August 23, 2022 5 min read

DOES CBD MUSCLE RUB WORK?

Do you know if the muscle rub has not been concluded or if it works? Here is what to find out; does it work? What does the research say? And what to consider when buying CBD;

CBD is a cannabinoid compound in cannabis marijuana. Unlike THC, CBD does not make you high. CBD is everywhere; you can drink, vape, bathe, and eat it. Although there is still a lot to learn, the fans claim it has some pretty impressive benefits, particularly when managing pain. There is a topical CBD from lotions and creams to salves and serums. It's the latest product trend in health care and skin care, but are the products effective? Below are the reasons if it works and the uses of the products;

Does it Work?

The answer is still not clear. Although people appear to find pain relief from them, it is a buyer-beware situation due to the explosion of CBD-containing topical products that may not have what they advertise. THC is the cannabinoid that gives marijuana its high effect because of the purported health benefits; you can find CBD in food, drinks, lotion, and a whole host of the products. It contains no more than 0.3% THC concentration so that it won't cause a high feeling. Patil et al. (2020) commented that both THC and CBD act as receptors in the body called cannabinoid receptors; there are two types of receptors; CB1 is found primarily in the central nervous system, including part of the brain and spinal cord. CB2 is found in the immune system tissues; both have been found in the skin; while the THC binds to both active receptors, CBD seems to modulate and block the effect of the CB1 and CB2 receptors. The CBD's effect on the CB receptors is more related to regulating and countering some of the actions of the THC and other cannabinoids in the brain.

Does the Body Have Receptors for the Compound?

It doesn't; cannabinoids like THC and CBD are similar enough to a compound that the body naturally makes called endocannabinoids that interact with the system. Webster & Chance (1991) commented that the endocannabinoid system is thought to play a role in the variety of functions in the body to help regulate things like part of the immune system, mentalism, and memory and release of hormones. Suppose you're taking something that only has CBD, no THC; you will not have any significant effects on the brain. In that case, that's why CBD is referred to as non-psychoactive, although it's quite negatively effective because it affects the nervous system. More of the CBD effects may occur outside of the CBD receptor. It may affect some serotonin receptors that play a role in anxiety and depression. Adenosine receptors are one of the neurological targets for caffeine and receptor for a sensation of spiciness and taste. It's a promiscuous compound that will bind to multiple receptors in the multiple pathways, making it difficult to know how it might cause noticeable effects. Cannabidiol is a mess drug; it has a lot of targets, and it's unclear how much of its effects on each target contribute to the potential pain-relieving effects. It's tempting to rule out being the cure for everything without much research to back it up.

What Research Says

The common medical reason people report using the CBD is to manage chronic pain and managing arthritis or joint pain, but does it work? In adults with chronic pain, patients treated with cannabis are more likely to experience a clinically significant reduction in pain symptoms. But it's not known if cannabidiols affect their own. The conclusion about the cannabinoids was based on the knowledge about THC. The most compelling research they found on using cannabinoids for pain came from a meta-analysis and large review. Smolev et al. (2021) established that CBD is doing something to help address the pain. According to the studies involving the whole plant, there is no great evidence to prove it. Cannabidiol itself helps with the pain, but it's not known exactly. Most of the studies made on the pain are all done on animals. The rats received doses of the CBD directly to their artery in the knee joint, showing that CBD rats showed less inflammation in the joint area and fewer pain-related behaviors. Like withdrawing the affected paw or not being able to bear weight in the paw compared to those who received saline. Another study looked at arthritis in rats, but it did with a topical formulation of the CBD; after they received a joint knee injection to model their arthritis, they received a gel that contained 10% CBD; the gel was massaged in the rats shaved back for 30 seconds each time. Philpott et al. (2017) confirmed that they measured the inflammation in each rat's knee joint, the CBD made in their bloodstream, and the pain-related behavior; it was found that the rats given two higher doses didn't show much effect. These results don't apply to you; the resultant applies to your life. Although you know rats share the cb1 and cb2 receptors, it doesn't tell if humans would have the same results with CBD.

What to Consider When Buying CBD

The products claim to have the amount the products claim to have because the studies show CBD and pain looked at systematic administration rather than truly local. When applied locally, the correct dose is not known. You’ll be tempted to go for the higher amount you can find, but it's an individual’s choice to identify where to start. Remember that they come with side effects and interact with other drugs you might be taking as a blood thinner. But the drug interaction is not considered an issue when the CBD is used topically. If you're worried about a purely topical CBD production getting into your bloodstream, CBD is hydrophobic; it's not water-soluble and attracted to lipids like oil. They stay out of your skin unless it's paired with the enhancers.

Conclusion

Due to the lack of regulation and adulteration, most CBD products, including vapes and oils sold online, don't contain the things they claim to in the right amount. Only buy CBD products that you can verify via a certificate of analysis; they contain what it's supposed to. And CBD products start slow and go slow.

References

Patil, A. S., Mahajan, U. B., Agrawal, Y. O., Patil, K. R., Patil, C. R., Ojha, S., ... & Goyal, S. N. (2020). Plant-Derived Natural Therapeutics Targeting Cannabinoid Receptors In Metabolic Syndrome And Its Complications: A Review. Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy, 132, 110889.

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.

Smolev, E. T., Rolf, L., Zhu, E., Buday, S. K., Brody, M., Brogan, D. M., & Dy, C. J. (2021). “Pill Pushers And CBD Oil”—A Thematic Analysis Of Social Media Interactions About Pain After Traumatic Brachial Plexus Injury. Journal Of Hand Surgery Global Online, 3(1), 36-40.

Webster, S., & Chance, B. (1991). At Guelph Volume 35 Number 21 To Number 31, 1991.