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Using CBD For Muscle Pain

Pain is a common condition that affects a large percentage of the population. It is the body’s response to distressing or potentially harmful stimuli. Muscle pain is not an actual disease itself, but is rather an expression of some other medical problem.  It is also one of the most common symptoms associated with a huge range of illnesses.  However, if left untreated or un-medicated, pain can become debilitating and lead to a low quality of life for those suffering from it.

There are various traditional medications that can be used to treat pain, however they have a range of side effects and can even prove fatal in patients who overuse them. Cannabidiol (CBD) is a derivative of the cannabis plant that has shown, time and time again, to be an incredibly effective remedy for various types of pain. Furthermore, using CBD for muscle pain can treat the pain with limited side effects and no impairment to the patient’s everyday life. 

What Is CBD And How Does It Work For Muscle Pain?

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a molecule that belongs to the wider class of chemical compounds known as cannabinoids. It has wide-ranging medicinal qualities, including the treatment and management of pain. CBD is not as well-known as its chemical cousin, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is the most widely recognized cannabis plant derivative. However, CBD Oil or CBD flower for muscle pain is quickly becoming the preferred remedy of the two due to the fact that it does not have any psychoactive properties. This essentially means that CBD does not intoxicate the patient like THC does. It can effectively treat the same underlying conditions without negatively affecting the patient’s day-to-day life. 

CBD’s primary mechanism of action is interacting with the endocannabinoid system (ECS) in the human body. The ECS is a network of receptors and neurotransmitters that are spread out all over the body, including both the central nervous system (brain) and peripheral nervous system (spinal cord). Endocannabinoids are naturally-occurring cannabinoids within the human body. CBD helps regulate your body’s natural use of endocannabinoids in a more efficient and effective manner. 

runner holding knee in pain

Knowing how to use CBD oil for pain is valuable because it effectively eases various types of discomfort, not just muscle pain. This includes:

  • Chronic pain, which is a recurring sensation of pain in a specific part of the body, even after an illness has been treated or traumatized tissues have healed.
  • Acute pain, which is usually the result of a specific injury or trauma that has damaged tissues and the pain receptors that are contained inside. 
  • Acute-on-chronic pain, in which attacks of chronic pain occur over an underlying condition of chronic pain.

These various types of pain can be located virtually anywhere on the human body. This can include instances of muscle pain. The underlying reasons for muscle pain can include both an acute injury, like a tear or strain in muscle fibers, as well as a chronic condition, like rheumatoid arthritis. Treatment of muscle pain can be difficult to implement, particularly if the condition is chronic and severe. The primary treatment for muscle pain is the use of opioid painkillers or muscle relaxants. Both of these traditional treatments have significant side effects, including:

  • Nausea and/or vomiting
  • Severe constipation or gastrointestinal distress
  • Intoxication and/or impairment
  • Permanent liver damage
  • Addiction
  • Brain damage due to lack of oxygen (high doses of opioids cause respiratory depression)
  • Fatal overdose

Due to these significant side effects, many patients are seeking out remedies or treatments that are much easier on the body but no less effective. Using CBD for muscle pain has minimal side effects, lacks the potential for addiction, and lacks psychoactive properties.  This makes it a safe and viable treatment option.  Because pain is a condition that has such a negative effect on a patient’s quality of life, CBD is such a viable treatment because it only improves the patient’s everyday life.

Other Amazing Benefits Of CBD

CBD is also effective in remedying related conditions. Pain in the human body is usually accompanied by various other medical complications. The most common of these is inflammation. This is the body’s generalized defense towards any kind of trauma to the tissue. It is characterized by the affected part of the body becoming swollen, tender, and red due to increased blood vessel activity. Inflammation can occur in both physical injuries, like a wound or contusion, as well as an infectious illness or disease, like an internal infection. 

