Everyone at one point has been the victim of sore muscles. Small aches and pains from sleeping wrong, to torn muscles from working out, we all know what it’s like to go through your day with a stiff and sore part of your body. Cannabis infused creams are becoming increasingly popular as they’re a natural alternative to helping ease the discomfort caused by sore muscles.
These creams (topicals) are infused with the cannabidiol, CBD, found in marijuana. Researchers and manufacturers claim it can help alleviate acute pain and muscle soreness when it’s absorbed into the skin.
What is a Topical?
Topicals are made by infusing high quality marijuana into some kind of quality oil, most popular are coconut or olive. The oil then extracts the active compounds, either CBD, THC, or both depending on the type of cannabis that’s used. This oil is then blended with other beneficial therapeutic herbs, like arnica or lemongrass essential oils. The resulting cream is then rubbed onto the affected area as needed. One of the benefits of these creams is that they’re transdermal, which means they don’t soak into the bloodstream, so users do not get high.
How it Works
Endocannabinoids are natural signals in your body that help maintain homeostasis by detecting and regulating hunger, pain, mood, and memory. Topicals work by increasing your natural endocannabinoids, decreasing your inflammatory response, and desensitizing your pain receptors.
Who Should Use Topicals
Topicals can be helpful to anyone suffering from topical and localized pain affecting muscles and nerves. Beyond helping those who are affected by athletic muscle soreness, topicals can be used by those affected by arthritis, inflammation, and anyone suffering from general tenderness of the muscles and skin.
For Athletes
There is a strong interest in the athletic community for cannabis infused topicals. When you strength train, you create micro-tears in your muscles, which is why muscles feel sore as they heal. CBD, has the ability to limit the release of some proinflammatory signals, thereby helping with pain without thwarting the healing.
