support pain relief
• indicators of user trust and brand reputation, such as:
  • customer reviews
  • whether the company has been subject to a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warning letter
  • whether the company makes any unsupported health claims

CBD is often used to reduce pain and inflammation, both of which characterize sciatica.

Research from 2018 looked at studies on CBD and chronic pain conducted between 1975 and 2018. The studies were on various kinds of pain, including fibromyalgia, cancer-related pain, and neuropathic pain. The review authors concluded that CBD was effective at relieving pain with few noticeable side effects.

While CBD hasn’t been tested for its ability to relieve sciatica specifically, the above research is promising for pain in general.

Currently, the FDA doesn’t guarantee the safety, effectiveness, or quality of over-the-counter CBD products. However, in order to protect public health, they can take action against CBD companies that make unfounded health claims.

Since the FDA doesn’t regulate CBD products in the same way they do drugs or dietary supplements, companies sometimes mislabel or misrepresent their products. That means it’s especially important to do your own research and find a quality product. Here’s what to look for.

Test results

Only purchase CBD products that are third-party tested. You should be able to read a lab report, such as a certificate of analysis, or COA, on the company’s website. Some companies might also include the COA with your product shipment. Other times, you may need to request the COA by email.

When reviewing the COA, check to make sure that the product is free of pesticides, heavy metals, and mold. Also, review the cannabinoid profile. This will allow you to confirm that the product actually contains what the label says it does.

Ingredients

Check the label to make sure the product contains CBD. If it only lists hempseed oil, Cannabis sativa oil, or hemp seeds, it doesn’t have CBD in it. CBD is found in the leaves, flowers, stems, and stalks of the hemp plant. It isn’t found in the seeds.

CBD source and type

Look for products made from organic, U.S.-grown hemp. Hemp grown in the United States is subject to agricultural regulations and can’t contain more than 0.3% THC.

Whether you choose an isolate, full-spectrum, or broad-spectrum product is a personal choice. If you want to avoid THC altogether, look for an isolate or broad-spectrum product. If you’re fine with taking in a small amount of THC, a full-spectrum product may be a better choice due to the entourage effect.

Product type

Topical CBD products are ideal if you’re experiencing pain in a targeted area.

However, if you’re experiencing pain all over, you may prefer an oil or gummy. It can be costly and time-consuming to rub your entire body with a CBD topical.

Keep in mind, too, that different methods of taking CBD may have varying degrees of bioavailability, and some may take longer to kick in than others.

It’s difficult to dose topical CBD products because it’s hard to measure how much you apply to your skin. In general, you should use as much as you would if it were a regular topical product. If it doesn’t feel any different after some time has passed, use a little more.

If you’re taking an oil or gummy, start with a low dose — perhaps 10 mg or 20 mg per day. Keep in mind that it sometimes takes a while before you notice an improvement.

After a week, assess your symptoms. If the CBD hasn’t helped as much as you’d like, increase your dose by 5 mg per day. Continue doing this until you find the ideal dosage.

Check out our CBD dosage guide for more information.

CBD is generally considered safe for human consumption, according to older 2017 research. However, there are a few potential side effects of CBD, including:

• fatigue
• diarrhea
• changes in appetite
• changes in mood

Some research suggests that consuming CBD with high fat meals could increase your risk of side effects. This is because high fat meals can increase CBD blood concentrations, which can increase the risk of side effects.

It’s also important to note that CBD can interact with some medications, especially medications that carry a grapefruit warning.

Plus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says there’s limited data on CBD’s safety.

Regardless of whether you take medication, we recommend talking with your healthcare professional and a knowledgeable cannabis clinician before using any CBD products.

Will CBD oil help sciatica?

You can use CBD oil for sciatica. CBD is often used to manage pain and inflammation. Although there’s a lack of research on the benefits of CBD for sciatica, other research, such as a 2018 research review, might relieve pain.

Will CBD help with a pinched nerve?

As with sciatica, there aren’t any large-scale human clinical trials that explore whether CBD can help with a pinched nerve. However, because CBD might reduce pain and inflammation, it might also soothe a pinched nerve. Inflammation puts extra pressure on nerves, which can cause or worsen a pinched nerve.

How do you use CBD for sciatica?

People typically use CBD daily. Depending on your tastes, you can take CBD in the form of a tincture, oil, capsule, or gummy. You can also use CBD topical — such as a cream or balm — by massaging it into the affected areas.

Many people find that CBD helps relieve sciatica effectively, and it may be worth a try if you have sciatic pain. Remember to talk with your healthcare professional before using CBD, and do your research in order to find the best CBD product for your symptoms.

Is CBD legal? The 2018 Farm Bill removed hemp from the legal definition of marijuana in the Controlled Substances Act. This made some hemp-derived CBD products with less than 0.3% THC legal at the federal level. However, CBD products containing more than 0.3% THC still fall under the legal definition of marijuana, making them illegal at the federal level. Some states have legalized CBD, so be sure to check state laws, especially when traveling. Also, keep in mind that the FDA has not approved nonprescription CBD products, and some products may be inaccurately labeled.