CBD is incredibly effective in treating inflammation in the human body. Both pain and inflammation are controlled by the ECS. The two primary types of receptors in the ECS, CB1 and CB2, are highly reactive with CBD molecules. CBD’s success in interacting with these receptors is due to two basic properties of the molecule: 

  • Adaptability, meaning that CBD is able to adapt to various situations, including binding to both CB1 and CB2 receptors.
  • Regulatory ability, meaning that CBD is an effective regulator of natural ECS function because it can both stimulate and block CB receptors. 

CBD does not disrupt the body’s natural pain management pathways. Instead, it helps to effectively regulate the ECS and allow the body to reach a state of homeostasis. Homeostasis is an overall sense of balance in the human body. Furthermore, CBD is commonly referred to in research as a “multi-target therapy”, meaning that it can target multiple underlying conditions at once. This is in direct contrast to a traditional treatment like opioid painkillers, which treat only pain. 

Types Of CBD For Muscle Pain: Topicals Versus Edibles

Determining the most effective route of administration for a particular medication is known as bioavailability.  When a medication has high bioavailability, it means that the body is effective in absorbing the medicine through various means. 

CBD oil comes in a variety of forms, all of which have high bioavailability. See our full line of CBD Drops, Vegan CBD Gummies and CBD Capsules for sale. Its efficacy in treating muscle pain depends on the type of pain the patient is experiencing. If it is a chronic pain that is spread out all over the body, then using a CBD edibles is the more viable option. When taken orally and on a regular basis, CBD tends to be stored in fat cells. This means that the body can slowly access the CBD as it burns fat cells throughout the day. This allows the medicine to effectively treat muscle pain that is more chronic than acute.

However, taking CBD orally means that it will be metabolized and broken down by the liver and kidneys. In cases of muscle pain that are highly localized, a more targeted treatment approach is preferable. When a type of muscle pain is highly localized, it means that a specific trauma to muscle tissues occurred at one specific site on the body. This can happen due to over-exertion or blunt force trauma. Using topical CBD for muscle pain is great because it is easily absorbed through the skin, and using the topical treatments allows the exact location of muscle pain to be targeted.  This precise application from the outside in is preferable for some patients. Using topical CBD for muscle pain also bypasses the metabolism of CBD via the liver and kidneys, ensuring that the highest percentage of medicinal molecules reach the affected area.   

lady muscle pain

How to Use CBD For  Muscle Pain

In addition to treating muscle pain, CBD is one of the most promising new remedies in allowing the body to reach a state of homeostasis. Because of how safe it is and how few side effects it has, CBD for fitness can easily be used as a daily regimen to treat both muscle pain and promote general health. It should, however, always be used under supervision of a health care professional. This will ensure that it will not cause negative interactions with other medications.

Choosing a brand of CBD products that has precise dosages and milligram amounts is crucial. To ensure maximum relief from pain and inflammation, it is best to determine a dosage and consistently take that dosage. This can be done once or twice daily, depending on the needs of the patient. Most full-grown adults with mild to moderate muscle pain can start at 15 mg twice daily. They may then increase that amount based on various factors such as size, severity of pain, age, and tolerance.

How Long Does It Take For CBD To Work?

CBD is quickly and efficiently metabolized by the body. That means that the molecules are quickly broken down and enter the bloodstream soon after. Once the molecules enter the bloodstream, then CBD can effectively work on regulating the ECS. If an edible is taken, then the effects should begin to be felt within 20-30 minutes. If there is still a sensation of pain, then the patient can take another dose without fear of intoxication or overdose. In cases where topical ointments are used, then the CBD is absorbed into the body much more quickly. This is because it is targeting the precise location of muscle pain. Topical ointments should provide pain relief within 5-10 minutes. Learn more here.

References

https://www.healthline.com/health/cbd-oil-for-pain

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/319475.php

https://tonic.vice.com/en_us/article/d3kkyx/cbd-for-pain-anxiety-headaches

https://www.webmd.com/pain-management/news/20180507/cbd-oil-all-the-rage-but-is-it-safe-effective#1

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2503660/[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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