DOES CBD BALM WORK? 

You are probably aware of Cannabidiol and its benefits. These days it is being pumped into numerous products, but the question is whether it works. Based on research and reviews, does this balm relieve pain? 

Whether you visit the gymnasium regularly, a few times a year, or are an athlete, you have probably encountered soreness or muscle pain. Leave alone systematic body pain, which affects the whole body. This type of pain only affects people with an illness or experiencing side effects of medication. This article discusses localized pain, which affects just a few muscles or a small part of the body, mostly caused by tension, stress, or minor injuries. Many use pain-relieving balm or sprays. This is where CBD comes in, in the form of topical balms, salves, creams, and sprays in the fascinating advance in sports medicine. 

What is CBD Muscle Balm?

CBD balm is a fragment topical cream or oil to soothe sore muscles. According to Rodriguez (2003), CBD balm is simply CBD mixed with other ingredients such as tea tree, eucalyptus, peppermint oil, and other oils to produce a substance that can be used to provide soothing effects to sore or painful muscles. The hemp or cannabis industry manufactures a wide range of products. THC content as these products, including CBD balm, contain no more than 0.3% of THC; therefore, it cannot get users high. This is a concern, especially for athletes due to doping claims or people who live in communities where THC products are illegal.    

Whether CBD Balm Works

Zheng (2017) showed that several end-users of CBD describe the products as calming and relaxing; however, the expected experience you get from a CBD muscle rub depends on many factors. These factors will include the type of CBD used in the balm, the type of extra ingredient added to the CBD, the total dosage, and independent differences of the consumer. CBD products are materialized in diverse formulas based on the three types of CBD: full-spectrum, broad-spectrum, and CBD isolates.

Full-spectrum CBD. This type of CBD contains all the compounds of the hemp plant, including traces of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Federally approved full-spectrum CBD is less than 0.3 percent THC, which means that full-spectrum CBD does contain THC in insignificant amounts.

Broad-spectrum CBD. This version is similar to the full spectrum as it contains all the cannabis components. The only difference is that this CBD doesn’t contain any THC, unlike the full-spectrum CBD.

CBD Isolate. This is the purest form of CBD as it contains no other compounds of the cannabis plant apart from cannabinoids. 

The presence or absence of these other cannabis compounds will have varying effects on the end-users. Also, the total amount of CBD in your CBD balm will affect the balm’s effectiveness in providing relief. A few people may require more significant doses to feel effective relief. That is why reading product labels and understanding all the ingredients is important. Remember that lab-tested products are more likely to provide relief. 

What Research Says 

Gallily et al.  (2015) noted CBD’s effectiveness on inflammation. This is because most studies investigating the anti-inflammatory benefits of cannabis include the whole plant analysis, which includes the THC and other cannabinoids. Philpott et al.  (2017) showed that lab rats shot with doses of CBD in arthritic knees showed less inflammation and fewer signs of pain. Rudroff& Sosnoff (2018) showed that CBD could reduce inflammation, help cure pain, and improve mobility in patients with several sclerosis. However, further investigation should be done to support the healing abilities of the CBD balm. It is also unclear whether the infused topicals are effective but generally, consumers seem to be improving from their use.  

How CBD Balm Works

Topical CBD is used just like any other pain-relieving balm on specific areas. CBD balms are applied locally on specific body parts to help calm the pain in the areas such as the joints or specific muscles. CBD gets absorbed by the skin and doesn’t enter the bloodstream. This means their effects are not that different from over-the-counter topical pain-relieving creams, as they relieve pain for a limited time.

CBD balms encounter a high concentration of cannabinoid receptors in the skin. These receptors are part of the body’s endocannabinoid system, responsible for maintaining homeostasis everywhere around many bodily functions, including pain management. Muller et al.  (2019) suggested that CBD desensitizes these receptors, which are mediums of pain perception and inflammation. Most consumers rub the CBD topically on the affected area and have reported that it works.

Does CBD Help with Muscle Recovery? 

After an intense, exhaustive session, it is common for individuals to experience muscle aches and soreness. This is because workouts cause microscopic tears of the fibers present in muscles. These tears can lead to inflammations and consequently soreness or muscle pain. Of course, break, down, and recovery of muscle fibers is important to growth, but the soreness resulting from the intense workouts is unpleasant, and if it is in excess, it changes the body.

According to Patterson (2019), CBD balm comes in handy in calming and relaxing these muscles and dealing with the inflammations involved with soreness. CBD also suppresses the production of cells that slow down the process of recovery and consequently allows muscles to recover faster. Also, something worth noting is that edibles infused with CBD may also work to relieve pain in the muscles. This shows the healing power of CBD, whether used topically or ingested. However, just like the CBD balm, the results will depend on the quality, type of CBD, and the quantity or amount of CBD taken.

Conclusion

The question of whether CBD balm works has been answered extensively. CBD topical can also aid with conditions past muscle recovery and pain relief. Numerous products in the market use CBD oil or Hemp oil as one of the ingredients. It is also found that CBD balm works well on the skin as it aids in treating conditions such as acne, psoriasis, and eczema. CBD balm also helps with skin repair and hastens the recovery of rashes and burns. It also reduces dryness as it nourishes and moisturizes the skin.    

References

Gallily, R., Yekhtin, Z., & Hanuš, L. O. (2015). Overcoming the bell-shaped dose-response of cannabidiol by using cannabis extract enriched in cannabidiol. Pharmacology & Pharmacy, 6(02), 75.

Muller, C., Morales, P., & Reggio, P. H. (2019). Cannabinoid ligands targeting TRP channels. Frontiers in molecular neuroscience, 11, 487.

Patterson, M. (2019). THE BRAIN ON STRESS.

Philpott, H. T., O'Brien, M., & McDougall, J. J. (2017). Attenuation of early phase inflammation by cannabidiol prevents pain and nerve damage in rat osteoarthritis. Pain, 158(12), 2442.

Rodriguez, A. K. (2003). The market survey of plant based-fragrances in Grenada.

Rudroff, T., & Sosnoff, J. (2018). Cannabidiol to improve mobility in people with multiple sclerosis. Frontiers in neurology, 9, 183.

Zheng, P. (2017). One-of-a-Kind Product Development for Mass Personalisation in a Cloud-Based Environment (Doctoral dissertation, University of Auckland).